Reading Girls’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam – Selective Stream Test Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Established in 1818, Reading Girls’ School is a partially selective, bilateral school for girls in Reading, Berkshire. Approximately 430 girls are educated by 25 staff members. The school is known for its focus on business and enterprise. Students are encouraged to strive for excellence academically and socially and the curriculum offers a broad range of subjects and extra-curricular activities. Although not a grammar, Reading Girls’ does use an 11 Plus-style entrance test as part of its admissions process.
For a virtual tour of the school, take a look at this short video:
11 Plus Exam Information for Reading Girls’ School
Address: Reading Girls School, Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 7PY
County: Reading
Admissions Info: admin@readinggirlsschool.net, 0118 986 1336
School Type: Co-educational, partially selective
Number of pupils: 430 (approx.)
Number of Places in Year 7: 170 (42 by selective stream)
Open Day Date: March
Exam Date: October
Exam Board Type: CEM
Reading Girls’ School 11 Plus Admissions
This article is relevant for those aiming for entry to the school based on the Selective Stream Test, of which there are 42 allocated places. The school also offers entry via the Coordinated Secondary Admissions Scheme.
Admission to Reading Girls’ School in Year 7 follows the process set out by Coordinated Secondary Admissions Scheme, which is responsible for setting the school’s admissions policy. Each year, the school admits approximately 170 places, 42 of which are selected based on ability.
Students who have Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan are given priority of place above other students.
In cases where there are more applicants than available places, the school uses the following oversubscription criteria, giving priority to:
- Looked After and previously Looked After girls.
- Students who score highest in the selection test.
- Girls who have medical or social grounds for attending the school.
- Girls who have a sister who currently attends the school.
- Students who live closest to the school.
For further details about Reading Girls’ School admission process, please visit the school’s website.
How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Selective Entry to Reading Girls’ School
Before applying for a place at Reading Girls’ School, parents and students are encouraged to attend the school’s Open Day, which usually takes place in March. At the event, parents and students will have the opportunity to tour the school and meet current staff and students.
Once parents have visited the school and are sure that Reading Girls’ is the right establishment for their daughter, applications should be made to the appropriate Local Authority (LA), or submitted online.
Students who wish to apply for one of the 42 selective places, should also complete the school’s registration form, which can be accessed here.
Reading Girls’ School Selective Stream Test (11 Plus Exam) Format
Of the 170 available places at the school, 42 are allocated to students who score the highest in the Selective Stream Test. The exam takes place in October and is administered by the exam board, CEM.
The test is taken online and covers the following topics:
- Verbal reasoning
- Non-verbal reasoning
- Mathematics
Your daughter must be pre-registered to take this test.
For more information on the Selective Stream Test, please visit the Selective Stream Test page on the school’s website.
How to Prepare for the Reading Girls’ School 11 Plus Exam?
A little forward planning can go a long way to helping students perform well in the Reading Girls’ School Selective Stream Test. As a starting point, we’d suggest that parents read our 11 Plus guide for parents for an overview of what the test typically involves.
Once a study schedule is in place, using practice exam papers in addition to regular preparation can really help boost a student’s performance. Our practice papers help students become familiar with the layout of the exam and the types of questions that may be asked on test day. They can also help identify any weak areas that may need improvement prior to the exam.
Practice Exam Papers for the Reading Girls’ School 11 Plus Exam
For girls due to take the Reading Girls School Selective Stream Test, we highly recommend the following resources to help prepare in an efficient manner. The test, called CEM Select, is taken online and covers Verbal, Non-Verbal and Numerical Reasoning. Those who have taken CEM Select in the past have told us that they found these resources extremely beneficial when preparing:
Numerical Reasoning Section
11+ Short Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 1
11+ Short Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 2
These packs contain 10 tests, each consisting of 20 questions. They focus on time-pressured problem solving and include actual CEM past questions, as well as answers and answer sheets. Both Packs 1 and 2 are pitched at the same difficulty level but each one contains completely unique questions.
11+ Long Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 1
11+ Long Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 2
These packs contain 10 tests, each consisting of 5 sections, with 5 questions in each section. They focus on a specific type of question that comes up in CEM exams. In total, there are 250 high quality questions included, all focused on this specific question format. These questions are based on charts and diagrams that students must use to work out the answers. The answers must be recorded on a separate sheet in a specific manner. These packs include separate answer sheets so students can get used to recording their responses in this way. Both Packs 1 and 2 are pitched at the same difficulty level but each one contains completely unique questions.
11+ Multiple-Choice Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 1
11+ Multiple-Choice Numerical Reasoning (CEM) Pack 2
These packs contain 20 tests, each with 10 questions. They focus on a different CEM question type in which there are multiple possible answer choices provided and the student must pick the correct one for each question. Separate answer sheets are provided so students can get used to recording their responses in this manner. Both Packs 1 and 2 are pitched at the same difficulty level but each one contains completely unique questions.
