Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam 2024/2025, Year 7 Entry – Key Details
Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School (HABS Boys), formerly known as Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, is an independent school in Elstree, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1690, it occupies a Grade II* listed building, located at the heart of the magnificent 104-acre campus. Due to the exemplary quality of education, leavers frequently access prestigious universities both in the UK and abroad. [1]
The curriculum in the Senior School boasts a ranging selection of subject areas, through which Habs Boys actively prepares students for the world of work and life. Lessons are delivered for mathematics, English, science, languages, computing, ICT, art and DT, among others, maximising pupils’s academic skills in parallel with their social versatility.
Aimed at meeting individual interests, however changing they may be, the school provides a broad and impressive programme of extracurriculars. Clubs and societies on offer range from chess and Tamil Society to Model United Nations and Robotics Society, boosting boys’ passion for exploration of new ideas, alongside their capacity for learning beyond the classroom. [2]
Grounded in efforts to provide an outstanding educational experience, the Habs ethos nurtures intellectual curiosity and encourages a bold approach to self-discovery. The quality of teaching at this genuinely happy school is supported by a superb variety of modern facilities, inspiring pupils’ exceptional outcomes across all academic and non-academic departments.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information
Address: Butterfly Lane, Elstree, WD6 3AF
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@habsboys.org.uk or 020 8266 1700
School type: Independent day school for boys
Number of students: 1095 (approx.)
Open day: In the Spring and Autumn terms
11+ Exam date (Stage 1): December 2024
11+ Exam date (Stage 2): January 2025
Pass mark (Stage 1): Aim for 60%+ in our practice tests.
Pass mark (Stage 2): Aim for 80%+ in our practice tests.
Open Events for Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
The best way to familiarise your child with everything on offer at Habs is to attend their Open Events. During these, he will have the opportunity to meet members of staff and observe lessons. Booking of spots is made through the school’s website. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Registration forms for Year 7 places should be submitted no later than the deadline in November of the year preceding entry.
The entrance examinations take place in mid-December, consisting of an online reasoning test (CEM Select) which lasts 90 minutes. The following month, top-performing applicants will be invited back to the school to be interviewed. On this occasion, their Maths and English skills will be assessed. There will also be a group task.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
The school offers both Scholarships and Bursaries to 11+ applicants. Academic Scholarships typically cover 10-20% of fees and are offered to the most successful candidates in the entrance examinations and interviews. For this award, the school does not require separate applications.
Art Scholarships cover 10% of fees and are offered on the basis of a portfolio and interview. Drama Scholarships typically carry the same value, as do Music Scholarships. When evaluating prospective scholars, the school also takes into consideration their academic ability, demonstrated in the entrance examinations. More details are available here.
Means-tested bursaries are offered to applicants whose parents are in a need of financial help with paying the fees. Full remission (100% of fees) is typically offered to families whose household gross income is below £38000.
This award will remain valid throughout your child’s time at the school, subject to his satisfactory progress and conduct. Please click here to learn more.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Haberdashers’ Boys’ School Round 1 11+ exam consists of:
- CEM Select
The CEM Select assesses Verbal, Non-Verbal and Numerical ability through a series of short, online modules. To access a familiarisation sample, click here.
As part of the 11+ interview session or Round 2 testing at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School, your child will be assessed in the following areas:
- English (20 minutes)
- Mathematics (20 minutes)
The English assessment examines both comprehension and writing skills, including inference, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The maths assessment measures problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills. The paper may include questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
Please note that your child will also be asked to take part in a group assessment, typically lasting 30 minutes.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
To successfully prepare your child for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ exam, we recommend that you utilise resources that provide an insight into the types of questions that they could be asked in the actual exam. Our practice papers offer exactly that and much more.
Aside from reflecting the demands of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ exam, our practice tests will help you identify any weaker areas that require additional work, and thus enable you to adjust your child’s study schedule accordingly.
Students who approach preparation in such a methodical way generally have a competitive advantage over their peers who prefer a less structured approach.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School use the online CEM Select test as their Stage 1 filtering assessment. CEM Select is a unique test, which is highly time pressured. Students are not expected to answer all the questions. To learn more about how to approach this test, please click here. In terms of pass marks, 60%+ is considered an excellent score and 50%+ is considered a very good score.
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our Stage 2 Practice Tests should be on track to pass the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ exam.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Habs Boys 11+ exam.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice tests and papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11 Plus exam can be found below:
Round 1 Exam
CEM Select
The following full practice online tests are specifically designed to help your child become familiar with the demands of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School CEM Select assessment:
Full Practice
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School CEM Select exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
CEM Select Practice Tests 1-10 Bundle - Save 30%
✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School CEM Select exam and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
CEM Select Practice Tests 1-5 Bundle - Save 25%
CEM Select Practice Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 25%
The following resources consist of focused tests that allow students to target specific question formats that appear in CEM Select:
Skill Practice: Verbal Ability
CEM Select – Comprehension Pack 1
CEM Select – Comprehension Pack 2
CEM Select – Missing Words Pack 1
CEM Select – Missing Words Pack 2
CEM Select – Shuffled Sentences
CEM Select – Letter Connections
CEM Select – Multiple Meanings
Skill Practice: Non-Verbal Ability
Skill Practice: Numerical Ability
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice resources for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School CEM Select exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
CEM Select Skill Practice Bundle - Save 30%
Don’t forget to use the code ppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £80 and 20% off orders over £200 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Round 2 Exam – Interview
NOTE: The following English and Mathematics practice tests are in standard format, which means that students need to write in their own answers rather than choose from a list of multiple-choice options. This matches the 11+ Exam format used by the school.
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ English assessment:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the English section of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Habs Boys English Bundle - Save 30%
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Mark Schemes
HABS 11+ English 2014 Sample Paper
HABS 11+ English 2016 Sample Paper
Mathematics
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ Maths assessment:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Mathematics section of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Habs Boys Maths Bundle - Save 30%
Mark Schemes
HABS 11+ Mathematics 2014 Sample Paper
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Interviews
This guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School 11+ exam past papers. The information provided about The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School 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.
Other entry points for The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 12 entry via the 16 Plus (16+) Exam
Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.
