How to prepare for the Dauntsey's School 11+

Exam format not yet verified. We have not confirmed this school's exam board or paper format from an official source. Where this guide describes the test, treat it as a working assumption and check the school's admissions page before relying on it.

The exam at a glance

Dauntsey's School offers 11+ entry into Year 7, which the school calls the First Form. For September 2028 entry, the working assumption for this guide, not yet verified with the school, is a mixed delivery assessment using the school's own paper format, with a GL Assessment-style paper covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The safest preparation approach is balanced practice across all four subjects, with steady work on accuracy as well as speed.

The school describes its 11+ process as an assessment and interview route rather than a single stand-alone paper. The current admissions information available on the school's website gives key dates for 2027 entry, and says that assessments and interviews take place in mid January of the year of entry. It also notes that overseas candidates may sit assessments by arrangement at their current school or at a British Council office, with interviews held via Microsoft Teams.

For families, that usually means the day is not just about answering questions under timed conditions. Children should also expect a welcoming admissions process around the assessment itself, and should be ready to speak politely and naturally in an interview setting. The main academic focus, though, remains the four tested areas: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

School type: independent, coeducational
Entry point: Year 7 / First Form
Tested subjects: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
Format: GL-style sections in the school's own assessment process
Delivery: mixed
Also part of the process: interview

If your child is preparing for 2028 entry, treat this as an academically broad 11+ rather than a school with a narrow subject focus. A child who is strong only in English and Maths may still lose ground if Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning is unfamiliar, so it is worth keeping all four strands ticking over from the start.

Registration and key dates

Dauntsey's handles its own admissions rather than using a local authority grammar-school registration system. The school's admissions page and registration form are the places to check first each year. For 2027 entry, the school published a clear registration deadline and interview timetable; for 2028 entry, you should expect a similar autumn-to-winter pattern unless the school announces otherwise.

Verified for the current published cycle:

Registration deadline: 12 October 2026
Interviews and auditions: 21 and 22 January 2027
Offers made: week commencing 1 February 2027

The school's 11+ page also says that assessments and interviews take place in mid January of the year of entry. For a child starting in September 2028, that means the assessment is likely to be in January 2028, but families should treat that as typical timing until the school publishes the next cycle's dates.

ElevenReady’s directory (not yet verified with the school)s a typical exam date of 19 January 2027 for the current pattern. Because the school's own published page gives 2027-entry dates rather than a full 2028 timetable, the sensible approach is:

Check the Dauntsey's admissions page from late spring onwards.
Complete the school's registration form as soon as the next cycle opens.
Have basic application details ready, including your child's current school information and contact details.
If you are applying from overseas, contact admissions early because the school says overseas assessments can be arranged at the child's current school or through a British Council office.

If you want a quick reference point while waiting for the next cycle, see The Dauntsey's School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Stage	What we can verify
Registration opens	The school had not published a 2028-entry opening date at the time of writing.
Registration deadline	12 October 2026 is published for the current cycle.
Assessment timing	Mid January of the year of entry, according to the school's admissions page.
Interviews / auditions	21 and 22 January 2027 for the current published cycle.
Offers	Week commencing 1 February 2027 for the current published cycle.

If this year's dates are still not live when you start planning, assume that registration usually needs to be completed by early-to-mid autumn and that assessment activity happens in January. Then confirm everything against the school's own page before booking travel or making other commitments.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Dauntsey's is an independent school, so there is no catchment area for Year 7 entry. Children can apply from anywhere, subject to the school's admissions process and the availability of places.

our directory, not yet verified with the school, records 100 Year 7 places. The school also says that pupils join a cohort of around 100 children drawn from more than 60 different schools, which gives parents a useful sense of the intake: this is not a tiny intake from one narrow feeder route, but a broad joining group with many children new to the school.

The admissions page confirms that there are day and boarding places at 11+, and that flexi-boarding is available in the First and Second Form, subject to availability. That can matter if you are considering practical travel arrangements but are not looking for full boarding from the start.

Because Dauntsey's is independent, the process is different from selective state-school allocation. Families apply directly to the school, complete the school's admissions steps, and then consider an offer directly from the school rather than through National Offer Day in the grammar-school sense.

Catchment: none
Places: 100 at Year 7 entry
Boarding: day and boarding places available
Flexi-boarding: offered in First and Second Form, subject to availability

The school website does not publish a pass mark or cut-off score for 11+ entry, and independent schools often do not. Parents should therefore avoid trying to work backwards from unofficial claims online. Focus instead on giving your child secure coverage of all four tested subjects and presenting a calm, well-prepared application.

A month-by-month preparation plan

For January testing, a sensible plan for most Year 5 children begins in the spring or early summer of Year 5. That gives enough time to build skill steadily without turning preparation into a second school timetable. For Dauntsey's, because all four subjects matter, consistency matters more than cramming.

