0
Introduction
The Stephen Perse Foundation is a group of six independent schools, which educates children from 3–18 years of age. It is made up of two pre-prep schools in Madingley and Cambridge and a junior school, senior school, and sixth form college, all in Cambridge.
The Foundation takes its name from Dr Stephen Perse who died in 1615 and bequeathed a parcel of land in Cambridge for the express purpose of establishing a grammar school. It operates a ‘diamond model’, which describes the educational pathways that boys and girls take within the Foundation: boys and girls start their education together, but are taught separately in Years 7 and 8 and for core subjects in Years 9, 10 and 11, before coming back together fully in the co-educational sixth form.
The school is at the forefront of digital learning and makes use of lots of cutting-edge technology, which includes all pupils using tablets as ‘virtual satchels’ on a daily basis. It also boasts an innovative new building, which accommodates a learning hub, classrooms and sports facilities, with a sports pitch on its rooftop.
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2025
Address: Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1HF
County: Cambridgeshire
Admissions info: admissions@stephenperse.com or 01223 454722
School type: Independent day school for girls and boys
Number of pupils: 1120 (approx.)
11+ Exam date: January 2024
Exam type / Board: CAT & School’s own
Pass mark (Online CAT4 Exam): Aim for 80%+ in our practice tests.
Pass mark (Papers): Aim for 75%+ in our paper-based practice tests.
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Open Events
The Stephen Perse Foundation encourages prospective parents to arrange a personal visit to the school with or without their child, as appropriate. Visits can be arranged by completing an online form. Dates for open events, including taster mornings, are advertised on the school’s website when available. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
To request a place for your child at the Stephen Perse Foundation, you must complete a registration form, which can be downloaded from the website. The completed form should only be returned to the school after paying the £200 registration fee by bank transfer. The deadline for registration is in early December of the year preceding entry.
The entry process for the Stephen Perse Foundation Senior School includes tests, a group activity and a general interview with a senior member of staff. The Foundation will also request a reference from the head teacher of your child’s current school.
The entrance exams take place in January. The interview will primarily be about your child’s interests, but may also include a discussion of the problem-solving question in the second part of the maths test.
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
The school offers three types of scholarship awards: Governors Academic Award, Music Scholarships and Sports Scholarships. These are worth 5% of fees. There are also Music Exhibitions, valued at a one-off £500.
Scholarships interviews and auditions typically take place in January. Application forms can be accessed through this page.
Means-tested bursaries are offered to families who struggle with paying the fees. The evaluation procedure will include a home visit, conducted by an independent company. Please note that the value of the award will depend on the level of need, as assessed throughout the evaluation process.
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The 11+ exam at Stephen Perse Foundation consists of:
- CAT 4 (Cognitive Abilities Test)
- Creative writing paper / comprehension exercise
- Maths exercise
The CAT test aims to examine developed abilities via modules testing Verbal, Non-Verbal, Spatial and Quantitative Reasoning.
The English paper examines either comprehension or writing skills, including inference, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation.
The maths exercise assesses your child’s problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Stephen Perse 11+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for the Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Exam
One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice tests. These help students 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 tests which are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase, offer excellent practice and preparation. 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 tests are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance examination process. They are designed to be age appropriate but challenging, to reflect the demands of a competitive independent school’s entrance exam.
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our online practice tests should be on track to pass the Stephen Perse 11+ CAT4 exam.
Pupils who are able to score 75%+ consistently in our practice papers should be on track to pass the written section of the Stephen Perse 11+ exam.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Stephen Perse 11+ exam.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice tests from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
Stephen Perse Foundation 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Tests
Online CAT4 Test
The following Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) online practice tests are highly recommended for successful preparation for the Stephen Perse 11+ CAT test. They help familiarise students with the various modules and question types that will come up in the CAT4 Level C, which is taken for Year 7 (11+) entry.
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 1
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 2
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 3
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 4
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 5
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 6
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 7
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 8
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 9
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 10
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice test resources for the Stephen Perse CAT4 exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle 1-10 - Save 30%
✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the Stephen Perse CAT4 Exam, and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle 1-5 - Save 25%
CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle 6-10 - Save 25%
The following Skill Practice Tests each focus on one module that will come up in the CAT4 Level C assessment, allowing you to target the specific modules that your child finds most challenging.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Matrices
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Classification
Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Verbal Classification
CAT4 – Level C – Verbal Analogies
Quantitative Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Number Analogies
CAT4 – Level C – Number Series
Spatial Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Analysis
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Recognition
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice resources for the Stephen Perse CAT4 exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
CAT4 Level C Skill Practice Bundle - Save 25%
The following video courses cover everything your child needs to know to do well in the Stephen Perse CAT4 exam:
CAT4 Quantitative Reasoning Course
CAT4 Non-Verbal Reasoning Course
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended video courses for the Stephen Perse CAT4 exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
CAT4 Level C Video Courses Bundle - Save 25%
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.
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Stephen Perse Foundation 11+ English exercise. They will help improve your child’s comprehension skills, such as inference, and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and punctuation:
Comprehension
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Stephen Perse Foundation 11+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
Get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250. Use the code eppdiscount at checkout.
Interviews
This interview guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
The information provided about Stephen Perse Foundation was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of possible future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Pretest Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the CAT or any other test publisher and Stephen Perse Foundation.
Other entry points for Stephen Perse Foundation:
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
Bookmark Article
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.
Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