This pack contains topic based tests covering the full CEM Mathematics syllabus for the 11+ Exam. Because the tests are divided by topic, this pack makes it easy to focus on specific areas and quickly target topics that your child finds challenging. The questions in each test are split across the various CEM question styles that you can expect to appear in the actual exam, providing your child with invaluable familiarisation not only of the syllabus but also the format and layout they will deal with on exam day.
This pack contains 15 tests, each with 15 questions. It focuses on fundamental arithmetic skills, developing a strong basis that allows students to work through maths questions efficiently and with confidence.
You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Maths section of the Reading Girls’ School 11+ CEM Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ CEM Numerical Reasoning Bundle
Verbal Reasoning Section
Verbal Reasoning, as defined by CEM, is quite different to how it may be traditionally understood. It includes a number of question types that focus on vocabulary and comprehension as well as some more unusual formats. Each of the packs below focuses on a different skill that is assessed in the Verbal Reasoning section of CEM exams.
This pack contains plenty of practice for various question types that crop up frequently in CEM exams. These include questions that assess a student’s grasp of synonyms and antonyms as well as other formats such as shuffled sentences and contextual cloze.
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Synonyms and Antonyms (CEM) Pack 1
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Synonyms and Antonyms (CEM) Pack 2
These packs contains plenty of vocabulary practice, specifically designed to match the style used in CEM exams in the ‘Word Choice’ section. There are 24 practice tests in each pack, each with 29 questions. We recommend beginning with Pack 1. Pack 2 is designed to be more challenging.
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Shuffled Sentences (CEM) Pack 1
This pack focuses on a specific CEM Verbal Reasoning question type that comes up frequently. It’s relatively unusual and, in our experience, students can find it difficult to get to grips with. There are 20 tests included.
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Word Associations (CEM)
This pack focuses on another common CEM Verbal Reasoning question type. It doesn’t feature in that many 11+ resources so your child may not be too familiar with the format. It assesses the depth of a student’s vocabulary, as well as their understanding of phrases and idioms. There are 24 timed tests included, all designed to match the exact format and style used in the actual exam. Answer sheets and answers are included.
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Adjectives (CEM)
This pack focuses on a CEM question type that targets a student’s knowledge and understanding of adjectives. To do well in this question type, students need to have a broad vocabulary as well as a solid understanding of common phrases and idioms. Furthermore, when there are two or more seemingly possible answers, they need to be able to discern which is the ‘best’, given the context. There are 24 timed tests included, all designed to match the exact format and style used in the actual exam. Answer sheets and answers are included.
11+ Verbal Reasoning – Word Definitions (CEM)
This pack focuses on a CEM question type that tests the depth of a student’s vocabulary. These questions can be quite tricky. For example, the superfluous definitions are designed to pose challenges, perhaps defining a homophone of one of the target words. To do well in this question type, students must be confident in their choice of words and their meanings. There are 24 timed tests included, all designed to match the exact format and style used in the actual exam. Answer sheets and answers are included.
11+ Comprehension (CEM) Pack 1 – Fiction
11+ Comprehension (CEM) Pack 2 – Non-Fiction
11+ Comprehension (CEM) Pack 3 – Poetry
These packs focus on multiple-choice comprehension, which will feature in the CEM 11+ Reading exam. There are 15 comprehension tests included in each pack. Pack 1 focuses on classical fiction, Pack 2 focuses on non-fiction and Pack 3 focuses on poetry.
These packs focus on improving inference skills via a series of creative and unusual exercises. Inference skills will be tested in the comprehension section of the CEM 11+ exam.
11+ Cloze (CEM) Pack 1 – Words
11+ Cloze (CEM) Pack 2 – Sentences
These packs focus on cloze questions that are used in almost all CEM 11+ exams. Pack 1 focuses on missing words and Pack 2 focuses on missing sentences.
CEM 11+ exams, such as the 11 plus Reading test, focus heavily on assessing a child’s vocabulary. These packs each introduce 200 words within context, helping students to improve both their vocabulary and spelling. This will prove useful for the Verbal Reasoning section of the exam. Pack 2 is designed to be more challenging than Pack 1.
You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Verbal Reasoning section of the Reading Girls’ School 11+ CEM Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ CEM Verbal Reasoning Bundle
Non-Verbal Reasoning Section
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning (CEM) Pack 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning (CEM) Pack 2
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning (CEM) Pack 3
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning (CEM) Pack 4
This pack covers the key question types that could come up in CEM 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning sections. In total, there are 180 questions split across 12 practice tests, using the format, layout and timings of the actual exam. This pack represents the most effective way to prepare for CEM Non-Verbal Reasoning.
You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Non-Verbal Reasoning section of the Reading Girls’ School 11+ CEM Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ CEM Non-Verbal Reasoning Bundle
Full Practice Tests
These packs each contain two test papers covering all three topics: Verbal, Non-Verbal and Numerical Reasoning. Using the official familiarisation material and our deep knowledge of CEM question styles and formats, we’ve created accurate and up to date CEM practice papers that pay attention to all elements including question types, timings, structure, format, question wordings, fonts and design.
You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for the Reading Girls’ School 11+ CEM Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ CEM Full Practice Test Bundle
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The information provided about Reading Girls’ 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.
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