March to April (Year 5)

Start gently with 1 to 2 hours a week in short sessions. The goal is diagnosis, not pressure. Find out whether your child is already comfortable with age-expected comprehension and arithmetic, and whether Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning are completely new.

Read widely and discuss vocabulary.
Revise number facts, written methods and mental arithmetic.
Introduce the main Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning question families slowly.
Keep a notebook of errors and patterns.

May to June

Increase to around 2 to 3 hours a week. At this stage, teach method clearly before worrying about speed.

English: comprehension, spelling patterns, punctuation and concise written answers.
Maths: fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, word problems and multi-step working.
Verbal Reasoning: code, sequence, letter and word relationships, careful reading of instructions.
Non-Verbal Reasoning: shape sequences, rotations, reflections, odd one out, matrices.

By the end of June, your child should recognise the most common question types even if accuracy is not perfect yet.

July to August

Keep work steady over summer at around 2 to 4 hours a week, spread across the week. This is a good time for regular mixed practice rather than long formal papers every day.

Do short timed bursts: 10 to 15 minutes on one skill.
Build stamina with occasional half-papers or section practice.
Review wrong answers carefully and reteach weak topics.
Keep reading going every day.

If your child tires easily under time pressure, use August to practise calm pacing: moving on, flagging difficult questions mentally, and checking where possible.

September

Move to 3 to 4 hours a week. This is usually the point to begin more formal timed work.

Start timed sections by subject.
Practise switching between question types without losing focus.
Make sure methods are efficient, not just correct.
Book any mock or supervised practice you plan to use.

October

Keep to 3 to 5 hours a week. Accuracy should still come first, but timing now matters every week.

Complete at least one mixed paper or grouped set of timed sections most weeks.
Track scores by topic, not only total marks.
Practise neat working and answer-transfer habits if relevant.
Continue interview preparation lightly through conversation, not scripts.

November

This is often the most productive month for 4 to 5 hours a week, depending on your child's energy and school workload.

Use full or near-full timed practice more regularly.
Refine question selection and pacing.
Plug stubborn gaps in arithmetic, vocabulary and reasoning methods.
Do one calm review day after every tough paper.

December

In the final month, keep quality high and nerves low: 3 to 4 hours a week is enough for most children.

Short, sharp revision of recurring weak areas.
One or two final timed papers, then taper.
Practise the routine for the morning itself.
Protect sleep, sport and normal family time.

January

In the final days, do very little. A few light questions, vocabulary review and confidence-building conversations are enough. The aim is to arrive fresh, not over-rehearsed.

Subject by subject: what to practise

English

For Dauntsey's, English preparation should cover both reading and written response. In practice, that means comprehension, vocabulary in context, spelling accuracy, punctuation and clear expression. Encourage your child to answer precisely rather than writing everything they know. Strong habits include underlining key words in the question, returning to the text for evidence, and checking whether the answer is as short or as full as the question demands.

Useful preparation includes:

Comprehension from fiction and non-fiction
Vocabulary building through reading and discussion
Synonyms, antonyms and word meaning in context
Grammar, punctuation and accurate sentence construction
Short written answers using evidence carefully

Maths

Maths practice should be broad and secure rather than narrowly advanced. Independent-school 11+ maths often rewards children who are accurate with core Key Stage 2 skills and who can cope with multi-step word problems under time pressure.

Prioritise:

Fluent arithmetic with all four operations
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Measures, time, money and basic geometry
Worded problems and selecting the right method
Showing clear working while keeping pace

Children often lose marks not because the maths is impossible, but because they rush, misread, or choose an overcomplicated route. Practise estimation and checking so they can spot unlikely answers quickly.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning is often the least familiar area for families unless they have prepared for selective tests before. The exact mix can vary, but GL-style preparation usually includes letter patterns, codes, sequences, word relationships and careful instruction-following. The biggest gains often come from learning the method for each common type and then practising until recognition is automatic.

Focus on:

Alphabet and letter-position fluency
Codes and word transformations
Word relationships and classifications
Missing letters, sequences and logical patterns
Vocabulary breadth and careful reading

Speed in Verbal Reasoning comes from familiarity, so short frequent practice works better than occasional long sessions.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-Verbal Reasoning tests pattern recognition through shapes and visual change. Children improve fastest when they learn to look systematically: shape, position, rotation, reflection, shading, number of sides, and movement across rows or columns.

Practise:

Shape sequences and visual series
Odd one out and matching pairs
Rotations and reflections
Codes and analogies using shapes
Matrices and combined-rule problems

Encourage your child to describe what they can see out loud at first. That helps turn a vague visual impression into a clear method.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a learning tool, not just as a score generator. For Dauntsey's, where preparation needs to stay balanced across four subjects, it helps to rotate subjects through the week and then bring them together in mixed timed sessions later on.

