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Introduction
Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK. It was founded in 1515 and has educated a number of notable alumni, also known as Old Mancunians, including a Nobel Prize recipient for Chemistry and esteemed mathematicians, journalists and cryptographers. [1]
The school’s educational philosophy is rooted in efforts to provide pupils with variety, both in and out of the classroom. The rich curriculum covers everything from English, science, computing and classics to design, drama, MFL and philosophy, encouraging pupils to actively question the world and seek ways to improve it.
Covering almost every possible area of interest, the enrichment programme comprises a number of clubs and societies. MGS is also known as one of the most successful Duke of Edinburgh schools in the North of England, allowing children to challenge themselves, forge firm friendships and have lots of fun along the way. [2]
The ethos of this superb educational centre is focused on maximising boys’ leadership skills in parallel with their teamwork abilities, encouraging pursuit of excellence throughout all areas of learning. Benefitting from these and a range of other positive circumstances, students develop a lasting love for education and proceed to use their talents for the interest of society.
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2025
Address: Old Hall Lane, Manchester, M14 6HL
County: Greater Manchester
Admissions info: admissions@mgs.org or 0161 224 7201 ext. 234
School type: Boys’ independent day school
Number of students: 1590 (approx.)
Open Day date: In the Spring and Autumn terms
Exam Date: 15th January 2025
Pass mark: Aim for 85%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Open Events for Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
MGS welcomes visitors on campus in May, September and November, allowing them to fully explore facilities and meet key members of staff. The events typically begin with an address from the Head and end with refreshments. For more details, please reach out to the Admissions Team. The school’s exact location can be viewed on the map below:
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Manchester Grammar School holds Assessment Day for all prospective students. Each boy spends a day at the school, during which he attends lessons and participates in various group activities.
The lessons include maths and focus on new topics that the boys have not been taught yet. Throughout the day, the boys will be assessed on what they have learned and asked to complete a piece of creative writing. MGS uses this type of assessment as it gives a good insight into how well each boy is suited to the school’s approach to education and it plays an important part in the selection process.
Entrance Examination Day takes place in January, consisting of formal papers in English and Arithmetic. A reference from each boy’s current school will be requested. There may also be an interview.
Application forms can be accessed through this page. The registration fee is £40.
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Manchester Grammar offers means-tested bursaries to pupils whose families are in a need of financial assistance with paying the fees. The awards are allocated on the basis of the level of need and the applicant’s academic ability, assessed throughout the admissions process.
Please note that households with a gross income of over £53500 would typically be considered ineligible, while those with income of £29500 or below will receive full remission of fees.
Academic Scholarships are not available.
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Manchester Grammar School 11+ entrance exam consists of the following papers:
- English A (30 minutes): grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary, comprehension and some data handling and/or reasoning-type questions
- English B (45 minutes + 5 minutes reading time): comprehension
- Arithmetic A (30 minutes): short arithmetic and problem-solving questions
- Arithmetic B (1 hour): multi-part problem-solving questions
Calculators cannot be used for maths papers.
How to Prepare for the Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Our practice tests help students become familiar with the style and layout of the Manchester Grammar School 11+ 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.
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 85%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the Manchester Grammar School 11+ test.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Manchester Grammar School 11+ exam.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
To prepare for the MGS creative writing task (completed during the assessment day), we would recommend using the following practice papers.
The following Verbal Reasoning papers will also help to ensure thorough preparation for English Paper A, which has included logic and reasoning-style questions in the past.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
To prepare for the maths papers, which tend to be quite challenging, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers.
Practice Papers
Interviews
This interview guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
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.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Manchester Grammar School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Manchester Grammar School is 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 article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Manchester Grammar School.
Other entry points for Manchester Grammar School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 4 entry via the 8 Plus (8+) Exam
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Author(s)
Faisal Nasim
Founder of Exam Papers Plus
