How to prepare for the Olive High Boys 11+ exam

The exam at a glance

For September 2028 entry, Olive High Boys uses its own admissions paper. For parents, the most important point is that the assessment is focused: your child is tested in Maths and English only. There is no Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning in the school’s current published format, so preparation can stay tightly focused on the core subjects.

The test is paper-based. The school’s admissions information says that, after an application form is submitted and accepted, applicants are invited to sit an admissions test before a place is offered. The school does not publish a detailed paper structure, individual section timings or a specimen paper on its website, so it is sensible to prepare for a traditional independent-school style assessment: careful reading, accurate writing, secure arithmetic and clear working.

In practice, that means most families should expect the day to centre on two written papers or two assessed subject sessions, one for English and one for Maths. Because the school does not publish a minute-by-minute schedule, treat the exact running order as something the school will confirm directly when your child is invited.

Board: the school’s own paper
Subjects: Maths and English
Reasoning: not tested in the current format
Delivery: paper-based
Stage: application form first, then admissions test if the application is accepted

That narrower format is helpful. Instead of spreading revision across four subjects, families can put their time into arithmetic fluency, problem solving, reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, grammar and extended writing.

Registration and key dates

Olive High Boys runs its own admissions process through the school rather than through a grammar-school consortium. The admissions page says parents should complete the school’s application form. It also states that places are offered only after the application has been accepted and the child has sat the school’s admissions test.

For the current admissions cycle shown on the school website, the school says that applications are open to prospective Year 7, 8 and 9 students. The school does not publish a fixed annual registration opening date or a published closing date for Year 7 entry on the page we found. It also does not publish a single set exam date for all candidates. Instead, the school says the tests usually take place in the first term of Year 6 and that parents will be written to with the test date.

That means, for families aiming for September 2028 entry, the safest approach is:

Check the school’s admissions page regularly from the end of Year 5 and into the start of Year 6.
Submit the application form promptly once you are ready.
Watch for direct communication from the school about the test date and next steps.
If anything is unclear, contact the school admissions team and ask how Year 7 applicants for 2028 entry will be scheduled.

The school also gives a useful result timeline. It says it will write to parents within 8 weeks of taking the exam to notify them of the outcome.

Because the school does not publish a complete annual admissions calendar, it is best to think in typical timing rather than one national deadline day. Based on the school’s own wording, families should expect testing to happen in the first term of Year 6, with results following within 8 weeks.

How to register: complete the school’s application form
Who runs admissions: Olive High Boys
Published deadline: not published on the admissions page we found
Typical test timing: first term of Year 6
Results: within 8 weeks of the exam

Useful school-specific links:

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Olive High Boys is an independent fee-paying boys’ school in Burnley. The admissions page explains the basic route into the school: parents apply, the application is considered, and successful applicants are invited to sit an admissions test before a place is offered.

Unlike many state grammar schools, the school’s admissions page does not set out a published catchment-area map, distance rule or local-authority priority order. On the sources we found, there is no published catchment rule for Year 7 entry. There is also no published number of Year 7 places on the admissions page we reviewed.

For families, the practical implication is simple: if you are interested, do not assume that where you live will automatically help or hinder your application unless the school tells you so directly. Independent schools often base offers on their own admissions criteria, testing and availability of places rather than a state-school catchment system.

The school website also publishes its fees. For the current information shown, the fee is £2,500 plus VAT per academic year. The page also gives two payment routes: 4 instalments of £750 (inclusive of VAT) or 10 monthly instalments of £300 (inclusive of VAT).

The school’s latest Ofsted inspection outcome shown in official reporting is Outstanding.

School type: independent
Gender: boys
Catchment: not published in the sources reviewed
Published Year 7 places: not published in the sources reviewed
Fees shown by the school: £2,500 + VAT per academic year, with instalment options published on the admissions page

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because Olive High Boys tests only Maths and English, a calm, steady plan works well. Most children do not need huge study hours; they need consistency. For a Year 5 child preparing for a first-term Year 6 test, it is usually better to build up gradually than to start with long sessions.

January to March of Year 5

Keep it light and skills-based. Aim for 1 to 2 hours a week split across short sessions.

Read widely: fiction, non-fiction and short articles.
Check core maths fluency: number bonds, times tables, formal written methods and fractions basics.
Start a vocabulary notebook.
Practise neat presentation and showing clear maths working.

April to May of Year 5

Increase to 2 hours a week.

Add one weekly comprehension task.
Add one weekly focused maths problem-solving task.
Review spelling, punctuation and grammar little and often.
Begin short creative and descriptive writing pieces under gentle time guidance, but not full exam pressure yet.

June of Year 5

Move to around 2 to 3 hours a week.

Identify weaker areas in each subject.
In Maths, mix arithmetic with multi-step problems.
In English, practise answering in full sentences and supporting ideas with evidence from a text.
Try one short timed exercise in each subject to introduce pacing.

July to August before Year 6

This is a good point to become more exam-aware without making the summer feel like school. Around 2 to 3 hours a week is usually enough.

Use one paper or paper section every week or two.
Mark work carefully and keep an error log.
Practise planning and writing within a time limit.
In Maths, focus on accuracy under mild time pressure.
Keep reading every day, even if only for 15 to 20 minutes.

September of Year 6

If the test is in the first term, this becomes the key preparation month. Aim for 3 to 4 hours a week, still split into manageable sessions.

Do regular timed work in both subjects.
Practise switching between question types calmly.
Review common errors rather than endlessly doing new papers.
Keep one session each week for confidence-building work your child can do well.

The final two to three weeks

Focus on consolidation, not cramming.

