Cranleigh School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Cranleigh School

Cranleigh School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school in Cranleigh, Surrey. The senior school’s main entry point is 13+, and 11+ entry is into Year 7 at Cranleigh Prep School, with pupils moving up to the senior school at Year 9.

That distinction matters when you compare schools: your child joins the Cranleigh community at 11, but the first two years are at the Prep.

Key information for 2027 entry to Cranleigh School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: co-educational independent boarding and day school
• 11+ entry: into Year 7 at Cranleigh Prep School, moving up to Cranleigh at Year 9
• Stage 1: the ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat at your child’s current school in October or November of Year 6
• Stage 2: an assessment day with an interview, group discussion and team-building activities
• A creative writing piece is produced before the assessment day and forms part of the assessment
• A positive reference from your child’s current school is required
• Registration: online, ideally in Year 4 or 5, with a £240 registration fee
• Assessment day: the 2026 entry round was held in mid January of Year 6; the 2027 entry date had not been published when this guide was written
• Offers: the majority are made by February of Year 6
• Contact details: cranleigh.org, 01483 273666

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Cranleigh School at 11 Plus (11+)

Cranleigh assesses 11+ candidates on four things together: the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an assessment day, a creative writing piece and the reference from your child’s current school. No pass mark is published.

The creative writing piece is the distinctive part. It is produced before the assessment day rather than written under exam conditions on the day, and most schools using the ISEB test do not ask for one at all. A child who writes regularly, and can produce a piece they are proud of, starts with an advantage here that pure test practice does not give.

The school recommends registering early, ideally in Year 4 or 5, and most offers are made by February of Year 6.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at Cranleigh School?

1. Visit the school, then register online. Cranleigh suggests doing this in Year 4 or 5. The registration fee is £240.
2. Your child sits the ISEB Common Pre-Test at their current school in October or November of Year 6.
3. They produce a creative writing piece ahead of the assessment day.
4. They attend the assessment day: an interview, a group discussion and team-building activities. The 2026 round was in mid January; check the school’s site for the 2027 entry date.
5. Cranleigh takes up a reference from your child’s current school.
6. The majority of offers are made by February of Year 6.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Cranleigh School?

Stage 1 is the ISEB Common Pre-Test: online, adaptive and multiple choice, covering English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, sat once at your child’s own school and shareable with other senior schools.

Around it sit three further elements:

• A creative writing piece, produced before the assessment day.
• An assessment day: interview, group discussion and team-building activities.
• A school reference, which the school asks to be positive.

So preparation has two genuinely different halves: timed multiple-choice practice for the test, and unhurried writing practice for the creative piece.

Cranleigh School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Practise multiple-choice English, maths and reasoning on screen to match the ISEB format.
• Give creative writing real time. It is a named part of Cranleigh’s assessment.
• Practise contributing to group discussions, which is its own skill and part of the assessment day.
• Register early. The school itself suggests Year 4 or 5.
• Remember the first two years are at Cranleigh Prep, with the move to the senior school at Year 9.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Cranleigh School exam

Preparation for Cranleigh is ISEB Common Pre-Test practice plus regular creative writing: multiple-choice English, maths and reasoning against the clock, and writing your child can redraft and polish. An October or November test makes the summer and early autumn of Year 6 the working window.

For Cranleigh School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: