The two providers
Virtually every grammar school in England uses either GL Assessment or CEM for their 11+ exam. A small number of schools write their own papers, but these are the exception.
GL Assessment
GL Assessment papers are the more widely-used format, covering roughly 60% of grammar schools. The structure is consistent year to year: four separate papers covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning, each with a fixed time limit and predictable question types.
This consistency is both an advantage and a challenge for preparation. Children can learn the exact formats and become very fast at them — but GL schools are also the most heavily tutored, so competition is intense.
CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring)
CEM was developed specifically to counter the tutoring advantage. Their papers blend subjects, change format from year to year, have no published past papers, and test vocabulary and reading comprehension under tight time pressure. They're used by around 30% of grammar schools.
Preparing for CEM requires building genuine underlying skills — strong vocabulary, fast reading comprehension, and mathematical fluency — rather than learning question formats. This makes CEM preparation harder to shortcut.
How to find out which format your school uses
Contact the school directly or check their admissions guidance. Most schools publish this information. ExamVerge papers are labelled by provider so you can filter to GL or CEM practice.