Devon, Plymouth & Torbay Grammar 11+ Tests
Devon has no single county-wide grammar test — there are THREE separate testing arrangements. Plymouth grammars (DHSB, DHSG, PHSG) use Quest Assessments. Colyton Grammar runs its own Quest Assessments test. The Torbay Selective Schools Consortium (TBGS, TGGS, Churston Ferrers, plus The Spires College) uses a joint GL Assessment test.
Exam board
Plymouth grammars & Colyton: Quest Assessments · Torbay Consortium: GL Assessment
Test duration
68 min
Papers
2
Year 7 places
1,157
Across consortium
Applicants per place
2.0×
Typical competition
Test format
Each school runs its own test. No common consortium exam.
Selection methods used
Subjects tested
- English
- Mathematics
- Reasoning
Competition (latest)
2,355 applicants chasing 1,157 places · 2.0× per place
Paper-by-paper breakdown
Plymouth — English
Quest Assessments paper, sat Saturday 12 September 2026.
Plymouth — Mathematics
Quest Assessments paper, sat Saturday 19 September 2026.
Colyton — English, Maths & Creative Writing
Quest Assessments. Distinctive combination — NO verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
Torbay Consortium — English
≈ 50 minutesGL Assessment, sat back-to-back with Maths.
Torbay Consortium — Mathematics
≈ 50 minutesGL Assessment.
Annual timeline
Confirm exact dates each year on the council pageRegistration opens
Plymouth 27 April · Colyton 31 March · Torbay 1 March
Registration deadline
Plymouth 31 August · Colyton 31 July · Torbay 15 July (preferred) / 4 September (final)
Test window
Plymouth: Sat 12 + Sat 19 September · Colyton: Sat 12 September · Torbay: Sat 19 September
Results release
Mid-October (Torbay by 12 October)
How to prepare
- Identify which test(s) your child needs — Plymouth, Colyton and Torbay are separate registrations.
- Plymouth and Colyton candidates should practise Quest Assessments-style papers (NOT GL/CEM).
- Colyton candidates must prepare Creative Writing — no reasoning practice required.
- Torbay candidates should drill timed 50-minute GL English and Maths back-to-back.
- All families must still submit the CAF to their home LA by 31 October.
Important to know
- There is NO single Devon 11+ — three independent arrangements.
- Plymouth grammars use Quest Assessments across two consecutive Saturdays: DHSB (boys), DHSG (girls), PHSG (girls).
- Colyton Grammar uses Quest Assessments independently with a distinctive English + Maths + Creative Writing format (no reasoning).
- Torbay Selective Schools Consortium administers ONE joint test covering Torquay Boys' Grammar, Torquay Girls' Grammar, Churston Ferrers Grammar and The Spires College (non-selective but uses the same test).
- Torbay qualifying standard targets roughly the top 25%; no fixed pass mark.
- Within Torbay, the test can only be sat once across the consortium schools.
- All offers come via the standard CAF on 1 March national offer day.
About the qualifying score: Varies per school. Torbay aims to select roughly the top 25% of candidates; no fixed pass mark. Always check the latest threshold on the council's admissions arrangements before applying.
Official links
Sources used on this page
- plymouth.gov.uk/11-plus
- colytongrammar.com/admissions
- tggsacademy.org — admissions / Torbay Selective Schools Consortium materials
- dhsb.org/registration
Schools using this test(7)
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy
Torbay · mixed
Colyton Grammar School
Devon · mixed
Devonport High School for Boys
Plymouth · boys
Devonport High School for Girls
Plymouth · girls
Plymouth High School for Girls
Plymouth · girls
Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Torbay · boys
Torquay Girls' Grammar School
Torbay · girls
Where to go next
- Each school sets its own qualifying score and oversubscription rules — open a school page above for the per-school detail.
- Use the Chances Calculator with your postcode to see your likelihood at every school in this consortium.
- Council and school admissions pages are the authoritative source for registration deadlines and test dates.