Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Exam 2024, Year 7 Entry – Key Details
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Bedford School is an independent day and boarding school for boys in the county town of Bedford. Founded in 1552, it features a varied list of notable alumni, including one Nobel Prize winner, five recipients of the Victoria Cross and eight Olympic gold medallists. [1]
Bedford School boasts high standards of education, facilitating both academic excellence and positive conduct among boys. The syllabus comprises languages, mathematics, humanities and computer science, among others, allowing pupils to expand their knowledge across a wide range of qualifications.
To further enhance the learning experience, the school provides a rich selection of extracurriculars. Everything from baking, drama and rugby to rowing, skiing and chess is on offer, complementing the wealth of educational opportunities. Trips are considered fundamental to boys’ all-round growth, thus destinations regularly include fairs, museums and country parks. Through the school, boys also frequently travel abroad, visiting exciting locations in Spain, France and South Africa. [2]
To secure pupils’ success throughout their time at the school as well as beyond, Bedford School offers the Future Skills Curriculum. The goal of this programme is to promote the development of values, and it is centred on endeavour, responsibility, integrity, curiosity and kindness as pillars of the community ethos and the school’s comprehensive educational philosophy. [3]
Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2024
Address: De Parys Avenue, Bedford MK40 2TU
County: Bedfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk or +44 (0)1234 362216
School type: Independent day and boarding school for boys
Number of students: 1110 (approx.)
11+ Open day: In the Spring and Autumn terms
11+ Exam date: January 2024
11+ Exam type / Board: CAT4 + School’s own
Pass mark (Papers): Aim for 80%+ in our paper-based practice tests.
Pass mark (Online CAT4 Test): Aim for 75%+ in our online practice tests.
Open Events for Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
Open Events at Bedford School are held in Spring and Autumn (September, October and November). During these, you and your child will meet the Head, alongside key members of the teaching and admissions staff. Tours of facilities are included, as are refreshments. Details on how to book are available on this page. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
The admissions process begins with registration. Registration forms should be submitted together with a £125 registration fee and supporting documentation. The deadline is at the beginning of December of Year 6.
Entry is dependent on performance in formal examinations and the quality of confidential references. The exams take place in January and results are posted to parents the following February.
The deadline for acceptance of places is in March. Please note that you will be asked to pay a deposit to secure your son’s place at the school.
Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships are only available to applicants who wish to enter the Upper School. However, you can apply for a means-tested bursary at 11+.
Bursaries provide support to families who cannot afford to pay the school fees, in full or in part, due to financial circumstances. Please note that your son’s academic performance and talents will also be taken into consideration.
Bursaries can cover up to 100% of fees. They are re-assessed annually and thus their value may vary upwards/downwards. The application deadline is at the beginning of December. For more details, please reach out to the Bursar.
Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The 11+ entrance examination at Bedford School consists of :
- English
- Mathematics
- Cognitive Abilities Test – CAT4
The English paper 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 exam assesses your child’s problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills. The paper may include questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
The CAT4 test aims to assess developed abilities via modules testing Verbal, Non-Verbal, Spatial and Quantitative Reasoning.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Bedford School 11+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for the Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Our practice tests help students become familiar with the style and layout of the Bedford School 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.
Bedford School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our practice papers should be on track to pass the written sections of the Bedford School 11+ exam.
Pupils who are able to score 75%+ consistently in our online practice tests should be on track to pass the Bedford School 11+ online CAT4 test.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Bedford School 11 Plus examinations.
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!
Bedford 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.
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Bedford School 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s comprehension skills, such as inference, and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and punctuation:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for the Bedford School English exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ 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.
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 Bedford School 11+ maths test:
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 11+ resources for the Bedford School mathematics exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Mathematics Bundle - Save 30%
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.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4)
The following Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) online practice tests are highly recommended for successful preparation for the Bedford School 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
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for the Bedford School CAT4 exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle - Save 25%
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 Bedford School 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 Bedford School 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 Bedford School 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.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Bedford School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Bedford 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 Bedford 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
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
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