Start with untimed or lightly timed work so your child learns the method for each question type. Only then move to strict timing. After every paper, spend more time reviewing than marking. Ask:

Was the mistake a knowledge gap, a timing issue or a misread question?
Did my child know the method but rush?
Are errors clustering in one topic?
Is stamina dropping near the end?

A good mock can help some children, especially if they need practice working in a formal setting. It is most helpful in the autumn term, once the underlying content is already familiar. One or two mocks is usually enough; too many can dent confidence without adding much value.

For free school-specific practice, use Free Dauntsey's School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers). You can also bookmark The Dauntsey's School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

A simple pattern that works well is:

Spring: short skill-building exercises
Summer: occasional timed sections
September to November: regular timed papers and careful review
December: light consolidation and confidence building

If your child finds one subject much harder than the others, resist the temptation to drop the stronger ones completely. Dauntsey's assessment covers all four areas, so the best overall result usually comes from steady maintenance of strengths alongside focused repair of weaknesses.

On the day

Children usually do best when the day feels familiar and calm. In the week beforehand, keep routines ordinary: normal bedtime, normal breakfast practice, normal travel planning.

Check the school's instructions carefully once they are issued.
Plan the journey in advance and aim to arrive in good time.
Choose comfortable, smart-casual clothes if the school does not specify otherwise.
Pack any required stationery the night before.
Avoid last-minute cramming on the morning itself.

What helps most in the room is a simple plan:

Read the instructions slowly.
Start with full concentration, not panic-speed.
If stuck, move on and come back if time allows.
Keep working steadily rather than watching others.
Reset mentally between sections.

If there is an interview, remind your child that it is not a performance. The school is simply getting to know them. Polite eye contact, listening carefully, answering honestly and showing interest in school life are enough. No child needs rehearsed speeches.

For parents, the most useful thing is to keep your own language neutral. Replace "This is your big chance" with "Just do your best and let the school see who you are." That tends to lower pressure immediately.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

Because Dauntsey's is an independent school, the post-exam process is more direct than a state-school selective allocation round. The school assesses candidates, interviews where relevant, and then communicates decisions directly to families.

For the current published cycle, the school says that offers are made in the week commencing 1 February 2027. That gives parents a useful guide to the likely timing after January assessments, even though 2028-entry dates had not yet been published at the time of writing.

The school website does not publish a pass mark, standardised-score threshold or cut-off score for 11+ entry. If your child is not offered a place, the next step is usually to speak to the admissions team about whether a waiting list operates and whether any further review process is available. Independent schools do not run appeals in the same way as local-authority school admissions appeals, so the school's own admissions team is the right first contact.

If you receive an offer, read the deadline and acceptance instructions carefully. Independent-school offers often require a prompt response and may involve acceptance paperwork or a deposit, but families should check the school's current terms rather than assuming details from previous years.

In short:

Results and offers come directly from the school.
The currently published offer timing is the week commencing 1 February 2027.
No public pass mark is published.
For waiting-list or review questions, contact Dauntsey's admissions directly.

What has changed recently

The main point to note is that the school's currently available 11+ admissions page publishes key dates for 2027 entry, not a full 2028-entry schedule yet. It also makes clear that assessments and interviews take place in mid January of the year of entry, and that overseas candidates can be assessed by arrangement at their current school or a British Council office and interviewed via Microsoft Teams.

Beyond that, we did not find any officially announced recent change to the 11+ board, subject mix, catchment policy or number of Year 7 places on the sources reviewed for this guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Dauntsey's School 11+ exam?

The school says assessments and interviews take place in mid January of the year of entry. For the currently published cycle, the registration deadline is 12 October 2026 and interviews/auditions are on 21 and 22 January 2027.

Does Dauntsey's School have a catchment area?

No. Dauntsey's is an independent school and there is no catchment area for Year 7 entry.

How many Year 7 places are there at Dauntsey's?

the information in our directory (not yet verified with the school) gives 100 Year 7 places, and the school describes the joining cohort as around 100 children.

What subjects are in the Dauntsey's 11+?

For 2028 entry, the working assumption for this guide, not yet verified with the school, is a GL-style assessment across Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Does Dauntsey's publish a pass mark?

We did not find a published pass mark or cut-off score on the school's admissions information. Parents should rely on the school's own admissions page rather than unofficial claims online.

Are there boarding places at 11+ entry?

Yes. The school says there are both day and boarding places at 11+, and flexi-boarding is available in the First and Second Form subject to availability.

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Sources

Dauntsey's School – Entry at 11: Dauntsey's offers 11+ entry into the First Form/Year 7; assessments and interviews take place in mid January of the year of entry; interviews and auditions are on 21 and 22 January 2027; offers made week commencing 1 February 2027; overseas candidates can take assessments by arrangement at their cur
Dauntsey's School – Home: School identity and official website reference for Dauntsey's School.

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Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.