St. Columba’s College, St Albans 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information 2024
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Table of Contents
Introduction
St. Columba’s College is an independent, Roman Catholic day school in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1939 by Phillip O’Neil, the college is built around two historic houses, Watling House and Iona House, overlooking the St. Albans Cathedral across the River Ver.
The Senior School curriculum focuses on the core subjects of mathematics, English, religious education and science along with two humanities, history and geography, a core language (French or Spanish) and Latin, and lessons in computer science, design technology, music, art, physical education and games.
Co-curricular activities range from rugby, athletics, swimming, football and tennis to Drama, Choir, Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
The school enables every child to maximise their own potential through the provision of high quality teaching, superb pastoral care and committed staff that work in partnership with parents and the wider community. At St. Columba’s, each individual is valued, nurtured and encouraged to become a self-motivated, resilient and well-rounded adult.
St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2024
Address: King Harry Lane, St. Albans AL3 4AW
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@stcolumbascollege.org or 01727 892040
School type: Independent co-ed day school
Number of students: 830 (approx.)
Open day: October and June
11+ Exam date: November of Year 6
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Entry
The school holds an Open Morning in October and an Open School Working Day in June. During these events, you and your child will have the opportunity to tour the school, meet the Head and members of the Senior Leadership Team, along with other members of staff and students. If you are unable to attend the Open Events, you can arrange a private visit to the school with the Registrar. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
The admissions process for Year 7 entry starts with registration, made via an online form available on the school’s website. St. Columba’s recommends early registration, which is confirmed by paying a non-transferable registration fee of £100.
The 11+ entrance exam is set in November of the year preceding entry and the interview is held the following January. As part of the admissions process, a current-school reference and reports will be obtained.
St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
If your child performs well in the examination, they will automatically be considered for an Academic Scholarship, covering 10%-15% of the fees. Current-school academic references are also taken into account. These awards don’t require separate application forms.
Music Scholarships are also offered to 11+ applicants. They are dependent on your child’s audition and performance in the entrance examination. All scholarships are reviewed annually.
The school offers two separate categories of means-tested bursaries to provide financial support in case you would not otherwise be able to afford to send your child to St Columba’s College. They are available for the duration of their time at the College, but only if they continue to meet specific educational and behavioural criteria. If your financial circumstances change, the bursary award will be adjusted accordingly.
1821 Bursaries are means-tested bursaries available to children who apply for entry to Senior school and are awarded an academic scholarship. They cover up to 100% of the fees and may include “extras” required for the delivery of the standard education programme.
Coindre Bursaries are also means-tested and are offered to practising Roman Catholic students who pass the entrance tests and who show exceptional academic potential. They provide financial support valued at up to 95% of the school fees and may also include “extras” required for the delivery of the standard education programme. For more information, please visit the school’s website.
St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The St. Columba’s College 11+ exam consists of the following assessment:
- CEM Select
CEM Select is a computer-based exam and the questions are designed to assess ability and academic potential. The questions will include multiple-choice, drag and drop and complete the word formats.
As part of the 11+ interview process, your child’s Maths and English skills will also be tested.
The English test examines both comprehension and writing skills. The maths test assesses problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the St Columba’s College 11+ entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the St. Columba’s College 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 come up with a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’. Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the St. Columba’s College 11 plus entrance examination can be found below.
St. Columba’s College 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Tests
CEM Select
To prepare for the computer-based assessment supplied by CEM (the Centre for Evaluating and Monitoring), we highly recommend using the following full practice and skill practice tests, which will familiarise your child with the specific question formats that appear in such tests:
Full Practice
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for the St. Columba’s College CEM Select exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
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✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the St. Columba’s College CEM Select exam and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
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CEM Select Practice Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 25%
The following resources consist of focused tests that allow students to target specific question formats that appear in CEM Select:
Skill Practice: Verbal Ability
CEM Select – Comprehension Pack 1
CEM Select – Comprehension Pack 2
CEM Select – Missing Words Pack 1
CEM Select – Missing Words Pack 2
CEM Select – Shuffled Sentences
CEM Select – Letter Connections
CEM Select – Multiple Meanings
Skill Practice: Non-Verbal Ability
Skill Practice: Numerical Ability
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice resources for the St. Columba’s College CEM Select exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
CEM Select Skill Practice Bundle - Save 30%
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English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the St. Columba’s College 11+ English test, which is part of the interview process:
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 maths skills within the context of the St. Columba’s College 11+ interview process:
Interviews
This guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in St. Columba’s College 11+ past papers. The information provided about St. Columba’s College 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 St. Columba’s College:
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
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