NEW: 11+ Maths Skills packs are out now
Basket
Blog

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

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

About North London Collegiate School

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is a leading independent day school for girls aged 4-18. Located in Edgware, it is recognised nationally for its academic excellence and nurturing environment.  

In 2022, 94% of their GCSE results were awarded grades 9-8 and 87% of A Level results were A*-A grades, with around one-third of students achieving 3 or more A*s.

NLCS is one of the country’s highest-achieving schools. It has a rigorous, challenging and stimulating curriculum and a team of professional teachers who inspire their students with a love of learning. As well as traditional subjects taught by specialist teachers, such as English, maths and science, NLCS offers a wide range of subjects, including engineering and technology, French, Latin, history, religious studies, art, drama, computing, PE, and PSHE. 

Beyond the classroom, NLCS offers an array of extra and co-curricular enrichment activities, which help its pupils to discover and develop their interests and passions. There are 50 clubs and societies at NLCS covering subjects such as philosophy, climate change, human rights, chess, and dance, as well as several trips and charity opportunities that run each year. 

Key information for 2027 entry to North London Collegiate School at 11 Plus (11+)

  • School type: independent school for girls
  • Open event: June 2026
  • Registration dates: May 2026 – November 2026
  • Bursary application deadline: November 2026
  • Music scholarship application deadline: November 2026
  • Exam dates: December 2026
  • Interview date: mid-January 2027
  • Offers sent out: mid-February 2027
  • Contact Details: 020 8952 0912, [email protected], www.nlcs.org.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to North London Collegiate School at 11 Plus (11+)

The school strongly recommends that prospective students and their parents attend one of NLCS’ open events. The next open events will take place in June 2026. You can book and find out more information about this event on the NLCS website. Please ensure you book these events early, as places tend to fill up quickly. You can also find a virtual tour of the school here.

This will allow you and your child to familiarise yourself with the facilities, meet the staff, and ensure NLCS is the right choice for you. 

As well as academic potential, NLCS value students who positively contribute to all aspects of school life and consider this when selecting children for admission into Year 7. There are approximately 60 places available for 11+ admission and each space is highly competitive. 

The admission process comprises two stages: the 11+ entrance exam and an interview. The examination is held at NLCS and is entirely separate from the 11+ London Consortium group’s exam. 

Following the entrance exam, a number of students will be invited back for an interview in mid-January. The admissions decisions will then be made based on the combined outcome of the exam and interview. The friendly, informal interviews are a great opportunity for the school to get to know your child better.

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

Registration through the school’s website is available from the end of May till mid-November 2026. The registration fee is £150 (£200 for overseas applications). Following your registration, your daughter will be invited to sit the entrance exam, which will take place in December 2026. 

If you wish to apply for the bursary, you can fill out a bursary application form after you have registered your child. You can find out more information about this process here. 

A number of music scholarships are also awarded at 11+. Candidates must pass the entrance exam and complete a music audition to qualify. You can also complete a music scholarship application form once you have registered. 

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for North London Collegiate School?

The North London Collegiate School 11+ exam consists of the following papers:

  • English (1 hour, 20 minutes)
  • Maths (1 hour, 15 minutes)

The English paper consists of both reading and writing sections:

  • Reading (30 minutes): 
    • 5 minutes to read the story and questions in the booklet, your child is alerted when the 5 minutes is over 
    • Your child can mark the story by highlighting or underlining words 
    • Your child can then spend 25 minutes writing their answers
  • Writing (50 minutes):
    • Your child is assessed on the quality of their expression & content of their writing
    • Section 1 (30 minutes): typically asks your child to continue a story from the reading section following on from its end
    • Section 2 (20 minutes): typically asks your child to write their thoughts & response to a provided statement

 

Your child will be marked on their spelling, punctuation, inference skills, vocabulary, & grammar, as well as their imagination, creativity, form, purpose, & sentence structure 

The maths paper assesses your child’s problem-solving and arithmetic skills:

  • The questions are from the Key Stage 2 (KS2) maths curriculum, covering topics like algebra, shapes, statistics, fractions, decimals, & percentages 
  • This is a non-calculator exam 

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) North London Collegiate School exam

The most useful way to prepare for North London Collegiate 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 North London Collegiate School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: 

North London Collegiate School 11+ Practice Tests

Key Recommendations

Key Recommendations

Further Recommendations

Targeted Skills

Key Recommendations

Further Recommendations

Targeted Skills

Mock Exams

Find out more about Examberry’s in-person mock exams: please click here.

Tuition

Find out more about Examberry’s in-person and online tuition courses for North London Collegiate School 11+ preparation: please click here.

Creative Writing Tuition

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

Free GL Assessment style Maths paper cover

Free GL Assessment style Maths paper

Get a full free Maths paper, written in the GL style by our in-house team, with answers included. We'll email it straight to you.

We'll also send occasional 11+ preparation tips. Unsubscribe whenever you like.

More to explore

Exam Information

Junior King’s School, Canterbury Year 3 (7+) Entry Guide

4 min read

 Exam Information

Woodbridge School Year 3 (7+) Entry Guide

3 min read

 Exam Information

Westminster Cathedral Choir School 7 Plus (7+) Exam Guide

3 min read

Not sure which papers match your child's school?

Find your school's papers
0
    Your Basket
    Your basket is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping