The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information – Key Details 2026

Introduction

The Abbey is an independent day school for girls aged 3–18. It began life in 1887 as Reading High School, when the Church School’s Company took over the privately-owned Blenheim Ladies’ School.

The school moved to its current site, just south of Reading town centre, in 1905 and its name was changed to The Abbey School ten years later. The name change was made to pay tribute to Jane Austen, who had been a pupil at a boarding school situated next to the gateway of Reading Abbey.

The school’s location in Reading means that it has good transport links to London. It is also served by an extensive school coach service that covers much of the surrounding area.

The Abbey offers a rigorous academic curriculum alongside a wide range of extra-curricular activities. It achieves consistently high exam results, with 62% of GCSE entries achieving a grade A*/9/8 and over 90% achieving a grade A/7 or above in recent years. Girls in the sixth form have the option to take the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma instead of A-levels.

The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Open Days

The families of all prospective pupils are encouraged to visit The Abbey prior to submitting an application. The school holds Open Mornings throughout the year and informal Open Evenings in the Autumn Term. Dates for upcoming open events are posted on the website and bookings can be made via an online form. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

Applications can be made by completing an online registration form and paying a non-refundable registration fee of £100 (£250 for overseas applicants). The deadline is in December of the year prior to entry. The school acknowledges receipt of all applications and will send out details of the admissions process in due course.

All applicants for Upper III (Year 7) entry to The Abbey attend Interview Day, usually held in the Autumn Term of Year 6. The event includes a workshop, activity session and short informal interview to help provide an insight into your daughter’s character, interests and aptitudes.

She will also sit an entrance exam in January. Subject to a successful outcome, she may receive an offer of a place, to be accepted with a payment of a £1,000 deposit.

The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries

Academic Scholarships are awarded to the top performers in the 11+ entrance examination who also successfully complete an optional Scholarship paper. Specialist Music, Art, Drama and Sport Scholarships are offered to girls who demonstrate exceptional talent in their chosen field.

An individual pupil can only hold one specialist scholarship, as they are expected to be dedicated to that specific department. Applicants wishing to be considered for a specialist scholarship must submit a scholarship application with supporting references by 1 November.

Means-tested bursaries are also available. They are offered to families who can’t afford to pay the fees and are reviewed annually.

Applications must be submitted by the last Friday in November. Please note that, as part of the evaluation process, the school will also look into your daughter’s academic performance, ability and potential. More details are available from the Head of Finance.

How to Prepare for The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Exam

One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice papers. These help students to familiarise themselves with the format and question types they will encounter in the actual test in an efficient and effective manner. They also provide an excellent opportunity for students to practise working under time pressure.

Our practice papers, which are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase, offer excellent practice and preparation for The Abbey 11+ entrance exam. They cover all the key skills and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work ahead of the exam and to help build confidence.

Our 11+ practice papers are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by tens of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are designed to be age-appropriate but challenging to reflect the demands of such an exam.

The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores

Pupils who are able to score 75%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass The Abbey School 11+ test.

Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in The Abbey 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!

The Abbey School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers

English

15 Products

To prepare for The Abbey’s 11+ English paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers, which will help to improve comprehension and writing skills, including spelling and vocabulary.

Practice Papers

11+ English (Independent Schools) Pack 1

11+ English (Independent Schools) Pack 2

11+ English (Independent Schools) Pack 3

11+ English (Independent Schools) Pack 4

11+ English (Independent Schools) Pack 5

The Complete Guide to 11+ Comprehension

11+ English: Poetry Comprehension

11+ Reading Workbook

11+ English: Inference Skills Pack 1

11+ English: Inference Skills Pack 2

11+ English: Writing Prompts

11+ English: Rewrite & Improve

11+ English: Spelling Pack 1

11+ English: Spelling Pack 2

The Complete Guide to 11+ Writing

English Bundle

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Mathematics

26 Products

To prepare for The Abbey’s 11+ mathematics paper, we would highly recommend using the following resources. They will improve your child’s problem-solving and arithmetic skills.

Practice Papers

11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 1

11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 2

11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 3

11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 4

11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Independent Schools) Pack 1

11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Independent Schools) Pack 2

11+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic

11+ Mathematics: Algebra (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Angles & Degrees (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: BODMAS (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Estimation & Place Value (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Factors & Multiples (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Measurements (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Money (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Operations (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Perimeter, Area & Volume (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Position & Direction (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Probability (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Properties of Shapes (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Ratio & Proportion (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Sequences (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Special Numbers (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Speed, Distance & Time (Independent Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Statistics (Independent Schools)

Mathematics Bundle

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Verbal Reasoning

30 Products

To prepare for The Abbey’s 11+ Reasoning paper, we would highly recommend using the following packs. They will improve your child’s Verbal (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) skills

Practice Papers

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 1

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 2

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 3

11+ Verbal Reasoning Pack 4

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Codes

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 Grids

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: Related Words

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Rhyming Synonyms

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

Verbal Reasoning Bundle

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Verbal Reasoning Mini Masterclass

22 Products

Video Masterclasses

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Analogies Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Codes Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Compound Words Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Embedded Words Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Analogies Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Calculations Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Codes Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Grids Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Letter Sequences Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Move a Letter Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Number Analogies Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Number Calculations Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Number Sequences Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Related Words Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Rhyming Synonyms Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Shuffled Sentences Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Word Completion Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Verbal Reasoning: Word Match Mini Masterclass

Verbal Reasoning Mini Masterclass Bundle

You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Abbey Verbal Reasoning exam and Masterclasses at a large discount. Click the buttons below to learn more.

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Non-Verbal Reasoning

18 Products

To prepare for The Abbey’s 11+ Reasoning paper, we would highly recommend using the following packs. They will improve your child’s Verbal (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) skills.

Practice Papers

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 3

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 4

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Analogies

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Classes Like

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Classes Unlike

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Extended Series

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Classification

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Horizontal Codes

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Operations

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Series

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Series

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Star Matrices

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: Vertical Codes

Video Masterclasses

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning XL Masterclass

11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Bundle

You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Abbey Non-Verbal Reasoning exam and Masterclasses at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more.

 

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Non-Verbal Reasoning Mini Masterclass

11 Products

Video Masterclasses

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Analogies Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Classes Like Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Classes Unlike Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Classification Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Figure Matrices Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Horizontal Codes Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Series Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Star Matrices Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Matrices Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Triangle Series Mini Masterclass

11+ GL Non-Verbal Reasoning: Vertical Codes Mini Masterclass

Non-Verbal Reasoning Mini Masterclass Bundle

You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Abbey Non-Verbal Reasoning exam and Masterclasses at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more.

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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in The Abbey School 11+ past papers. The information provided about The Abbey 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 The Abbey School.

Other entry points for The Abbey 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