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11+ exam timeline

A month-by-month view of the year leading up to Year 7 entry, with the key dates for Dulwich College, Trinity School and Whitgift School. All dates are indicative — confirm with each school's admissions office each cycle.

The Whitgift Foundation schools (Trinity and Whitgift) run their papers in November. Dulwich College runs its papers in January. Many families apply to both timelines, with prep work intensifying in the autumn term of Year 6.

Year 5 — summer term

Most families start thinking seriously about the 11+ at this point. Useful actions:

  • Visit open days for each school you are considering. They run in late spring and early summer for Year 7 entry the following September.
  • If you anticipate a bursary application, read the bursaries guide and start gathering financial documentation.
  • For SEN families, contact each school's SENCo (or equivalent) early. See SEN navigation.

Year 6 — September

  • Registration opens at all three schools.
  • Fee schedules for the next academic year are typically published.
  • Focused exam preparation should be well underway. The autumn term is when timed-paper practice becomes essential.

Year 6 — October

  • Registration deadlines at Trinity and Whitgift (typically late October).
  • Dulwich's registration deadline tends to follow shortly after.
  • Any bursary application must be declared at this stage — you cannot apply for a bursary after receiving an offer.

Year 6 — November

  • Trinity and Whitgift hold their written papers — Mathematics and English.
  • Pupils should be calm, well-rested, and familiar with the format. There is no productive preparation in the final 48 hours.

Year 6 — December

  • Interview invitations issued by Trinity and Whitgift for shortlisted candidates.
  • Dulwich registrations confirmed and exam logistics communicated.

Year 6 — January

  • Trinity Assessment Day — pupil interview plus academic and creative classroom experiences. Parents may attend an optional informal coffee.
  • Whitgift interview day — pupil interview followed by a formal parent interview, on the same visit.
  • Dulwich written papers — Mathematics, English and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
  • Towards the end of January, Trinity and Whitgift typically issue offers.

Year 6 — February

  • Dulwich interview invitations issued, with interviews running through February.
  • Bursary award letters issued separately from academic offers.
  • Acceptance deadlines at Trinity and Whitgift (typically mid-February).

Year 6 — late February / March

  • Dulwich offers issued.
  • Dulwich acceptance deadline.
  • If multiple offers are in hand, families finalise their choice.

Year 6 — summer

  • Successful families receive welcome packs, uniform lists and induction-day invitations from the school they have chosen.
  • For bursary families: a final review of total costs (uniform, kit, trips, music lessons) is sensible before September.

A note on changes

All three schools have adjusted their assessment processes over the last decade. Trinity moved to co-education in September 2023. Schools occasionally tweak the format of assessment days or the structure of interviews. Always read the current admissions page on the school's website before acting on dates from this guide.

Sources