Do no more than one or two full timed papers per week.
Revisit vocabulary, spelling patterns, arithmetic fluency and exam routines.
Encourage early nights and steady routines.
Stop heavy preparation the day before the exam.

As a rule of thumb, begin timed papers only after the underlying skills are reasonably secure. For many children, that means introducing them gently in late Year 5 and using them more regularly from the summer before Year 6.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

Because the school uses its own paper and does not publish a detailed specification, the safest preparation is strong Key Stage 2 maths with an independent-school feel: secure methods, careful reasoning and clear written working.

Arithmetic fluency: the four operations, place value, times tables and mental maths
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Measures, time and money
Area, perimeter and basic geometry
Worded and multi-step problems
Explaining method through clear working

Practise by mixing straightforward questions with longer problems. Encourage your child to underline key information, estimate before solving, and check whether the answer is sensible. Accuracy matters just as much as speed.

English

For English, prepare for a combination of reading and writing. The school does not publish a paper breakdown, so cover the core areas thoroughly.

Reading comprehension: retrieving information, inferring meaning and explaining choices
Vocabulary in context
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
Sentence control and paragraphing
Creative, descriptive or narrative writing
Possibly short discursive or response writing, depending on the school’s own paper style

For comprehension, teach your child to read the question carefully, return to the text and support answers with evidence. For writing, spend time on planning, not just drafting. A short plan often improves structure, content and confidence.

Because there is no reasoning component, it is worth putting the saved time into richer reading, stronger vocabulary and regular writing practice. In Maths, use that extra time for secure arithmetic and problem solving rather than rushing into harder material too soon.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a tool for diagnosis, not just as a score. After every paper, ask three questions: What went well? What went wrong? What will we change next time?

For this school, because the format is focused on Maths and English, it is better to use a smaller number of well-reviewed papers carefully than to race through large packs. A sensible approach is:

Start with untimed or lightly timed work to secure method.
Move on to section practice.
Only then use full timed papers.
Review mistakes in detail and redo missed questions a few days later.

Mock exams can help some children, especially if they need practice working in a quiet room away from home. They are most useful in the final stretch, once the core content is already in place. If your child tends to become anxious, choose one carefully timed mock rather than several.

Use these school-specific resources:

When marking, look beyond the raw mark. In English, notice whether weaker answers come from misunderstanding the text, weak vocabulary or rushed writing. In Maths, separate method errors from careless slips. That tells you what to practise next.

On the day

A calm start helps more than any last-minute revision. The night before, pack everything early and avoid heavy study. On the morning, aim for a normal breakfast, comfortable uniform or clothes if advised by the school, and plenty of time to travel.

Arrive in good time so your child is not flustered.
Bring any documents or stationery the school has requested in its invitation.
Remind your child that the paper is meant to find out how they think, not to catch them out.
If a question looks difficult, move on and come back.
In Maths, show working clearly.
In English, read instructions slowly and leave a moment to check punctuation and spelling.

Parents can help most by staying matter-of-fact. Keep your language steady: “Do your best, read carefully, and keep going.” Children usually perform better when the day feels important but manageable.

Because the school says it will write directly with the test date, make sure you read all instructions in that letter or email carefully. That communication should be your main source for arrival time, what to bring and any school-specific arrangements.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

The school says it will write to parents within 8 weeks of taking the exam to notify them of the outcome. Because Olive High Boys is an independent school with its own admissions process, the outcome is not tied to the national secondary school offer day in the same way as a state grammar-school test would be.

In general, the sequence is:

You submit the application form.
If the application is accepted, your child sits the admissions test.
The school writes with the result within the published timeframe.
If successful, the school explains the next stage for accepting the place.

The school website does not publish a detailed appeals process on the admissions page we reviewed. If your child is unsuccessful and you want feedback or want to know whether there is any review route, the sensible next step is to contact the school directly and ask what options are available.

Equally, if your child is offered a place, check the acceptance deadline, deposit or paperwork requirements carefully in the offer letter, as those practical steps are often set out there rather than on a general admissions page.

What has changed recently

On the sources reviewed, we did not find a published announcement from the school about a recent change to the Year 7 admissions test format, catchment, places or admissions policy beyond the current admissions information on its website.

The clearest current published position is that applications are open to prospective Year 7, 8 and 9 students, applicants complete an application form, accepted applicants sit an admissions test, tests usually take place in the first term of Year 6, and the school writes within 8 weeks with the outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Does Olive High Boys test Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning?

No. For 2028 entry, the current verified format is Maths and English only.

Is the Olive High Boys exam paper-based?

Yes. The current verified delivery format is paper-based.

When is the Olive High Boys 11+ exam?

The school does not publish a single fixed annual exam date on the admissions page we reviewed. It says tests usually take place in the first term of Year 6 and that parents will be written to with the test date.

How do I register for Olive High Boys admissions?

Parents apply directly to the school using its application form. The school then considers the application and invites accepted applicants to sit the admissions test.

How long does it take to get Olive High Boys results?

The school says it will write to parents within 8 weeks of taking the exam to notify them of the outcome.

Is there a catchment area for Olive High Boys?

We did not find a published catchment rule on the school admissions page. If catchment matters to your family, check directly with the school before applying.

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Sources

Olive High Boys – Admission: Admissions are run by the school; parents complete an application form; if accepted, applicants sit an admissions test before being offered a place; applications are currently open to prospective Year 7, 8 and 9 students; tests usually take place in the first term of Year 6; the school writes to par
Olive High Boys – Home: School identity and website confirmation for Olive High Boys in Burnley.

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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.