NEW: 11+ Maths Skills packs are out now
Blog

St Paul’s Juniors (SPJ) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

Exam Information 5 min read
Table of contents
  1. About St Paul’s Juniors
  2. Key information for 2026: St Paul’s Juniors at 11 Plus (11+)
  3. Admissions information for 2026: St Paul’s Juniors at 11 Plus (11+)
  4. How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at St Paul’s Juniors?
  5. What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for St Paul’s Juniors?
  6. How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) St Paul’s Juniors exam

About St Paul’s Juniors

St Paul’s Juniors is a highly prestigious independent school for boys aged 7-18. It was founded on an ethos of inspiring its boys to develop facets of their personal character such as kindness, respect, and humility, as well as being highly successful in their academic pursuits. 

In 2022, 96% of boys achieved an A* or A in their A-Levels, and 94% of GCSE scores were graded level 8 or 9.  These high scores typically land around a quarter to a third of each leaver’s cohort with offers at Oxbridge Universities. 

For boys with their eyes set further afield, St Paul’s Juniors have their own team of staff to support US University applications. St Paul’s Juniors has consequently achieved several deserving accolades, being featured in many guides to top independent schools, such as in the Sunday Times, Tatler, and Spears. Bursaries are available for boys who meet the academic requirements to attend the school, and who meet the means-tested bursary criteria.

Key information for 2026: St Paul’s Juniors at 11 Plus (11+)

  • School type: boys’ independent school
  • Registration deadline: early November 2026 
  • ISEB application made available: mid-August 2026
  • ISEB pre-test date (Stage 1): early December 2026
  • 11+ Exam date (Stage 2): early January 2027
  • Interviews: mid-January 2027
  • Offers acceptance deadline: early March 2027
  • Contact details: 020 8748 3461, [email protected], www.stpaulsschool.org.uk

Admissions information for 2026: St Paul’s Juniors at 11 Plus (11+)

You may now register your son to sit St Paul’s Juniors’ entrance tests by completing an application form on their website. From the middle of August, you should register your son to take the ISEB online preliminary tests, the deadline for registering is early November 2026. These tests will be held in early December 2026 and your son will sit them either in his own school (if it is a registered ISEB test centre) or at St Paul’s Juniors.

Following the preliminary tests, successful candidates will be invited to sit written exams at St Paul’s Juniors’ on in early January 2027, and boys who are successful in these exams will then be invited back for the final round of the process: interviews. The interviews will be a chance for your son to meet senior members of staff and the Headteacher.

Thirty-six boys will be invited to join St Paul’s Juniors in Year 7 (please note that those who are unsuccessful will not be able to re-apply for the 13+ entry).

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at St Paul’s Juniors?

You must complete the application form on their website, which is available to do so now. You will be required to submit a copy of your son’s passport and pay a fee of £75 to register.

Further, you must register with ISEB from mid-August onwards for your son to be able to take the preliminary tests either at St Paul’s Juniors or at his own school. You may register for ISEB’s mailing list now to receive further details about registering for their preliminary examinations.

St Paul’s welcomes boys from all backgrounds, accepting students solely based on their academic talents and their ability to benefit from their education programme. Bursaries are available for those who meet the academic requirements and who also have a gross household income of less than £120,000 a year and less than £1.4m in assets. Those with gross household incomes of £65,000 or less may be awarded up to 100% of the fees required.

If you think you may be eligible for a bursary, the application process begins if and when your son is invited back for the written exams in January.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for St Paul’s Juniors?

Stage 1: The ISEB pre-test is a multiple choice test set by GL Assessment which assesses:

  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Non-Verbal Reasoning
  • English
  • Maths

The four components of the test may be taken separately or completed all in one sitting, the full length of the test is 2.5 hours.

Stage 2: The second round of testing comprises standards written tests examining:

  • English – split into two 45-minute sections:
    • Section 1: comprehension & analysis of an unseen passage, focusing on word meaning & textual points of view
    • Section 2: composition, focusing on the correct usage of ambitious spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Maths – non-calculator paper based on KS2 Level 5 curriculum which is split into 3 sections:
    • Section A: multiple-choice number-based questions
    • Section B: calculations
    • Section C: most challenging section with longer worded questions focusing on problem-solving abilities

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) St Paul’s Juniors exam

The most useful way to prepare for St Paul’s Juniors’ 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 St Paul’s Juniors 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: 

St Paul's Juniors 11+ Practice Tests

Key Recommendations

To prepare for Stage 1

To prepare for Stage 2

Targeted Skills

Key Recommendations

To prepare for Stage 1

To prepare for Stage 2

Targeted Skills

Mock Exams

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

Tuition

Find out more about Examberry’s in-person and online tuition courses for St Paul’s Juniors 11+ preparation: please click here.

Creative Writing Course

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.

Not sure which papers match your child's school?

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