Dulwich College 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
Table of Contents
NOTE: Due to Covid, the 11+ Admissions Process for 2021 entry to Dulwich College has changed. Written papers are replaced with an online Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4). Click here to access our CAT4 resources.
Introduction
Dulwich College is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London. It was established in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, an Elizabethan actor, with the intent to educate 12 poor scholars.
At Dulwich College, boys take lessons in core subjects plus DT, drama, geography, history, computer science, modern languages, sport and music.
Co-curricular activities are viewed as vital part of a rounded education. Many of the clubs and societies were initiated by the boys themselves. They include music, sport and drama, coupled with Scouting, CCF, the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Charitable fundraising is one of the many opportunities to serve the community that are initiated by the school.
11 Plus (11+) Information for Dulwich College
Address: Dulwich Common London SE21 7LD United Kingdom
County: Greater London
Admissions info: the.registrar@dulwich.org.uk or 020 8299 9263
School Type: Independent day and boarding school for boys
Number of Students: 1820 (approx.)
11+ Open Day: September, October
11+ Exam Date: January of Year 6
11+ Exam Type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for Dulwich College 11 plus (11+) Entry
Dulwich College hosts an Open Morning in the Autumn term, which includes departmental displays and conducted tours of the campus, as well as in-depth discussions with staff and current pupils.
Besides the Open Morning, you will be able to visit to visit the school during the tours scheduled in September and October. To secure a spot, contact the Registrar.
Dulwich College 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Following the open event, you should register your son by the deadline set in November. In January, he will sit examinations which assess English, mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Based on his performance in the exam, your son may then be invited back for interview.Your son is also expected to attend an interview the same month. During this interview, he will have the opportunity to provide further evidence of his academic strengths, as well as information about his interests and abilities, according to which his capacity to make a contribution to the general life of the school will be determined.
The offer of a place is made on the basis of his performance in the appropriate examination and the interview.
Boys who have an Educational Psychologist’s report that shows they have below average scores for speed of cognitive processing will have extra time available and may be able use a computer for the tests.
Your son will receive an Academic Scholarship if he scores the highest grades in his examination and interview. All boys who sit the entrance examinations are automatically considered for an academic scholarship, which has a range in value from 10% to one third of tuition fees.
Bursaries provide support in cases when boys pass entrance examinations and interview and are offered a place, but who cannot afford to pay the school fees, in full or in part, due to financial circumstances.
Bursaries are means tested, and are awarded after the College’s bursary committee takes into account family income and assets. The amount of the Bursary award is reviewed each year.
They range from 10% to 100% of fees, with the majority of awards being between 75% and 100%. Means-tested support may be available for trips and other enrichment activities, as well.
Dulwich College 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The entrance assessment for candidates applying to join Year 7 (11+) consists of 4 papers:
- English (60 minutes plus 10 minutes reading time)
- Mathematics (60 minutes)
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The English paper examines comprehension and writing skills, whilst the maths paper tests problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills.
The Verbal Reasoning paper is primarily designed to test and assess your son’s logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary. The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to test the ability to understand, interpret and problem-solve, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for Dulwich College 11+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for Dulwich College 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Our practice tests help students become familiar with the style and layout of the Dulwich College exams, which can help boost their confidence in the lead up to the big day.
They cover all the question types that could be asked in the entrance exam and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work.
Once you devise a specific study schedule and a structured approach towards 11+ exam preparation, you will be able to remove unnecessary stress from the preparation process and make it more manageable for your child.
We highly recommend that students take our practice tests under timed conditions to get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
Our practice tests are age-appropriate, yet still challenging, corresponding perfectly with the demands of a competitive independent school’s 11+ entrance exam.
They are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase.
Please see below our recommended packs to help you prepare your child for the Dulwich College 11+ entrance exam.
Dulwich College 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each part of the Dulwich College 11+ exam can be found below:
English
The following practice papers are highly recommended for successful preparation for the Dulwich College 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and inference:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
Mark Schemes
Dulwich College 11+ English Sample Paper A
Dulwich College 11+ English Sample Paper B
Dulwich College 11+ English Sample Paper C
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Dulwich College’s 11+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
Non-Verbal Reasoning + Verbal Reasoning
To further develop your son’s Reasoning abilities ahead of the Dulwich College 11+ entrance examination, we suggest that you make use of the following packs that cover all of the key question types:
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 3
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 4
Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
Verbal Reasoning: Skill specific practice
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Compound Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Embedded Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Codes
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Move a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Shuffled Sentences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Completion
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Match
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Opposites
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Pairs
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Puzzles
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Relationships
Interviews
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Dulwich College 11+ exam past papers. The information provided about Dulwich College was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
