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Introduction
Hereford Cathedral School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school located next to Hereford Cathedral. The school is amongst the oldest in England, with the earliest documented record of its existence dating from 1384.
Pupils study a broad range of subjects: art, biology, chemistry, Classics, design & technology, drama, economics, English and Modern Languages, geography, history, maths, music, PE & Games, physics and religious studies.
From CCF and debating to international travel experiences and participation in music ensembles, the school enables learning beyond the classroom which builds up pupils’ confidence as they approach adulthood.
The small class sizes and outstanding facilities guarantee fantastic results and a range of opportunities, whilst the ethos, widely recognised as unique to the school, enables pupils of all ages to excel both at school and beyond.
Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026
Address: Old Deanery The Cathedral Close Hereford, HR1 2NG
County: Herefordshire
Admissions info: admissions@herefordcs.com or 01432 363506
School type: Independent co-ed boarding and day school
Number of students: 530 (approx.)
Open day: November, March
11+ Exam date: January/ February
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
The school encourages individual visits, organised at a time that suits you. They consist of an informal chat with the Head and a tour of the school, which provides families with an opportunity to view the facilities and meet pupils. You can arrange a visit via the Admissions Office.
Hereford Cathedral School also organises Open Mornings, Afternoons and Evenings, which offer you and your child similar activities and the chance to see the school in action. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
If you wish to enter your child for admission to Hereford Cathedral School, you will be asked to complete a registration form which includes a non-returnable fee of £75. This will place your child’s name on the prospective entry list and relevant information about the admissions process will be sent to you at the appropriate time.
That process includes attending an interview and sitting entrance examinations. Both aim to identify children who have the potential to flourish at Hereford Cathedral School.
The interview lasts twenty minutes and takes place on a separate day prior to the entrance examination. During the interview, your child will read a brief comprehension exercise and discuss their interests and hobbies. The school will also request a reference from their current school, usually prior to the entrance examination.
Offers of places are posted as soon as possible after the results of the entrance examinations are known. A Parent Contract and Acceptance Form are included in the offer letter. When accepting a place, you will be asked to pay an acceptance fee of £400. £150 will be retained in the school funds until your child leaves, whilst the remaining £250 is non-refundable and will be added to the “HCS Charitable Bursary Scheme”.
Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries are usually applied for at the same time as registrations. Academic Scholarships are awarded by the Headmaster on the basis of your child’s performance in the Academic Scholarship Examination.
The school also offers Music Scholarships and Sports Scholarships. For more information about these awards, please visit the school’s website.
Bursaries are means-tested and allocated on the basis of an independent parental means test, which takes into account savings, investments and realisable assets, as well as income. An independent company, Bursary Administration Limited (BAL), will reach out to arrange a home visit in order to provide the school with a report. More details are available on this page.
Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Hereford Cathedral School 11+ examination consists of the following papers:
- English
- Mathematics
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The English paper aims to evaluate your child’s reading, comprehension, inference and writing skills.
The maths paper is based upon work from the Core Key Stage 2 curriculum and is designed to examine your child’s skills in problem-solving and arithmetic.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to measure the ability to understand, interpret, problem-solve using visual reasoning, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Hereford Cathedral School 11+ exam.
How to Prepare for the Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Consisting of thoroughly researched and up to date questions, our practice tests successfully reflect the actual 11+ exam. They offer a methodical approach towards 11+ exam preparation which can help you identify the strong and weak areas in your child’s knowledge base.
Aside from identifying potential weaknesses, our practice papers will help you recognise your child’s strengths, and thus you will be able to adjust their study schedule accordingly. The preparation process should become a little less demanding with a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’.
Whilst age-appropriate, our practice tests are challenging, and are successfully used by tens of thousands of students every year.
Practical and convenient, 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 Hereford Cathedral School 11 plus entrance examinations.
Hereford Cathedral School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
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.
We strongly suggest the following packs for successful preparation for the Hereford Cathedral School 11+ English paper. They will help your child further develop their reading, comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and inference:
Practice Papers
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Hereford Cathedral School 11+ maths test:
Practice Papers
To further develop your child’s Non-Verbal Reasoning abilities ahead of the Hereford Cathedral School 11+ entrance examination, we suggest that you make use of the following packs of practice tests that cover all of the key question types:
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Video Masterclasses
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.
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Hereford Cathedral School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Hereford Cathedral 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 Hereford Cathedral School.
Other entry points for Hereford Cathedral 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)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning