" The 11-plus became the national yardstick of success or failure for children in their final year of primary school. Throughout the 1950s and most of the 1960s around 75 per cent of 11-year-olds proceeded to their local secondary modern. In contrast to the grammar schools, opportunities to follow public examination courses in the secondary moderns were limited or non-existent. " (Source)
Above: Not the actual 11-plus examination, but one of the many 'practice runs' that schools had in preparation to their pupils taking the 'real thing'. This examination paper is taken from 1964. Those lucky enough to succeed at the 11-plus went on to a higher school than those who failed.