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
For September 2028 entry, Iqra Academy uses the school’s own paper. the information in our directory (not yet verified with the school) for 2028 entry is that the test format is a GL Assessment-style paper covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. That means preparation should be balanced across all four areas rather than focusing heavily on just one or two.
The school’s admissions page says there is a Year 7 school transfer test and that it will take place at the school. ElevenReady’s directory (not yet verified with the school) also records a recent admissions message saying the transfer test would take place at the school in February for the 2027–28 cycle. For families aiming at 2028 entry, the exact 2027 test arrangements should be checked on the school’s admissions page as soon as they are published.
In practical terms, parents should expect a selective entrance assessment with standard timed sections. Children normally need to switch calmly between different question styles: number work and worded Maths, comprehension and core English skills, classic Verbal Reasoning patterns, and visual Non-Verbal Reasoning tasks.
Because the school’s public page does not currently set out a full minute-by-minute paper structure for 2028 entry, it is best to prepare your child to:
- work accurately under time pressure;
- read instructions very carefully before each section;
- move on quickly from a difficult question and return if time allows;
- keep all four subjects ticking over each week.
If the school later publishes more detail about how the paper is delivered, use that as your final reference point. Until then, broad GL-style preparation across all four subjects is the safest approach.
Registration and key dates
Iqra Academy appears to run its own admissions process rather than using a local-authority 11+ testing portal. The school’s admissions page says that school application forms can be completed now and links to an Application Form for Admission 2027–28. It also says the Year 7 school transfer test will take place at the school in February 2027.
For families applying for September 2028 entry, the exact registration opening date, closing date and test date for the 2027–28 application cycle had not been clearly published on the pages reviewed. So the safest advice is to check the school’s admissions page directly and contact the school for confirmation of:
- when the application form for 2028–29 becomes available;
- the deadline for returning it;
- the exact entrance-test date;
- whether any supporting documents are required.
The school’s current admissions page gives a useful indication of typical timing: for the 2027–28 cycle, it says the transfer test will be held in February 2027. ElevenReady’s directory (not yet verified with the school) also records a previous typical exam date of 25 April 2026, which suggests families should not assume the test always happens in the same month each year. In other words, the school’s own page matters more than any past pattern.
As a practical checklist, when you register, be ready to provide:
- your child’s basic details;
- parent or carer contact details;
- current school information;
- any documents the school asks for on the application form.
It is worth bookmarking the school page and setting a reminder to check it regularly. You can also use Free email alerts for this school's key dates. For a quick summary page, see The Iqra Academy 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).
Who can apply: catchment and admissions
Iqra Academy is an independent school in Peterborough. The school’s admissions information says it currently accepts female students in Years 7–11 and that fees must be paid.
There is no catchment area listed in the information in our directory (not yet verified with the school) for 2028 entry. If the school becomes oversubscribed, the published priority order is:
- exceptional medical or social need;
- siblings;
- proximity to the academy.
That is helpful for parents because it means living in one defined catchment is not presented as a requirement for applying. However, distance to the school may still matter if there are more applicants than places.
The school also states that it is currently not an over-subscribed school. That is reassuring, but parents should still treat admission as something that needs to be checked year by year. Independent schools can change cohort sizes and demand can rise.
The admissions page reviewed did not clearly publish a verified Year 7 intake number for the relevant cycle, so it is best not to assume a fixed number of places. If that detail matters to your planning, ask the school directly.
Because this is an independent school, parents should also factor in fees when deciding whether to apply. The school’s published fee information for the 2024–2025 academic year gives an annual fee of £4,200. Families should check whether fees have changed for the 2028–2029 year before applying.
A month-by-month preparation plan
For a child sitting the exam in the autumn or spring of Year 6 for September 2028 entry, the most sensible approach is steady preparation through Year 5 and into the start of Year 6. The aim is not to create a very pressured routine. It is to build confidence, accuracy and familiarity with all four tested subjects.
January to March of Year 5
Keep it light: around 1 to 2 hours a week split over short sessions is enough. Focus on secure basics in Maths and English, and introduce short Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning tasks once or twice a week.
- Maths: number fluency, four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, simple problem solving.
- English: comprehension habits, vocabulary, spelling patterns, punctuation and grammar.
- Reasoning: learn the common task types gradually rather than rushing.
April to June of Year 5
Increase to around 2 to 3 hours a week. This is a good point to begin more structured GL-style practice across all four subjects.
- Use short timed bursts for individual skills.
- Keep an error notebook so your child can revisit mistakes.
- Encourage neat working and careful answer recording.
July to August before Year 6
Summer is useful for consistency, but avoid turning it into an all-day project. Around 2 to 4 hours a week is realistic for most families.
- Begin mixed practice so your child gets used to switching between subjects.
- Do the first few timed sections rather than full papers straight away.
- Build stamina with one longer sitting each week.
September to October of Year 6
If the school confirms an autumn test date, this becomes a sharpening phase. If the test is later, it is still a key period. Aim for about 4 hours a week, spread over several sessions.
- Start regular timed papers or half-papers.
- Review wrong answers carefully and re-do them a few days later.
- Practise moving on from difficult questions without panicking.
November to December of Year 6
Continue at 3 to 4 hours a week, depending on your child’s energy and school workload.
- Rotate all four subjects weekly.
- Keep a close eye on accuracy in easier questions; that is often where marks are thrown away.
- If your child is tiring, cut the length of sessions rather than battling through.
January to the exam month of Year 6
If the school again schedules the test in February, this is the final run-in. Keep work purposeful and calm: roughly 3 to 5 hours a week for most children is enough.
- Do a small number of fully timed practices.
- Prioritise sleep, routine and confidence.
- In the final week, reduce volume and focus on familiar question types.
The right plan is the one your child can sustain. A steady child who works carefully for a few hours a week usually does better than a child who burns out on too many papers.
Subject by subject: what to practise
Maths
For Iqra Academy, prepare for GL-style Maths covering both arithmetic and problem solving. Children should be comfortable with place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, averages, perimeter, area, simple volume, time, money and interpreting charts or tables.
Practise by mixing straightforward calculation with short worded problems. Encourage your child to underline what the question is asking, set work out clearly and estimate answers where possible to catch mistakes. Timed sections matter, so they need both method and speed.
English
English preparation should include reading comprehension, vocabulary in context, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Depending on how the school’s own paper is set, children may need to identify meanings, infer from a passage, spot language clues and apply core SPaG knowledge accurately.
Use short comprehension passages and discuss why each answer is right. Build vocabulary steadily rather than cramming word lists. In grammar, focus on sentence structure, punctuation choices, tense consistency and common word-class knowledge. Accuracy is important, but so is careful reading of the question wording.
Verbal Reasoning
GL-style Verbal Reasoning usually tests patterns and logic through language-based tasks. Children may face question types involving codes, letter sequences, word relationships, hidden words, compound words, instructions, and controlled vocabulary work.
The best way to practise is by learning one question type at a time, then gradually mixing them. Many children struggle at first simply because the formats are unfamiliar. Once they understand the method, timing improves quickly. Keep a record of which types still feel slow.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning typically focuses on visual patterns, shape sequences, rotations, reflections, codes and spatial relationships. Children often find this subject improves well with repeated exposure because the same broad pattern families come up again and again.
Practise by grouping similar question types together first. Teach your child to check shape, size, shading, position and direction in a set order. That prevents random guessing and helps them work systematically under time pressure.
Practice papers and mock exams
Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a learning tool, not just as a score generator. Start with untimed or lightly timed work so your child can understand each question type properly. Move to timed sections only when methods are secure.
A sensible pattern is:
- learn the question type;
- do a few practice questions slowly;
- repeat the same type under light timing;
- mix it with other types;
- review errors in detail.
After each paper, spend more time reviewing than marking. Ask:
- Was the mistake caused by knowledge, timing, misreading or carelessness?
- Did your child panic on one section and lose rhythm?
- Are there recurring weak areas across several papers?
Full mock exams can be helpful later on because they build stamina and teach children how it feels to keep going when a section starts badly. But mocks are only useful if there is calm, detailed feedback afterwards.
For subject-specific practice, use Free Iqra Academy practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers). For an overview of the school’s format and admissions information, see The Iqra Academy 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates). To avoid missing updates from the school, sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.
On the day
Keep the morning simple. Aim for a normal breakfast, comfortable uniform or clothing if the school gives guidance, and plenty of time to travel without rushing. Last-minute cramming rarely helps.
Before the test, remind your child of only a few key habits:
- listen carefully to instructions;
- check which section they are on;
- keep moving if one question feels hard;
- return to missed questions only if there is time;
- stay calm if a section feels unfamiliar.
It also helps to normalise nerves. Most children feel some pressure before an entrance test. That does not mean the day is going badly. Tell them that a few difficult questions are expected and that everyone finds some parts easier than others.
If the school sends practical instructions in advance, follow those exactly for arrival time, equipment and collection arrangements. If anything is unclear, ask the school beforehand rather than guessing.
After the exam: results, allocation and appeals
Because Iqra Academy is an independent school and appears to run its own Year 7 admissions process, the post-exam steps are likely to be handled directly by the school rather than through the national school-allocation day process used for state secondary transfer.
The exact results timeline for the 2028 entry cycle was not clearly published on the pages reviewed. Parents should therefore check with the school when test outcomes are normally issued and whether offers are made in stages.
In general, the process after an independent-school entrance test is:
- the school marks the assessment;
- parents are told whether the child has been successful or whether further steps are needed;
- if a place is offered, families complete acceptance paperwork and fee arrangements by the school’s deadline.
If a child is not offered a place, ask politely whether there is a waiting list and whether the school has a published review or complaints route for admissions decisions. Independent schools do not follow the same statutory appeals framework as maintained schools, so the school’s own policy and terms are the key documents to read.
If you need the school’s current admissions information in one place, start with the admissions page itself and then confirm any unclear points directly with the office.
What has changed recently
The school’s admissions page currently links to an Application Form for Admission 2027–28 and says that application forms can be completed now. It also says the Year 7 school transfer test will take place at the school in February 2027. That is the clearest recent timing update visible on the school’s own admissions information.
ElevenReady’s directory (not yet verified with the school) also records that the school states it is currently not an over-subscribed school, and confirms the priority order that would apply if it became oversubscribed: exceptional medical or social need, then siblings, then proximity to the academy.
No other clearly announced recent change to the exam board, tested subjects, catchment, place numbers or fees was found on the pages reviewed.
Frequently asked questions
Does Iqra Academy have a catchment area for Year 7 entry?
No catchment area is listed in the information in our directory (not yet verified with the school). If the school becomes oversubscribed, it says priority would go to exceptional medical or social need, then siblings, then proximity to the academy.
What subjects should my child prepare for?
For 2028 entry, the subjects to prepare for, pending the school's confirmation, are Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Preparation should be balanced across all four.
Is Iqra Academy oversubscribed?
The school states that it is currently not an over-subscribed school. Even so, families should still check the latest admissions information each year.
When is the Iqra Academy Year 7 test?
The exact 2028-entry test date was not clearly published on the pages reviewed. The school’s admissions page says the 2027–28 cycle test will take place at the school in February 2027, so check the school site for the next cycle’s date.
Is Iqra Academy for boys and girls?
The admissions information reviewed says the school currently accepts female students in Years 7–11. If you need to confirm any change to intake policy, contact the school directly.
How much are the fees?
The school’s published fee information reviewed states an annual fee of £4,200 for the 2024–2025 academic year. Check with the school for the fee level for 2028–2029.
Sources
- Iqra Academy Admissions: The school runs its own admissions process; application forms can be completed now; it links to an Application Form for Admission 2027–28; the Year 7 school transfer test will take place at the school in February 2027; the school currently accepts female students in Years 7–11; fees must be paid.
- Iqra Academy website: School identity and location as an independent academy in Peterborough.
Preparing for other schools in Peterborough
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.