11+ Entrance Assessments

About this event

From the school

Getting there

Other assessments at City of London School

Registration and deadlines

Questions

City of London School

In the school’s words

November 2026

Question 1

What assessments will my child sit for entry at CLS?

Accepted Answer

All candidates registered by the registration deadline will sit the following assessments: Part 1: online assessment (105 minutes) Part 2: creative writing (30 minutes) Candidates should expect to sit both Part 1 and Part 2 on the same day. There will be breaks at various points throughout the assessments, so we expect them to be with us for about 2.5 hours.

Question 2

How does the Part 1 assessment work, and what will be tested?

Accepted Answer

The Part 1 assessment is online and will cover the following subject components: Maths 20 Minutes English 30 Minutes Non-verbal Reasoning 10 Minutes Verbal Reasoning 10 Minutes Puzzles & Problem Solving 15 Minutes Creative Comprehension

Question 3

How does the Part 2 assessment work, and what will be tested?

Accepted Answer

Candidates will write a short story, based on a prompt. They will be free to write from any perspective (first person, third person or any other), and may invent something entirely new or base their story on their own or someone else's experience. It must be written in paragraphs, and they will be tested on the following criteria:

Question 4

Is the Part 1 assessment adaptive or non-adaptive, and what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning will be adaptive: this means questions will get harder or easier based on their responses as each candidate moves through the assessment to ensure the questions are at the right level for each individual. Therefore, candidates will not be able to skip or go back and change their answers to questions.

Question 5

What resources can my child use during the assessment?

Accepted Answer

Candidates will be permitted blank scrap paper (provided by school) and pencil/pen in all parts of the assessments for any working out. Candidates may not use any other additional materials during any stage, e.g. dictionaries, thesauruses, calculators, rulers, mobile phones, etc.

Question 6

Why is the entry assessment online? What type of device will be used?

Accepted Answer

Many senior schools run online assessments. An adaptive online assessment allows for a better candidate experience and a shorter examination that still provides us with robust data. No extended typing is required, so typing ability does not impact results. The entry assessment will be sat using a laptop or desktop computer provided by CLS.

Question 7

Our family currently lives overseas. How will my child take the assessment?

Accepted Answer

We require candidates to sit their assessments with us at CLS. By prior arrangement, candidates living overseas may be permitted (at additional cost) to take the assessments under exam conditions at their current school. Please contact the Admissions team for further information.

Question 8

How much preparation does my child have to do for the entry assessment?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that all candidates look at the familiarisation materials provided. Beyond that, our assessments will test knowledge based on the National Curriculum appropriate for your child's age, and candidates will need to know how to read an extended comprehension passage to answer questions on it.

Question 9

When is the City of London School 11+ entrance exam?

Accepted Answer

On Friday 27 November 2026.

27, this date