Entrance exam & assessment dates.

What assessment dates are

An entrance assessment is the test a school uses to decide who to offer a place to. Depending on the school and entry point it may be the school's own written papers, the ISEB Common Pre-Test taken online, a shared London 11+ Consortium paper, Common Entrance, an interview, or an observed group activity — and many schools use several in combination.

Frequently asked questions

When do 11+ entrance exams take place?

Most London 11+ assessments are sat in January of the year of entry — so January 2027 for September 2027 places. The London 11+ Consortium holds a single sitting that counts for every member school. Schools outside the consortium set their own January dates, and interviews usually follow in January and February.

What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

An online, adaptive test in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, taken once in Year 6 or Year 7 and shared with every participating school a child applies to. It is normally sat at the child's current school between November and February, and each receiving school sets its own completion deadline.

What happens at an assessment day?

Typically a mix of written papers, a group activity where staff observe how a child works with others, and an individual interview. They usually run for a morning or a full day, often on a Saturday, and schools generally tell families that no preparation is needed for the group element.

What if two schools assess on the same day?

Contact both admissions offices as early as you can. Schools are used to clashes and will often offer an alternative sitting, particularly if you ask well before the date. Consortium schools cannot move a shared sitting, so where a clash involves one, the non-consortium school is the one to approach.

Can my child retake an entrance exam?

Not within the same admissions round — schools assess once per entry year. A child can apply again at the next entry point, for instance sitting 13+ after an unsuccessful 11+, and many do so successfully.