North London Collegiate School 11+ Test & Preparation Guide
North London Collegiate School’s 11+ entrance exam consists of written English and Maths papers, with English including comprehension and creative writing.
The school’s public information says it does not use verbal or non-verbal reasoning tests as part of the assessment process, so preparation should stay focused on English, Maths, writing and problem solving.
Confirmed 11+ Assessment Route
| Assessment area | What parents should prepare for |
|---|---|
| English | Written English paper including comprehension and creative writing. |
| Mathematics | Written Maths paper. |
| VR/NVR | Not used as part of the published assessment process. |
| Interview stage | Further verbal Maths and English questions may be used at interview, so spoken explanation and reasoning should be practised after the written core is secure. |
How Scholars Tutorial Covers the Required Preparation
The most useful preparation plan is to match Scholars Tutorial practice directly to the published assessment areas, rather than using a generic grammar-school 11+ plan.
| Required skill | Scholars Tutorial online categories | Printed paper support | Preparation emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| English comprehension | 11+ English, 11+ Advanced English, 11+ Advanced VOCAB | 11+ English Practice Papers, 11+ Advanced English Practice Papers, 11+ Advanced VOCAB Practice Papers | Develop close reading, inference, evidence use and mature vocabulary. |
| Creative writing | Creative Writing, 11+ SPAG, 11+ Advanced SPAG | Creative Writing practice, 11+ SPAG Practice Papers, 11+ Advanced SPAG Practice Papers | Practise original writing, paragraph control, accurate punctuation and grammar. |
| Maths problem solving | 11+ Maths, 11+ Maths : Word Problems, 11+ Advanced Maths | 11+ Maths Practice Papers, 11+ Maths : Word Problems Practice Papers, 11+ Advanced Maths Practice Papers | Build fluency, reasoning and multi-step solutions suitable for a selective independent-school paper. |
Suggested Scholars Tutorial Preparation Route
1. Keep the plan English-and-Maths led
Use 11+ English and 11+ Maths as the foundation, because these are the published written exam subjects.
2. Add creative writing early
Use Creative Writing and 11+ Advanced SPAG regularly so writing quality develops over time, not just close to the exam.
3. Increase stretch
Use 11+ Advanced English, 11+ Advanced VOCAB and 11+ Advanced Maths once core accuracy is secure.
4. Practise verbal explanation
After written practice, ask pupils to explain Maths strategies and English inferences aloud to support interview-style follow-up.
What Not to Over-Prepare
FAQ
Should NLCS preparation include Creative Writing?
Yes. The English exam includes creative writing, so Creative Writing practice is important.
Should pupils practise VR and NVR?
Not as core preparation. Time is better spent on English, Maths, SPAG, vocabulary, Creative Writing and advanced problem solving.
How to Use This Guide
Use this page as a preparation guide, then check the school’s latest official admissions page before applying. Independent schools can change assessment providers, paper lengths, shortlist rules and interview arrangements. This guide deliberately avoids fixed calendar dates and wider admissions-policy detail so that parents can focus on the test preparation that matters.