Haberdashers’ Girls’ School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Haberdashers’ Girls’ School

Haberdashers’ Girls’ School is an independent day school for girls in Elstree, Hertfordshire, sharing a campus with Haberdashers’ Boys’ School. The two are separate schools with separate admissions, although they now share the same first round 11+ assessment.

There are between 80 and 85 Year 7 places each year, roughly half the size of the boys’ intake. Entry is for candidates aged 11 and below the age of 12 on 1 September in the year of entry.

Key information for 2027 entry to Haberdashers’ Girls’ School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: independent day school for girls
• Entry points: 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+
• Year 7 places: between 80 and 85
• Age on entry: 11 and below the age of 12 on 1 September in the year of entry
• Assessment: a paper Quest first round of four papers, then interview for around half of candidates
• Registration deadline: Friday 6 November 2026
• Scholarship application deadline: Friday 6 November 2026
• Bursary application deadline: Thursday 19 November 2026
• First round assessment: Monday 23 November 2026
• Second round assessment: Friday 8 to Friday 15 January 2027
• Offers sent by email: Friday 12 February 2027
• Offer holder event: Friday 26 February 2027
• Offer acceptance deadline: 9am on Wednesday 3 March 2027
• Contact details: habselstree.org.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Haberdashers’ Girls’ School at 11 Plus (11+)

Habs Girls and Habs Boys sit on one campus and now use the same first round assessment, but they are separate schools and you apply to them separately. A registration for one is not a registration for the other. Sister school: Haberdashers’ Boys’ School.

The girls’ intake is markedly smaller than the boys’, at 80 to 85 places against 160 to 175, which is worth factoring into how you weigh the two.

Means-tested financial support is available at 11+, but a place must be offered first on the assessment criteria. It is possible to hold a scholarship and means-tested support at the same time. Scholarships cover academic ability, art, creative writing, drama, music and sport.

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

1. Visit first if you can, at an Open Day or a School in Action day.
2. Register online by Friday 6 November 2026. Scholarship applications close the same day; bursary applications close later, on Thursday 19 November 2026.
3. Sit the first round Quest assessment on Monday 23 November 2026.
4. If your daughter is among the roughly half invited back, attend the second round between Friday 8 and Friday 15 January 2027, with a parent interview on the same day.
5. Offers are emailed on Friday 12 February 2027.
6. Accept by 9am on Wednesday 3 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Haberdashers’ Girls’ School?

Habs adapted its 11+ for 2026, and Habs Boys and Habs Girls now use the same Quest first round assessment. It is a paper assessment, not an online one, in four parts:

• Maths and non-verbal reasoning, 45 minutes.
• English and verbal reasoning, 40 minutes.
• Creative comprehension, 20 minutes.
• Creative writing, 20 minutes.

The maths and English questions are multiple choice and cover Key Stage 2 National Curriculum topics. Paper and pencils are provided, so pencil cases are not needed, and dictionaries, calculators and mobile devices are not allowed. Habs publishes a familiarisation test.

On the basis of the results, around half of candidates are invited back for interview in January. One or both parents attend on the same day for an informal meeting with school leaders. For more on this provider, see our Quest Assessments guide.

Haberdashers’ Girls’ School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Practise on paper, not on screen. The Quest first round at Habs is a paper assessment, which is unusual for Quest and catches out families preparing on a tablet.
• Do not neglect the two 20-minute creative papers. Comprehension and creative writing are half the four papers and are where a strong reader shows through.
• Work multiple-choice maths and English to Key Stage 2 content, since that is the stated syllabus.
• Try the school’s own familiarisation test before buying anything.
• Diarise the two different deadlines: scholarships close with registration on 6 November, bursaries not until 19 November.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Haberdashers’ Girls’ School exam

Four short papers reward breadth and pace rather than depth in one subject. Multiple-choice maths and English at Key Stage 2 level, plus non-verbal and verbal reasoning, plus regular short creative writing to a prompt. All of it on paper.

For Haberdashers’ Girls’ School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: