Each region publishes its own qualifying scaled score, and the threshold varies meaningfully — knowing your region's number changes the strategy.
How qualifying scores are set
Each region's qualifying scaled score is set by the local authority or grammar school consortium that administers the test. In some regions it is set in advance; in others it floats based on cohort performance in the year of sitting.
The published score is what families see; behind it sits a percentile cut-off that the score is designed to deliver. Most qualifying scores correspond to the top 25% of the cohort, although the exact percentile varies by region.
High-threshold regions
Buckinghamshire applies a county-wide threshold of 121 — among the highest in England — with no school-by-school flexibility. Reading and Slough's consortium grammars sit similarly high.
In high-threshold regions, the realistic preparation target is consistent practice paper performance comfortably above the threshold (125+), because exam-day variance often pulls live scores a few points below practice averages.
Mid-threshold regions
Kent's qualifying band sits in the 111–121 range across its three subject scores. Bexley, Trafford and Sutton fall in similar bands. Birmingham KEVI and Gloucestershire use cohort-relative thresholds (typically the top 25%).
In mid-threshold regions, individual school admissions criteria (usually distance from school as the primary tiebreaker) are at least as important as the qualifying score itself. Inner-catchment addresses meaningfully outperform outer-catchment in offer probability.
Region-specific quirks
Some regions report combined scores across subjects rather than individual subject thresholds. Essex CSSE uses a combined English-and-Maths score around 310–340 out of 500. Northern Ireland's SEAG report combines results across the AQE/PPTC tests.
Always check your specific region's methodology rather than assuming a 121 threshold from another region applies. Methodologies change occasionally; the local authority's admissions PDF is the authoritative source.
Why qualifying scores fluctuate
In regions with a fixed threshold (Bucks, for example), the score does not change year-on-year — what changes is the proportion of children clearing it. In regions with a floating threshold tied to cohort performance, the published score shifts to maintain a consistent qualifying proportion.
Both systems are defensible; both produce roughly comparable outcomes. The implication for parents is to focus on absolute preparation quality rather than trying to game the year-on-year movements in the published number.
Where to find your region's number
Your local authority's school admissions page is the primary source. The target grammar school's own admissions PDF is the secondary source and often more current. Forum discussions are unreliable, especially in the days immediately after results are released.
Update yourself on the current year's number every September of Year 5, before deep preparation begins. Knowing the target number changes the cadence of preparation in the months that follow.