The Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools runs a single shared admissions test for grammars across the county.
Lincolnshire is one of the few English counties to retain a county-wide grammar system. The Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools (LCGS) runs a single shared test that feeds admissions to grammars from Louth in the north to Bourne in the south.
Because Lincolnshire grammars are geographically spread, families often select schools by commute as much as by performance — each school has its own catchment and ethos despite the shared admissions test.
The Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools (LCGS) — Eight state grammar schools across Lincolnshire share a single LCGS Consortium Test for admissions.
The LCGS Consortium Test uses GL Assessment papers. Children sit Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English papers.
Each paper is multiple-choice, timed, and age-standardised. The combined standardised score determines qualifying rank for places.
Lincolnshire's test is consistent year-to-year — past GL-format papers are highly representative. Build pace and accuracy through timed practice rather than chasing tricky content.
Cover all four subjects. English in particular tends to be underweighted by families focused on reasoning, but it's a meaningful part of the qualifying score.
Yes — the LCGS registration form asks for the schools you wish to be considered for. The single test result is then shared across those preferences.
Yes. Lincolnshire publishes a standardised qualifying threshold each year. Above qualifying, places at each school are offered by rank order with the school's own oversubscription criteria.
Yes — LCGS doesn't restrict registration by address. Catchment becomes relevant later, when each school applies oversubscription rules.
Less so than London or Buckinghamshire — qualifying rates are comparatively generous. Individual school competitiveness varies, with Caistor and Bourne typically among the most oversubscribed.
Free taster papers in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics. Worked answers on every question. No payment needed to start.