How to prepare for the ACS Cobham International School 11+

The exam at a glance

ACS Cobham International School is an independent co-educational school in Surrey for ages 3 to 18, with both day and boarding provision. For Year 7 entry, the school runs its own admissions process rather than using a local-authority 11+ test.

For 2028 entry, the assessment format is not fully published in the sources we found. The school’s admissions pages make clear that applicants are assessed as part of the entry process, but the exact style of any written test, the subjects tested, the length of each paper and whether the assessment is on paper or on screen are not clearly set out on the public pages we could verify.

That means the safest approach is to treat ACS Cobham as a school-set assessment and prepare in a balanced way while checking the school’s admissions page directly for the most up-to-date details. In practice, families should expect the admissions process to involve some combination of application forms, school reports, age-appropriate assessment and an interview or meeting, but parents should confirm the exact arrangements with the school before planning revision in detail.

What the day looks like can vary at independent schools. It is often more personal than a large grammar-school test day, with smaller groups and admissions staff on hand. Because ACS Cobham does not publish a detailed 11+ test specification on the pages we verified, it is best to ask admissions what your child should expect for Year 7 entry in autumn 2027.

Registration and key dates

ACS International Schools directs families to enquire with the admissions team and begin the application process through the school rather than through a local authority secondary-transfer portal. The group website also invites families to book a visit, including open events and individual visits.

For ACS Cobham specifically, we could verify that the school accepts applications through its admissions process, but we could not verify a published Year 7 2028 entry deadline, test date or results date on the public pages available at the time of research. Independent schools often operate rolling admissions where places are offered when spaces are available, but parents should not assume that applies here without checking directly.

If your child is aiming for September 2028 entry, a sensible plan is to contact admissions during Year 5 or early Year 6, ask when Year 7 applications open, and request the current admissions timeline for assessment, interviews and decisions.

Who runs registration? The school’s own admissions team.
How do you register? Through the ACS International Schools admissions route on the school website, usually by making an enquiry and then completing the school’s application steps.
What documents may be needed? The public pages refer generally to admissions and application processes, but specific document lists for Year 7 were not clearly published on the pages we verified. Schools commonly ask for reports, passport details and sometimes references, so check directly with admissions.
Open days and visits: The site advertises upcoming open days and the option to book a visit, but the exact dates shown can change.

For updates, parents can keep an eye on the school website and use Free email alerts for this school's key dates. Our overview page is here: The ACS Cobham International School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

ACS Cobham International School is an independent school, so there is no state-school catchment area in the grammar-school sense. Families apply directly to the school.

The school’s website confirms that ACS Cobham serves ages 3 to 18 and offers both day and boarding places. Because this is an independent-school admissions process, decisions are usually based on the school’s entry criteria, assessment of the child’s suitability for the year group, and availability of places rather than home distance rules.

We did not find a verified public statement giving a fixed number of Year 7 places, a published oversubscription ranking for this entry point, or a cut-off score. The school also does not publish a grammar-style pass mark on the pages we checked. If you want to know whether Year 7 is a large intake year, whether boarding and day applicants are considered differently, or how many places are likely to be available for 2028 entry, ask admissions directly.

For parents moving from the maintained sector, the main difference is that you are not applying through a local authority coordinated grammar-school test. Instead, you are applying to the school itself and should follow its own admissions sequence carefully.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because ACS Cobham’s public pages do not set out a detailed 11+ paper specification, the best preparation is steady, low-pressure academic strengthening plus confident communication. For most Year 5 children, 2 to 3 hours a week in total is enough at the start, increasing only gradually if the school later confirms a more formal test.

January to March of Year 5

Focus on reading stamina, clear written expression and secure arithmetic.
Read widely: fiction, non-fiction and short articles.
Keep maths fluent: number facts, written methods and word problems.
Do one short comprehension or reasoning-style task each week.
A realistic workload is 2 hours a week, split over three or four short sessions.

April to June of Year 5

Start building exam habits gently: concentration, accuracy and finishing small tasks independently.
Ask your child to explain answers aloud, especially in maths and reading.
Practise neat, organised working and checking.
If your child may be interviewed, begin light conversation practice: hobbies, books, school subjects and how they approach learning.
Keep it to 2 to 2.5 hours a week.

July to August before Year 6

Use the summer to consolidate, not to overload.
Do short mixed sessions: one reading task, one maths task, one writing task each week.
Visit the school if possible and note any updated admissions information.
If the school confirms formal testing, begin short timed pieces, but only after your child is comfortable with the content.
Aim for 2.5 to 3 hours a week.

September of Year 6

Check admissions instructions carefully and confirm any assessment date or required documents.
Move to more test-like practice only if the school has confirmed the format.
Use one timed task each weekend and one untimed correction session afterwards.
Keep schoolwork first; preparation should support confidence, not disrupt Year 6.
About 3 to 4 hours a week is usually plenty.

October to assessment month

Reduce new material and focus on accuracy, calm pacing and sleep.
Practise listening carefully to instructions.
If there is an interview, do two or three short practice conversations rather than formal drilling.
In the final week, scale back.

When should timed papers start? Only once your child is secure in the basics and only if the school confirms a written assessment. For many children, that means late summer or early autumn before the assessment, not months and months of timed work.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Because ACS Cobham does not publicly set out a detailed Year 7 test specification on the pages we verified, parents should prepare broadly and then adjust once the school confirms the assessment format.

English

Build strong reading comprehension, vocabulary and clear writing. Practise retrieving information, explaining language choices, summarising short passages and writing in complete, accurate sentences. If there is a school-set written task, children who read widely and can express themselves clearly are usually in a stronger position.

Useful habits include reading for 20 minutes most days, keeping a vocabulary notebook and discussing what a text is really saying rather than just skimming for answers.

Mathematics

Keep number skills fluent and reliable: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, place value, measures and straightforward problem-solving. For an independent-school assessment, careful working and checking are often as important as speed.

Use mixed practice rather than repeating one topic for too long. Encourage your child to set out methods neatly and explain their thinking aloud.

Writing

If the school includes a written task, the priorities are usually structure, clarity, punctuation and ideas. Practise short descriptive and narrative pieces, as well as simple factual or reflective writing. Aim for planning in a minute or two, writing in paragraphs and checking capital letters, spelling and full stops at the end.

A strong piece for this age is not overblown. It is controlled, readable and accurate.

Reasoning or school-set thinking skills

We could not verify whether ACS Cobham uses verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning or another standardised format. Still, it is sensible to build general reasoning habits: spotting patterns, following multi-step instructions, interpreting information carefully and avoiding rushed mistakes.

If the school later confirms a specific format, switch to targeted practice then rather than trying to second-guess it now.

Interview or conversation

Independent schools often want to get to know the child as well as assess academic readiness. Even where the public page does not spell this out, it is sensible to prepare for a warm conversation with an adult about school, interests and learning. Help your child practise speaking clearly, answering in full sentences and showing curiosity.

Good preparation is simple: talk about books they have enjoyed, what they find challenging, what they are proud of and how they contribute in class or activities.

Practice papers and mock exams

When a school does not publish a detailed public specification, practice should be used carefully. The goal is not to guess the exact paper but to strengthen the skills most likely to matter: reading accurately, writing clearly, solving maths questions methodically and staying calm under light time pressure.

Start with untimed work. Once your child is confident, add short timed sections. After every piece of practice, spend more time reviewing mistakes than counting scores. Ask:

Was the error caused by weak knowledge, rushed reading or poor checking?
Did your child understand the instruction?
Could the work have been set out more clearly?
What one habit should they use next time?

For this school, it is especially important not to over-interpret any one mock paper, because the school sets its own process and may change how it assesses applicants from year to year.

You can use our school-specific resources here:

If you use mock exams elsewhere, treat them as confidence-building and stamina practice rather than as a predictor of whether your child will be offered a place.

On the day

For an independent-school assessment day, calm routines matter more than last-minute cramming. Aim for an ordinary, steady morning.

Prepare clothes, stationery and directions the night before.
Allow extra travel time so that no one feels rushed.
Give your child a familiar breakfast rather than trying something new.
Remind them to listen carefully to instructions and ask if they do not understand what to do.
Encourage them to keep going if one section feels hard. Schools are looking at overall readiness, not perfection.
If there is an interview or meeting, tell your child it is fine to pause, think and answer naturally.

The most helpful message is simple: this is a chance for the school to get to know them. They do not need to be flawless; they just need to show their usual best.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For ACS Cobham, the post-assessment process is not the same as the state-school national offer system used for grammar and comprehensive schools. As an independent school, ACS Cobham handles offers directly through its own admissions team.

We could not verify a published public timetable for Year 7 assessment results or offer letters for 2028 entry. Parents should therefore ask admissions when decisions are normally communicated and whether places are offered on a rolling basis or after a main assessment point.

If your child is offered a place, there is usually an acceptance process and a deadline to secure it. If your child is not offered a place, ask politely whether a waiting list operates and whether any feedback can be shared.

Formal statutory school-admission appeals apply to state schools; independent schools do not run the same local-authority appeal process. If you have concerns about a decision, the first step is to follow the school’s own admissions and complaints procedures and ask the admissions team to explain the next stage.

What has changed recently

In the sources we verified, we did not find a clearly announced recent change specific to ACS Cobham’s Year 7 entrance assessment format, catchment, places or admissions timeline for the last two years. Parents should check the school’s admissions pages directly for any newer announcements, as independent-school processes can be updated between admission rounds.

Frequently asked questions

Does ACS Cobham International School use the standard 11+ exam?

No local-authority grammar-school 11+ was verified for ACS Cobham. It runs its own admissions process, and parents should check the school directly for the current Year 7 assessment format.

What subjects are in the ACS Cobham Year 7 assessment?

The public sources we verified did not clearly publish the tested subjects. Prepare broadly in English, maths, writing and general reasoning, then confirm the exact format with admissions.

Is there a catchment area for ACS Cobham?

No. ACS Cobham is an independent school, so there is no state-school catchment in the usual grammar-school sense.

When should my child start preparing for ACS Cobham Year 7 entry?

For most children, gentle preparation from Year 5 is enough. Build reading, writing and maths steadily first, then move to more formal practice only if the school confirms a written assessment.

Does ACS Cobham publish pass marks or cut-off scores?

We did not find any published pass mark or cut-off score on the sources checked. If you want detail on how offers are decided, ask the admissions team directly.

Are there open days for ACS Cobham?

Yes, the website advertises open days and school visits. Exact dates can change, so it is best to check the school website and book directly.

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Sources

ACS Cobham International School: ACS Cobham is part of ACS International Schools; it is for ages 3 to 18; it offers day and boarding provision; parents can book a visit; the site advertises open days/visits.
ACS International Schools homepage: The homepage promotes upcoming open days and booking a visit.
Independent Schools Inspectorate - ACS International School Cobham: Independent-school status and general school profile context.

Preparing for other schools in Surrey

Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.