Devonport High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Devonport High School for Girls

Devonport High School for Girls is a girls’ state grammar school for 11 to 18-year-olds in Plymouth, Devon. It shares a single entrance test with Plymouth High School for Girls, so your daughter sits one set of papers and can apply to either school or to both.

There are 158 places in Year 7. Devonport High School for Boys is a separate school with a different test, so do not assume the boys’ and girls’ arrangements match.

Key information for 2027 entry to Devonport High School for Girls at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: girls’ state grammar school
• Test: the shared Plymouth girls’ entrance test, provided by Quest Assessments and sat jointly with Plymouth High School for Girls
• Format: an English paper and a maths paper, 40 minutes and 60 questions each
• Registration: with the school, opening Monday 27 April 2026 and closing at 12 noon on 31 August 2026. Register at one school only
• Test dates: Saturday 12 September and Saturday 19 September 2026, both days
• Optional mock: sat 4 July 2026, registration 20 April to 22 May 2026
• Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026, to Plymouth City Council
• National Offer Day: Monday 1 March 2027
• Year 7 places available: 158
• Contact details: dhsg.co.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Devonport High School for Girls at 11 Plus (11+)

Devonport High School for Girls and Plymouth High School for Girls share one entrance test. Your daughter sits it once, at whichever of the two schools you choose as the venue, and the result lets you apply to either school or to both. Register at one school only. Registering twice does not improve your chances and the schools ask families not to do it. Related pages: Plymouth High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Boys.

Registering for the test is not the same as applying for a place. You must also name Devonport High School for Girls on the Common Application Form submitted to Plymouth City Council by 31 October.

The two schools also run an optional mock 11+ in July, in the real exam venues, the summer before the real test. It is not compulsory and it has no bearing on the result.

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

1. Registration for September 2027 entry opened on Monday 27 April 2026 and closes at 12 noon on 31 August 2026. There is no cap on numbers for the real test.
2. Complete the 11+ registration form on either school’s website and choose your preferred venue. There is a ‘no preference’ option.
3. Optional: register separately for the July mock. Mock registration opened on 20 April 2026 and closed on 22 May 2026, and the mock was sat on 4 July 2026. DHSG offered 234 mock places.
4. Sit both papers on Saturday 12 September and Saturday 19 September 2026. Your daughter must be available on both days.
5. Name the school on your Common Application Form to Plymouth City Council by 31 October 2026.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Devonport High School for Girls?

Devonport High School for Girls uses Quest Assessments. Your daughter sits two papers, spread across two Saturdays:

• English, 40 minutes, 60 questions, split into two sections.
• Mathematics, 40 minutes, 60 questions, split into two sections.

There is no verbal reasoning paper, no non-verbal reasoning paper and no extended writing task at the girls’ schools. Sixty questions in 40 minutes is roughly 40 seconds a question, so pace matters as much as knowledge. For how this provider builds its papers, see our Quest Assessments guide.

Splitting the test across two Saturdays is unusual and worth planning around. A child who has a difficult first Saturday has a second one a week later, and both count.

Devonport High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Practise to 40 seconds a question. Sixty questions in 40 minutes is the single hardest thing about this test, and it is the easiest thing to rehearse.
• Concentrate on English and maths. Neither paper contains verbal or non-verbal reasoning, so reasoning practice does not earn marks here.
• Plan for two Saturdays. Keep both 12 and 19 September clear, and treat the week between them as light revision rather than cramming.
• Practise on a separate answer sheet. Transferring answers under time pressure is where careless marks are lost.
• Consider the July mock. It is free of consequence and held in the real venue, which takes the strangeness out of September.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Devonport High School for Girls exam

Because the papers are English and maths only, preparation is narrower than in a reasoning-based area and can go deeper. Comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar on one side; Key Stage 2 arithmetic and problem solving worked at speed on the other. Timed practice matters more here than in most areas because of the question count.

For Devonport High School for Girls 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: