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
Ellesmere College is an independent day and boarding school for children aged 7 to 18, and its admissions process for Year 7 includes registration, a taster day and an offer that is subject to exam performance and school references.
For 2028 entry, our working assumption, not yet verified with the school, is that the school uses its own paper, in the form of a GL Assessment-style test covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The safest preparation approach is balanced practice across all four subjects, with a strong focus on steady accuracy under timed conditions.
The school’s admissions information also says that candidates sit an Academic Entrance Exam, and that the registration form should be completed before an exam assessment is taken. A taster day forms part of the wider admissions process too, so families should expect admissions to be more than a single test morning.
What the day looks like can vary from year to year, and the school does not appear to publish a detailed public timetable for each paper on its website. Parents should therefore expect a school-run assessment process rather than a consortium-style test centre arrangement, and should check directly with admissions once they have registered for practical details such as arrival time, equipment and how long candidates will be on site.
Registration and key dates
Ellesmere College appears to run its own admissions process rather than using a local authority 11+ registration portal. The school’s admissions page says families should register with the school, and that a registration form must be completed before an exam assessment is taken.
For Year 7 entry, the school states that the Academic Entrance Exam is held on the first Saturday in February. It also notes that late applicants may be examined after this date. Common Entrance candidates are assessed on the date set by the Independent Schools Examinations Board.
At the time of writing, we have not found a publicly stated set of 2028-entry calendar dates on the school website. Because of that, the most accurate way to phrase timing is that the exam is typically on the first Saturday in February, based on the school’s admissions page. Parents applying for September 2028 entry should therefore expect the main academic entrance assessment to fall in early February 2028, unless the school announces otherwise.
The school’s admissions process page also says the process includes a taster day. It does not publicly spell out on that page exactly when the taster day takes place in relation to the exam for every year group, so once you enquire, it is sensible to ask admissions for the order of steps, expected documents and whether references are requested before or after testing.
- Who runs registration? The school.
- How to register? Via Ellesmere College admissions.
- What must happen before the exam? The registration form must be completed.
- Typical exam timing: First Saturday in February.
- If you apply late: The school says late applicants may be examined after that date.
For the latest confirmed information, parents should monitor the school’s admissions page and can also use Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=ellesmere-college.
You may also want to bookmark The Ellesmere College 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/ellesmere-college for updates when dates are published.
Who can apply: catchment and admissions
Ellesmere College is an independent school, so there is no catchment area for Year 7 entry in the way there is for many state grammar schools. Children can apply from anywhere, subject to the school’s admissions requirements and place availability.
The school describes itself as a day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 7 to 18. Its admissions page says the process includes registration, a taster day, and an offer of a place subject to exam performance and school references. That means the entrance assessment matters, but it is considered as part of a broader admissions picture rather than as a stand-alone published pass mark system.
We have not found a publicly published figure on the school website for the number of Year 7 places, nor a published pass mark or score threshold for this entrance exam. Independent schools often keep that detail private. If you want to know how competitive the year group is in a particular admissions cycle, the most reliable step is to contact the admissions team directly and ask about likely availability for day and boarding applicants.
Because this is not a local-authority allocation system, families should also remember that timelines for accepting an offer, paying any registration fee or deposit, and completing references may differ from grammar school admissions. Always follow the school’s own instructions rather than assumptions based on the state 11+ process.
A month-by-month preparation plan
For September 2028 entry, most children will sit the main entrance exam in February 2028. That gives you a longer runway than families preparing for September grammar-school tests. The best use of that time is calm, consistent practice rather than intense cramming.
Below is a realistic plan for a Year 5 child and the first part of Year 6.
- March to May in Year 5: Start gently with 1 to 2 hours a week in total. Focus on arithmetic fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary building and short reasoning exercises. At this stage, accuracy matters more than speed.
- June to July in Year 5: Increase to around 2 to 3 hours a week. Introduce all four subjects each week so nothing feels unfamiliar later. Keep sessions short and regular.
- Summer holiday before Year 6: Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week, spread across several days. This is a good time to build confidence in Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning if they are new. Add one light timed section every week or two, but avoid turning the summer into constant testing.
- September in Year 6: Move to around 3 hours a week. Begin more deliberate timed work, especially in Maths and English. Track errors carefully: is your child misreading, rushing, or missing a skill?
- October: Build to 3 to 4 hours a week if your child is coping well. Start combining short timed sections so your child gets used to switching subject types and staying composed.
- November: This is a good point to begin occasional full or near-full practice papers. Do not do too many. One paper followed by careful review is far more useful than several rushed attempts.
- December: Keep work steady but not heavy. Around 3 hours a week is enough for many children. Revisit weak topics, especially core number skills, comprehension accuracy and familiar reasoning patterns.
- January: This is the main consolidation month. Use timed papers more regularly, but still leave space for review and rest. Focus on routine, confidence and finishing sections sensibly.
- Exam month, usually February: In the final week, reduce volume. Short refreshers, early nights and calm practical preparation are more helpful than one last difficult paper.
If your child is bright but relatively new to reasoning papers, starting in late Year 5 is usually enough. If they are anxious or need more time to build confidence in timed work, start a little earlier and keep the pace gentle.
Subject by subject: what to practise
Maths
For a GL-style independent school paper, Maths practice should centre on secure Key Stage 2 methods and applying them accurately under time pressure. Prioritise number bonds, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measure, shape and straightforward word problems. Many children know the method but lose marks through rushed reading, so train the habit of spotting the exact question first, then calculating carefully.
A good routine is one fluency session each week and one problem-solving session. As the exam gets closer, add short timed sets rather than jumping straight to long papers.
English
English preparation should cover both comprehension and technical accuracy. Build reading stamina with fiction and non-fiction, then discuss tone, meaning, evidence and inference. Vocabulary matters too: children who read widely usually find unfamiliar passages easier to handle.
Alongside comprehension, practise spelling, punctuation and grammar where appropriate, plus clear written expression. Even when a paper is mostly multiple choice or short answer, strong reading habits make a real difference. Encourage answers that are precise and rooted in the text, not vague guesses.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning rewards familiarity. Children improve fastest when they learn the common question types and then repeat them often enough to recognise patterns quickly. This can include codes, sequences, letter and number relationships, vocabulary links, word structure and logical deductions in GL-style formats.
Keep sessions short at first. If a child struggles, the answer is usually not more time but more method: learn one question type, practise it slowly, then speed up only when it feels secure.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning tests pattern recognition rather than school-taught content, so it often feels strange at first. Focus on rotations, reflections, symmetry, shape sequences, visual analogies, hidden rules and completing matrices or series. The key is learning to scan methodically for change: shape, size, position, shading, number and direction.
Children tend to improve quickly once they have a checklist for what to look for. Use untimed practice first, then short timed sets so they learn not to get stuck on one difficult visual puzzle.
Practice papers and mock exams
Practice papers work best when they are used as a learning tool, not just as a score generator. For Ellesmere College, choose materials that reflect a GL-style mix of Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
- Begin with untimed familiarisation so your child understands each question type.
- Move to short timed sections once methods are secure.
- Use full papers sparingly in the final few months.
- Always review mistakes properly: was it knowledge, vocabulary, timing or concentration?
- Keep an error log so weak areas are revised little and often.
For school-specific practice, use Free Ellesmere College practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers): /schools/ellesmere-college-mock-tests.
You can also keep the overview page handy here: The Ellesmere College 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/ellesmere-college.
If you would like reminders when dates are updated, sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=ellesmere-college.
Mock exams can be useful for children who need practice working calmly in an unfamiliar setting. The ideal time is usually once the basics are in place, not right at the start. One or two well-timed mocks are usually enough for this kind of exam.
On the day
Keep the morning simple. Lay out clothes, stationery and directions the night before, and avoid making the exam feel bigger than it needs to be. A calm breakfast and plenty of time to arrive matter more than last-minute revision.
Remind your child that they do not need every answer to feel they have done well. In timed GL-style sections, sensible pacing is part of the task. If they are stuck, it is usually better to move on and return later if time allows.
Because Ellesmere College also uses a taster day within its admissions process, it helps to frame the experience positively: the school is getting to know your child, not trying to catch them out. That mindset often lowers anxiety.
- Check the school’s instructions after registration for arrival time and equipment.
- Avoid doing a full paper the night before.
- Use brief warm-up questions only if your child finds that reassuring.
- Encourage neat working in Maths and careful reading in English and reasoning.
- Plan a relaxed rest of day afterwards, whatever the paper felt like.
After the exam: results, allocation and appeals
Because Ellesmere College is an independent school, the process after the exam is different from the state grammar-school allocation system. There is no local-authority National Offer Day stage for the school’s own Year 7 offers. Instead, families should expect communication directly from the school about outcomes and next steps.
The school’s admissions page says that an offer of a place is made subject to exam performance and school references. In practice, that means the exam result is one important part of the decision, alongside the rest of the admissions process.
We have not found a publicly stated timescale for when results are issued after the Academic Entrance Exam, nor a published formal appeals procedure equivalent to a maintained school admission appeal. Independent schools usually handle queries, waiting lists and declined offers through their own admissions team. If you need clarity on timing, deposits, boarding availability or what happens if no place is offered initially, contact the school directly.
Families applying to both independent schools and grammar or local-authority schools should keep a separate calendar for each process. The deadlines, paperwork and offer stages may not line up.
What has changed recently
We have not found a clearly published announcement on the school website about a recent change to Ellesmere College’s Year 7 entrance exam board, format, catchment, places or dates within the last two years. If the school publishes a new admissions calendar or alters the assessment structure for 2028 entry, parents should rely on the school’s admissions page first.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ellesmere College have an 11+ exam?
Yes. For Year 7 entry, the school’s admissions process includes an Academic Entrance Exam as part of its wider assessment and admissions process.
What subjects are in the Ellesmere College 11+ exam?
For 2028 entry, our working assumption, not yet verified with the school, is that preparation should cover Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Is Ellesmere College in a catchment area?
No. It is an independent school, so there is no state-style catchment requirement for Year 7 entry.
When is the Ellesmere College entrance exam?
The school says the Academic Entrance Exam is held on the first Saturday in February, and late applicants may be examined after that date.
Do they publish a pass mark for Ellesmere College 11+?
We have not found a published pass mark or score threshold on the school website. If you need more detail on current competitiveness, contact admissions directly.
Do children need to register before sitting the exam?
Yes. The school says the registration form should be completed before an exam assessment is taken.
Sources
- Ellesmere College admissions processes: School type and age range context; admissions process includes registration, taster day and offer subject to exam performance and school references; registration form should be completed before an exam assessment is taken; Academic Entrance Exam held on the first Saturday in February; late applicant
- Ellesmere College website: Ellesmere College is a day and boarding school in Shropshire for girls and boys aged 7 to 18.
Preparing for other schools in Shropshire
- Adcote School for Girls · practice papers
- How to prepare for the Birchfield School 11+ · practice papers
- Concord College · practice papers
- Moreton Hall School · practice papers
- Oswestry School · practice papers
- How to prepare for the Shrewsbury High School GDST 11+ · practice papers
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.