City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information
Table of Contents
Introduction
City of London School (CLS), situated close to St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of the City of London, is an independent day school for boys aged 10 to 18 years.
The school was originally founded in 1442 to provide an education for children living in poverty. Today, the contemporary independent school supports students from all backgrounds with around 10% of places being funded by means-tested bursaries.
The school is one of the three independent schools owned by the City of London Corporation, the governing body of the City of London. Under its management, the first purpose-built school was opened in 1837 and was considered radical in its approach, not only to the curriculum, but by allowing students of various religions to enter. Today, the school remains socially, culturally and religiously diverse, reflecting its foundations and the city that surrounds it.
The school has a rigorous academic curriculum and encourages participation in internal and national competitions, such as the Olympiad competitions for maths and the sciences. It also offers the Pre-U as an alternative to A-levels in some subjects when boys reach the sixth form. However, the strong academic element is offset by a broad range of co-curricular activities and opportunities.
11 Plus Exam Information for City of London School
Address: City of London School, Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 3AL
County: Greater London
Admissions info: admissions@cityoflondonschool.org.uk or 020 3680 6300
School Type: Boys’ independent day school
Number of Students: 940 (approx.)
Number of Places in Year 7: 60 (approx.)
Open Day Date: September
Exam Date: January of Year 6
Exam Type / Board: School’s own
City of London School 11 Plus Admissions
For 11+ entry into First Form (Year 7) at City of London School, boys must be aged between 11 and 12 on 1 September of the year of entry.
The first stage of selection is an entrance exam, held in January of the year of entry, which all candidates must sit. The exam consists of papers in English, maths and reasoning.
Based on performance in the exam, some candidates will be invited for an individual interview, which lasts just over quarter of an hour, and a group session. The purpose of the interview and group session is to explore each candidate’s personal qualities and interests.
A report from the head teacher of the candidate’s current school will also be requested to help with the selection process.
Candidates applying for a means-tested bursary to cover 50%+ of their fees are required to take a computerised reasoning test in the December before the main entrance exam. Only candidates who are successful in this qualifying test will go on to take the main 11+ entrance exam. Click here to learn how to prepare for the City of London Bursary route computerised test.
A copy of the CLS Admissions Policy can be downloaded for the school’s website.
For further information about admissions procedures and testing, please contact the school directly: admissions@cityoflondonschool.org.uk or 020 3680 6300.
How to Apply for 11 Plus Entry to City of London School
The school holds two open events in late September each year for prospective students and their parents. The dates are confirmed around Easter and bookings can be made via the website. These events provide an opportunity to see the school in operation prior to registration.
To be considered for a place in the First Form (year 7) at City of London School, parents must register their son online. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £160. Registration runs from early in the year prior to entry until mid-November. Exact dates are published on the school’s website once confirmed.
Details of the school’s bursary scheme can also be found on its website. Candidates applying for a means-tested bursary to cover 50% or more of their fees are required to take a computerised reasoning test in the December before the main entrance exam.
City of London School 11 Plus Exam Format
The City of London School entrance exam consists of papers in:
- English (1 hour) – reading comprehension (multiple-choice) and creative writing
- Mathematics (1 hour) – arithmetic and problem solving
- Reasoning – verbal and non-verbal reasoning
How to Prepare for the City of London School 11 Plus 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 City of London School 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.
English: multiple-choice comprehension + writing
To prepare for the City of London School 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
Writing
Mathematics: standard format
To prepare for the maths paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
Mark Schemes
City of London School 11+ Mathematics Sample Paper
City of London School 11+ Mathematics 2013 Sample Paper
Non-Verbal Reasoning + Verbal Reasoning
To prepare for the reasoning paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
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
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
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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.
