City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information » 2021/2022 Entry
Table of Contents
Introduction
City of London School (better known as CLS or City) is an independent day school for boys in London. One of the most successful and competitive (for entry) schools in the UK, City has educated over 140 people listed in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, including only those who were already deceased at the time of writing. [1]
Accordingly, City maintains high standards of academic provision, making it both challenging and inspiring, as well as perfectly balanced with its dynamic and vibrant learning environment where healthy competition thrives. As a result, over 90% of leavers go to their first or second choice Russell Group University, benefitting from further quality education due to the firm foundation of overarching, all-round knowledge acquired at CLS.
Articulate and fiercely ambitious, City’s pupils frequently participate in national and inter-house competitions; examine social and scientific concepts through debates and discussions; and develop specific skills and talents through active participation in extracurriculars. The array of clubs and societies on offer complements their exciting learning journey, while the Community Service Programme maximises their understanding of social responsibility and refines their ability to empathise with others.
School trips are the highlight of the extracurricular provision, amounting to approximately 200 educational visits per annum. Destinations are often exotic and outright memorable, including far-off countries such as Nepal, Vietnam, Ecuador, Cuba and China. Closer to home, CLS enables boys to regularly visit art galleries, museums, theatres and academic institutions, maximising the scope of their cultural awareness in parallel with their capacity for experiential learning. [2]
Recently named London Independent Secondary School of the Year by The Sunday Times, City boasts exemplary pastoral care, placing mutual respect and honesty at the centre of all relationships that flourish on campus. Its community is a reflection of the immediate society with all its diversity and cultural richness, and therefore embraces differences as strengths that predetermine pupils’ numerous successes.
City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information
Address: Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 3AL
County: Greater London
Admissions info: enquiries@cityoflondonschool.org.uk or 020 3680 6300
School type: Independent day school for boys
11+ Open day: In the Spring and Autumn terms
City (CLS) 11+ Exam date (Stage 1): 3 December 2021
City (CLS) 11+ Exam date (Stage 2): January 2022
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
The school holds Open Events in the Spring and Autumn terms, allowing prospective students and their parents to gain first-hand experience of what the school is really like by seeing it in action. The events include meetings with staff and tours of facilities, typically concluding with refreshments.
City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
To be considered for a place in Year 7 at City of London School, you should register your son through an online form. Please note that there is a non-refundable registration fee of £160. Registration commences early in the year prior to entry and lasts until the deadline in November.
The 11+ admissions process involves an entrance exam, an individual interview and confidential reports. The purpose of the interview is to explore each candidate’s personal qualities and interests.
The school sends offers of places in February and sets the acceptance deadline in March.
City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships are awarded for Academic ability, Music and Sports and are worth £250. To increase their value, students can couple a scholarship with a bursary.
Academic Scholarships are offered on the basis of performance in the entrance examinations and interview. Scholars will be expected to maintain strong standards of learning and behaviour and thus set an example for others.
Music Scholarships are awarded following an audition and interview, and the minimum required standard on piano and strings is Grade 5. Music scholars will also receive free tuition on two instruments. More details are available here.
Sports Scholarships are available to applicants who have satisfied the school’s academic standard in the entrance exam and have performed exceptionally well in the sports trial. Scholars will be expected to significantly contribute to this aspect of school life.
Academically bright pupils whose families cannot afford to pay the school fees will be considered for a means-tested bursary. Bursaries are awarded on the basis of your son’s performance in the entrance examinations and following a means-testing procedure which looks into your financial circumstances.
The school offers free places to families with a joint net income of less than £45,000 per annum. If your child is awarded a free place, he will also be eligible for financial assistance to cover school lunches, uniforms, exam fees and travel costs.
Please note that bursaries are reviewed annually. To learn more, follow this link.
City of London School 11 Plus Exam Format
The City of London School Stage 1 11+ entrance exam consists of papers in:
- English (1 hour) – reading comprehension (multiple-choice) and creative writing
- Mathematics (1 hour) – arithmetic and problem solving
The City of London School Stage 2 11+ entrance exam consists of papers in:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning paper is primarily designed to test and assess your child’s logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to measure the ability to understand, interpret and problem-solve, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the City of London School 11+ entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
At Exam Papers Plus, we recommend that students follow a structured approach towards preparation for the 11+ entrance exam. Such an approach includes practice tests, which consist of thoroughly researched and up-to-date questions that reflect a competitive 11+ examination format.
By covering all the key skills and the range of question types your child will encounter in the actual test, our practice tests will help them get used to answering questions quickly and effectively. More importantly, they will help identify any weaker areas that require additional work and attention. In this way, our practice tests will assist in boosting your child’s confidence.
Practice tests ensure that candidates find the preparation process easily manageable and less demanding, and help parents and tutors come up with a carefully thought-out revision plan for their child that focuses on studying ‘little and often’.
Every year, tens of thousands of students make use of our practice tests in order to gain an advantage over peers ahead of competitive and highly selective entrance exams. Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the City of London School 11 plus entrance examination can be found below.
City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the City of London School 11 Plus exam can be found below:
Stage 1 Exam
English: multiple-choice comprehension + writing
To prepare for the City of London School 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:
Full Practice Tests
Technical English + Skill Specific Practice
Masterclasses
Writing
Mathematics: standard format
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 City of London School 11+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
Mark Schemes
City of London School 11+ Mathematics Sample Paper
City of London School 11+ Mathematics 2013 Sample Paper
Stage 2 Exam
Non-Verbal Reasoning + Verbal Reasoning
To develop your child’s Reasoning abilities ahead of the City of London 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:
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 3
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 4
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Masterclasses
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Masterclass
Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
Verbal Reasoning: Skill specific practice
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies
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 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: 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
Interviews
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
Get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250. Use the code eppdiscount at checkout.
Why do some of the recommendations above show me grammar school papers?
The main difference between independent and grammar school papers is the question format. Independent schools usually assess with standard format questions, which means students need to write out full answers. Grammar schools usually use multiple-choice format questions.
Whilst City of London School is an independent school, they actually use the grammar school (multiple-choice) format for some of their exams, which is why they are included in the recommendations above.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in City of London School 11+ past papers. The information provided about City of London 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.
