The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About The Manchester Grammar School

The Manchester Grammar School is a boys’ independent day school on Old Hall Lane in Manchester, taking boys from age 7 or 11 through to 18.

Year 7 entry runs across two separate stages months apart: an Assessment Day in the autumn, then a formal Entrance Examination Day the following January.

Key information for 2027 entry to The Manchester Grammar School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: boys’ independent day school, ages 7/11-18
• Applications for September 2027 entry opened Monday 13 July 2026; registration deadline Wednesday 18 November 2026. Fee £48, paid online
• Assessment Days begin Monday 21 September 2026: a maths lesson, a topic-based lesson, group activities and a piece of creative writing, none of it drawn from prior study
• Entrance Examination Day: Wednesday 13 January 2027: two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, plus an afternoon activity chosen from sport, science, music or outward-bound options
• Results published Friday 5 February 2027; offer acceptance deadline Wednesday 3 March 2027
• Bursaries at Year 7 and Year 12 entry only: full fee remission where assessable income is £32,500 or below, no assistance above £58,500 (2026/27 figures)
• Contact details: [email protected], 0161 224 7201; Admissions Manager Kath Heathcote, [email protected]

Admissions information for 2027 entry to The Manchester Grammar School at 11 Plus (11+)

MGS deliberately splits Year 7 entry into two distinct stages months apart, which is worth planning your year around: an Assessment Day from 21 September 2026, then a separate Entrance Examination Day on 13 January 2027. The school is explicit that the Assessment Day content isn’t drawn from anything a boy has studied, stating directly that this ‘places all boys on an equal footing’ and that preparation for it is ‘not required, or indeed possible’. That’s a genuinely different starting point from a school where past papers do most of the work.

The January Entrance Examination is more conventional: two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, followed by an afternoon activity chosen from sport, science, music or outward-bound options, so the day isn’t pure exam-hall pressure from start to finish.

Two numbers worth noting. The £48 application fee is notably lower than most schools in this guide, some of which charge over £200. And MGS publishes its bursary income taper in full: where assessable income is £32,500 or below the fee is fully remitted, while above £58,500 nothing is receive none, an unusually transparent level of detail for a school to share.

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

1. Apply online from Monday 13 July 2026, by Wednesday 18 November 2026. The £48 fee is paid online at the end of the form.
2. Your son attends an Assessment Day from Monday 21 September 2026: a maths lesson, a topic-based lesson, group activities and a piece of creative writing, none of it drawing on prior study.
3. He sits the Entrance Examination Day on Wednesday 13 January 2027: two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, plus an afternoon activity of his choosing.
4. Results are published Friday 5 February 2027, with post-offer tours the week of 24-26 February.
5. Accept by Wednesday 3 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for The Manchester Grammar School?

MGS runs a genuinely two-stage process:

• Assessment Day (from 21 September 2026): a maths lesson, a topic-based lesson, group activities and a piece of creative writing, designed so nothing depends on what a boy has already studied.
• Entrance Examination Day (13 January 2027): two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, both school-set, followed by an afternoon activity.

There’s no named external test provider anywhere in this process. MGS sets its own papers throughout. The school doesn’t itemise whether the January papers are handwritten, but two papers each in English and Arithmetic, set by the school itself, points to a traditional written format rather than an on-screen multiple-choice test.

The Manchester Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Don’t try to pre-empt the Assessment Day content. The school says directly that this isn’t possible and treats all boys equally on it.
• Focus real preparation time on the January Entrance Examination: two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, written and school-set.
• Practise arithmetic without a calculator, plus comprehension and writing under timed conditions, since ‘two papers’ each suggests a fuller test than a single short paper.
• Help your son choose an afternoon activity interest (sport, science, music, outward-bound) ahead of the Examination Day, so it isn’t a last-minute decision.
• If bursary support might apply, MGS’s published income taper (full remission at £32,500 or below, none above £58,500) is worth checking against your circumstances before you assume fees are out of reach.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) The Manchester Grammar School exam

Preparation for MGS is really preparation for January: two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, both school-set and in a traditional written style. The September Assessment Day is largely unprepareable by design, so we’d put the working effort into the autumn term running up to 13 January.

For The Manchester Grammar School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: