School-Written Independent 11+ Exams Guide for Parents
Many popular private schools do not use one shared 11+ provider. Instead, they publish their own entrance assessment, often combining English, Maths, reasoning, problem-solving, creative comprehension and sometimes Creative Writing.
This guide groups those schools by assessment style rather than pretending they share one identical exam. It gives a practical Scholars Tutorial preparation pathway that can be adapted to each school’s published papers.
Schools Commonly Falling Into This Group
The following are examples of popular independent schools that publish school-specific 11+ assessments rather than relying solely on one shared provider route. The exact papers differ by school and must be checked individually.
| School example | Published 11+ assessment style | Preparation implication |
|---|---|---|
| Hampton School | English – Creative Writing & Comprehension, Words & Reasoning, and Mathematics. | Prepare English comprehension, Creative Writing, reasoning, vocabulary and Maths word problems. |
| Dulwich College | Online tests in Mathematics, English, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Puzzles and Problem Solving, Creative Comprehension, plus Creative Writing. | Prepare broad online reasoning, problem-solving Maths, comprehension, vocabulary and short written composition. |
| City of London School | Online assessment and Creative Writing task; the school also describes computerised English, Mathematics and reasoning coverage. | Prepare online multi-skill testing plus written English. |
| Highgate School | School entrance exams with English and Mathematics papers published as the key academic preparation areas. | Keep the core route English and Maths-led; add reasoning only if current school materials require it. |
How to Prepare Using Scholars Tutorial
1. English comprehension and advanced vocabulary
Use 11+ English for comprehension, inference, retrieval, comparison and vocabulary in context. Add 11+ Advanced English and 11+ Advanced VOCAB for independent-school stretch, because school-written English papers often include demanding vocabulary, subtle inference and carefully worded answer choices.
Printed support: 11+ English Practice Papers, 11+ Advanced English Practice Papers and 11+ Advanced VOCAB Practice Papers.
2. SPAG and written accuracy
Use 11+ SPAG and 11+ Advanced SPAG where the school tests grammar directly or expects high-quality written English. SPAG preparation also supports Creative Writing by improving sentence control, punctuation and accuracy.
Printed support: 11+ SPAG Practice Papers and 11+ Advanced SPAG Practice Papers.
3. Creative Writing when the school publishes a writing task
Use Creative Writing when the target school’s official assessment includes a creative, descriptive or handwritten English task. Focus on planning, controlled paragraphing, precise vocabulary, varied sentence structures, image-based writing and avoiding over-rehearsed plots.
Printed support: Creative Writing practice, supported by 11+ Advanced English Practice Papers and 11+ Advanced SPAG Practice Papers.
4. Maths, word problems and advanced problem solving
Use 11+ Maths for the core curriculum, then 11+ Maths : Word Problems for multi-step reasoning and 11+ Advanced Maths for harder independent-school style problem solving. This is especially important for schools that publish puzzle, problem-solving or multi-stage Maths elements.
Printed support: 11+ Maths Practice Papers, 11+ Maths : Word Problems Practice Papers and 11+ Advanced Maths Practice Papers.
5. Reasoning where the school publishes reasoning, words or puzzles
Use 11+ VR for words-and-reasoning papers, vocabulary logic and verbal problem solving. Use 11+ NVR where the school includes non-verbal reasoning, puzzles, visual logic or online reasoning. Use 11+ GL CEM ISEB FSCE for broader mixed online practice, not as an exact replica of any single school’s own exam.
Printed support: 11+ Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers, 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers and 11+ Mixed Practice Papers.
Route by Target-School Requirement
| Published requirement | Main Scholars Tutorial route | Do not overdo... |
|---|---|---|
| English and Maths only | 11+ English, 11+ Maths, 11+ Maths : Word Problems, 11+ SPAG, 11+ Advanced English, 11+ Advanced Maths | VR/NVR unless the school’s current materials include reasoning. |
| English, Maths and reasoning | 11+ English, 11+ Maths, 11+ VR, 11+ NVR, 11+ Maths : Word Problems, 11+ Advanced VOCAB | Creative Writing unless the school publishes a writing task. |
| Creative Writing or handwritten English task | Creative Writing, 11+ Advanced English, 11+ Advanced SPAG, 11+ English | Formulaic memorised stories that do not respond to the prompt. |
| Online mixed assessment | 11+ GL CEM ISEB FSCE, 11+ English, 11+ Maths, 11+ VR, 11+ NVR, 11+ Maths : Word Problems | Untimed paper-only practice without screen-style time discipline. |
Recommended Preparation Sequence
- Audit the official school page: write down the exact subjects named by each target school.
- Secure foundations: use 11+ Foundation English, 11+ Foundation Maths and 11+ Foundation VR where gaps appear.
- Build core skills: 11+ English, 11+ Maths and 11+ Maths : Word Problems should be regular for almost all school-written routes.
- Add reasoning if required: use 11+ VR and 11+ NVR for words, reasoning, puzzles or online logic.
- Add writing if required: use Creative Writing only where a target school publishes a writing task.
- Stretch selectively: use 11+ Advanced English, 11+ Advanced Maths, 11+ Advanced VOCAB and 11+ Advanced SPAG for high-performing pupils targeting more selective schools.
FAQ
Are all private-school 11+ exams similar?
No. Some are English and Maths-led, some add reasoning, some use online tests and some include Creative Writing. Preparation should be built from the school’s current published assessment.
Should every independent-school pupil prepare Creative Writing?
No. Creative Writing should be a core preparation area only when the target school publishes a writing task. It is highly relevant for schools that name Creative Writing, descriptive writing or a handwritten English task.
Should VR and NVR be included?
Include VR and NVR when the school publishes reasoning, words-and-reasoning, puzzles, online reasoning, non-verbal reasoning or visual logic. Do not over-recommend reasoning for schools that clearly publish English and Maths only.
Official Information Checked
Sources checked for this guide include official admissions and exam-preparation pages from Hampton School, Dulwich College, City of London School and Highgate School.