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City of London School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

Exam Information 4 min read
Table of contents
  1. About City of London School
  2. Key information for 2027 entry to City of London School at 11 Plus (11+)
  3. Admissions information for 2027 entry to City of London School at 11 Plus (11+)
  4. How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at City of London School?
  5. What is the entrance 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for City of London School?
  6. How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) City of London School exam

About City of London School

The City of London School (CLS or City) is an independent school for boys located in the City of London. The school is situated in an iconic location on the banks of the River Thames with views of Millennium Bridge and the Tate Modern.

CLS’ history dates back to 1442 when John Carpenter requested four boys study at the Guildhall Chapel. In 1837, the school opened with 440 pupils in Cheapside; currently, over 900 boys aged 10-18 attend the school.

They are also known for their impressive academic performance which includes 26 places at Oxbridge, 97% of students achieving 9-7 results at GCSE level, and 91% of students achieving A*-A results at A-Level in 2022. 

The school offers state-of-the-art facilities including a sports hall, fitness suite, football pitch, 25m swimming pool, indoor cricket nets, conditioning room, table tennis tables, and a sports ground at Grove Park. In addition, they have a rich selection of extracurricular activities including a Duke of Edinburgh programme; CCF; clubs for sports, music, and drama; as well as charity and community service initiatives. The school’s core values are kindness, awareness, and readiness.

Key information for 2027 entry to City of London School at 11 Plus (11+)

  • School type: boys’ independent school
  • Registration deadline: November 2026
  • Open events: several events throughout 2026
  • Exam dates: December 2026
  • Results: December 2026
  • Interviews: January 2027
  • Offers sent & acceptance deadline: mid-February – late-February 2027
  • Offer holders event: late February 2027
  • Contact details: 020 3680 6300, [email protected], www.cityoflondonschool.org.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to City of London School at 11 Plus (11+)

Several open days will be held in 2026 providing you the opportunity to tour the school and hear more in person from the Head, staff, and students. Applications for Year 7 entry are made available on City of London’s website until November 2026 through the Admissions page.

Your child must be aged 11-12 and have completed Year 6 to be admitted to the school. Your child will be invited to the exam as long as you have registered. The entrance exam is at the start of December and following the exams you will hear back results and potentially, be invited to an interview.

As for their academic, music, and sport scholarships/prizes (which are worth £35), these are based on your child’s entrance exam results and their interview as well as either an audition or sports trial in the case of the latter two. Additionally, for the music scholarship, your child must have at least a Grade 5 for the piano or string instruments.

Offers will be sent out and an Offer Holders event will be held in February; you must also accept the offer within this month.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at City of London School?

To register your child for the entrance exams, you will need to complete an online registration form on their website via their ‘11+ Entry’ page within the ‘Admissions’ section. The form takes about 15-20 minutes to fill in and you must also pay a £160 non-refundable fee. It is vital that you submit this fee otherwise your registration information will not be saved and your child will not be recorded as an applicant.

If you have supporting documents, you should email these to [email protected] or send them to Registar, City of London School, Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 3AL.  

City of London School’s ‘11+ Entry’’ page: https://www.cityoflondonschool.org.uk/apply/11-entry

What is the entrance 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for City of London School?

The exam format is divided into two parts.

Part 1:

This is an online assessment lasting 95 minutes testing maths (20 minutes), English (20 minutes), non-verbal reasoning (10 minutes), verbal reasoning (10 minutes), puzzles & problem-solving (15 minutes), and creative comprehension (20 minutes). There will be a break before Part 2 begins.

Part 2:

This is a written assessment which will require students to continue a piece of writing based on a stimulus or write a persuasive piece of writing. It is predicted that Part 2 should last 30 minutes.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) City of London School exam

The most useful way to prepare for City of London School’s 11+ entrance exam is to use practice tests to familiarise your child with the exam content and format.

These tests can help your child to build their confidence and improve their performance in the exam.

For City of London School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 1

Part 2

Mock Exams

To find out more about Examberry’s in-person independent school mock exams, please click here.

Tuition

To find out more about Examberry’s in-person and online tuition courses for City of London School 11+ preparation, please click here.

Creative Writing

Find out more about Examberry’s in-person creative writing tuition courses for 11+ preparation: please click here.

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