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The 11+ entrance exam: a parent guide

The 11+ is the assessment used by most academic independent schools and grammar schools in England to select pupils for Year 7. This page covers what it tests, who it is for, and how the process unfolds across Year 5 and Year 6 — focused on entry to Dulwich College, Trinity School and Whitgift School.

What the 11+ actually is

Despite its single label, the 11+ is not one exam. Each independent school sets its own papers and runs its own assessment day. There is no national 11+ board. What schools have in common is that they assess children aged 10 to 11 in their final year of primary, usually in the autumn or early spring before Year 7 entry.

The papers test four core areas, in some combination:

  • Mathematics — calculation, reasoning, and problem solving. Multi-step questions are common.
  • English — comprehension and written expression. Usually one or both.
  • Verbal reasoning — language-pattern problems that test logical thinking. Some schools include it; some do not.
  • Non-verbal reasoning — visual and spatial pattern problems. Dulwich College includes it.

Most academic independents also interview successful candidates — either one-to-one or as part of a longer assessment day. The interview is part of the offer decision, not a separate step.

Who the 11+ is for

Independent school entry suits families who want a smaller class size, a wider co-curricular offer, and an academically demanding programme. It is not for every child, and it is not for every family. The schools we cover here are competitive — many more children apply than there are places — so a realistic view of fit matters as much as preparation.

Bursaries make these schools accessible to families who could not pay full fees. The Whitgift Foundation supports both Trinity and Whitgift with substantial bursary funding; Dulwich has a smaller but real bursary programme. See our bursaries and scholarships guide for the process and what to expect.

How preparation works

The pupils who sit these papers comfortably tend to be working at or above the standard for 12 to 18 months before the exam. That does not mean every child needs intensive tutoring — many strong primary schools cover the foundations well. What is consistent is:

  • Steady arithmetic fluency — children who have to think too hard about basic calculations run out of time on the problem-solving questions.
  • A reading habit — comprehension scores correlate strongly with how much a child reads in the year before the exam.
  • Exposure to the question styles each school uses — not memorising specimen answers, but understanding how the papers are structured.

Tutoring is most useful when it fills specific gaps and teaches technique under timed conditions. It is least useful when it asks a child to perform answers they cannot defend in conversation, which the interview will surface.

The interview

All three of our principal schools interview shortlisted candidates. The interview is a conversation about the child — what they read, what they enjoy, what they have worked at, what they find difficult. The schools are not looking for a polished performance. They are looking for a real child who can talk about themselves with some self-awareness.

Interviewers are experienced at spotting coached answers. The most effective preparation is therefore not rehearsing scripts but giving children the space to think about themselves and their interests honestly, and to practise talking to adults outside the family.

Common questions

When should we start?

Most families begin focused preparation in Year 5, often after the October half-term, with the goal of being exam-ready by the autumn of Year 6. Starting earlier than Year 5 is usually counter-productive — children burn out, and the topics on the papers are mostly built on Year 5 / Year 6 curriculum content.

Do we have to pick one school?

No. Most families apply to two or three of the schools they would be happy with. The exam dates are spread out enough across November to January that this is practical. See our timeline page for the dates side by side.

Our child has SEN. Are these schools open to us?

Yes — and this matters. All three schools publish their approach to Special Educational Needs and are willing to discuss reasonable adjustments to the assessment process. Our SEN navigation covers the four areas of need from the SEND Code of Practice and what to ask each school directly.

Next steps