Parmiter’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Parmiter’s School

Parmiter’s School is a co-educational partially selective school in Garston, near Watford, with a sixth form.

Its published admission number for September 2027 is 216, and academic ability is one route into the school rather than the only one.

The consortium test is shared with Rickmansworth School and St Clement Danes School, Watford Grammar School for Boys and Watford Grammar School for Girls, Queens’ School and Croxley Danes School. Our guide to the grammar schools in Hertfordshire covers the county.

Key information for 2027 entry to Parmiter’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

• Entrance test: the South West Herts Consortium academic ability test, set by GL Assessment
• Papers: mathematics and verbal reasoning, about an hour each
• No English paper and no non-verbal reasoning paper
• Answers are marked on separate answer sheets, and some questions need two answers
• No pass mark is published. Each school applies the scores through its own admission criteria
• Registration: opened Wednesday 1 April 2026 and closed Friday 5 June 2026
• Test venue notified around noon on Friday 26 June 2026
• Academic test: Saturday 5 September 2026
• Results: Thursday 15 October 2026, around midday
• Local authority application deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026. Offer day: Monday 1 March 2027
• Published admission number: 216 places in Year 7
• Up to 25 per cent of places are offered on academic ability, in merit order
• Up to 10 per cent are offered on music aptitude, through a separate assessment

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Parmiter’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

The published admission number for September 2027 is 216. Parmiter’s is partially selective, so the academic test is one criterion among several.

Up to 25 per cent of places are available in merit order by academic ability, and to be considered your child must have sat both the verbal reasoning and mathematics tests. The school states that no minimum score applies: the places go to the highest scorers in order, so what matters is how your child ranks rather than hitting a published threshold.

A further up to 10 per cent of places are allocated on proven music aptitude, which needs a written musical aptitude test and a practical assessment. That is a separate route, and children can be considered under both.

Applicants are asked to complete an online Supplementary Information Form as well as the Hertfordshire common application form, which is due by 31 October 2026.

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

Registration for the September 2027 round has closed. It opened on Wednesday 1 April 2026 and closed on Friday 5 June 2026. If your child is registered, the test itself is still ahead.

1. Register once with the South West Herts Consortium, not separately with each school.
2. You are told the test venue around noon on Friday 26 June 2026.
3. Your child sits both papers on Saturday 5 September 2026, with a short break between them.
4. Complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form as well as the county common application form. Without it the school cannot judge the application against its own criteria.
5. Results are published on Thursday 15 October 2026, around midday.
6. Apply to Hertfordshire County Council by Saturday 31 October 2026, listing the school in preference order. Offers are sent on Monday 1 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Parmiter’s School?

The South West Herts Consortium sets one academic ability test, shared by seven schools, so the
preparation is the same wherever you apply. The papers are prepared for the consortium by GL Assessment
and are based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum.

• Mathematics, about an hour.
• Verbal reasoning, about an hour.

There is no English paper and no non-verbal reasoning paper. That surprises a lot of parents,
because most selective tests set at least one of them, and it is the single biggest thing to get right
when you plan practice.

Answers are marked on separate answer sheets in pencil, by drawing a line through the box for
the chosen answer, and some questions ask for two answers rather than one. Practising on a separate
answer sheet is worth doing in its own right, because losing a mark by putting a correct answer in the
wrong row is entirely avoidable.

There is a short break between the two tests. The consortium publishes no pass mark: it makes
the scores available and each school then applies its own admission arrangements to them.

The consortium also runs a separate music aptitude assessment, which is a different route into
the same schools and is not part of the academic test.

Parmiter’s School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Skip English comprehension papers and non-verbal reasoning. Neither is set by this test.
• Split practice evenly between maths and verbal reasoning. Both papers are about an hour.
• Practise on a separate answer sheet, marking answers in pencil. Some questions want two answers, which catches children out under time pressure.
• Work to the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum. The papers are built on it rather than on stretch material.
• Remember the Supplementary Information Form. A strong test score does nothing if the school never receives the form.
• Aim high rather than for a pass mark. Parmiter’s allocates its academic places in merit order and publishes no minimum score.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Parmiter’s School exam

Preparation for Parmiter’s is preparation for the consortium test: mathematics and verbal reasoning, and nothing else. Because places go in merit order with no minimum score, the aim is a high rank rather than a pass.

A test on the first Saturday in September means the summer before Year 6 is the working window. Verbal reasoning rewards short, frequent sessions and a steadily growing vocabulary; the maths paper rewards timed practice on Key Stage 2 material rather than harder content.

For Parmiter’s School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: