How to prepare for the Reading School 11+ exam

The exam at a glance

For September 2028 entry, Reading School uses a GL Assessment test and the paper covers Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The test is paper based, so children need to be comfortable working accurately on paper, marking answers clearly and keeping an eye on timings without the help of a screen.

For parents, the most useful starting point is to think of this as a broad selective test rather than a school-written English or maths paper. A child who prepares only for maths and comprehension will usually be underprepared. Reading School’s format for this entry cycle means balanced practice across all four areas matters.

On the day itself, selective test sessions at grammar schools commonly involve registration, brief instructions, one or more timed papers or timed sections, and supervised breaks if needed. Because the school’s current familiarisation information should always take priority, it is sensible to read the latest candidate guidance as soon as registration opens.

Board: GL Assessment
Subjects: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
Delivery: Paper based
Style: Standard timed sections, with speed and accuracy both important

In practical terms, preparation should build three things steadily: secure core skills, familiarity with GL-style question types, and calm time management. Children do not need to race from the beginning of preparation, but they do need enough exposure to timed work that the real exam does not feel like the first time they have had to make quick decisions under pressure.

Registration and key dates

Reading School is part of the Reading School and Kendrick School Entrance Test. The schools’ joint registration information says parents must register online for the entrance test and also complete their local authority secondary school application separately. In other words, the test registration and the Common Application Form are two different steps.

For the most recently published cycle we found, online registration opened on 1 May 2025 and closed at midnight on 1 July 2025. The test date published for that cycle was Friday 12 September 2025. The schools’ admissions page also says that results are sent to parents in mid-October. Because you are preparing for 2028 entry, parents should treat these as the most recent published timings, not guaranteed dates for your child’s year. If the 2028 timetable has not yet been published when you read this, the safest wording is that registration usually opens in May, closes around early July, and the test is typically in September.

The official registration page says parents may need to upload supporting documents for some applications, including evidence of address and, where relevant, documentation connected to pupil premium eligibility, service premium or special arrangements. Always check the current portal instructions carefully, because document requirements can change.

Who runs registration? The schools’ joint entrance test process
How to register: Online registration form/portal for the Reading School and Kendrick School Entrance Test
Also required: Your home local authority secondary school application by the national deadline
Typical pattern from the latest published cycle: opens in May, closes in early July, test in September, results in mid-October

Keep a simple checklist: register for the test, save the confirmation email, note the test date, gather any requested documents early, and then complete your local authority school preferences on time. Missing either step can cause problems.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Reading School is a selective boys’ grammar school. The school’s admissions arrangements for entry in 2026 confirm a published admission number of 150 for Year 7. The policy also makes clear that there is a designated area and that priority is given within the oversubscription criteria, so families should read the current policy carefully rather than assuming that a strong score alone is enough.

The school says it admits boys who have reached the required standard in the entrance test and then applies its admissions criteria if there are more qualified applicants than places. The admissions documents set out categories that include looked after and previously looked after children, children eligible for pupil premium who live in the designated area, and other designated-area applicants before later categories. The exact wording matters, so use the current policy when checking where your child is likely to sit in the order.

For Reading School, catchment is especially important because the school’s verified admissions approach prioritises designated-area applicants before out-of-area applicants. Parents who may move should be cautious: schools usually ask for evidence that an address is genuine and settled, and temporary arrangements may not be accepted. Always check the current admissions policy for the exact address rules and evidence required.

We did not find any official published pass mark or guaranteed score threshold that parents can rely on for entry. Schools of this type often standardise scores and then apply admissions criteria, but if Reading School has not published a fixed cut-off for your child’s year, it is better not to work from rumours. Check the school’s current admissions page each year rather than using forum estimates.

School type: selective grammar school for boys
Year 7 places: 150 in the latest admissions arrangements we found
Catchment: designated-area priority applies
Important: qualification in the test and allocation of a place are not exactly the same thing; oversubscription rules still matter

If you are outside the designated area, it is still worth reading the policy rather than making assumptions. But do plan on the basis that catchment priority is a real part of the process.

A month-by-month preparation plan

The most effective Reading School preparation is steady and balanced. For most Year 5 children, a sensible plan is to build gradually rather than trying to do a large amount all at once.

January to March (Year 5)

Keep it light and consistent: around 1 to 2 hours a week in total is enough for many children at this stage. Focus on mental arithmetic, vocabulary, careful reading and short reasoning tasks. The goal is not speed yet; it is building familiarity and spotting weaker areas early.

April

Increase slightly to about 2 hours a week. Start introducing GL-style work across all four subjects. This is a good time to notice any imbalance: many children naturally do more maths and English than verbal or non-verbal reasoning, but Reading School’s format rewards broader preparation.

May

Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week. Begin short timed exercises rather than full papers. For example, set ten-minute bursts for arithmetic accuracy, vocabulary-based verbal reasoning, or non-verbal pattern work. If registration opens, complete it early and read every instruction from the school.

June

Keep to about 3 hours a week. Move from short drills to mixed practice. This is the month to tighten method: showing working neatly, checking answers quickly, and learning when to move on instead of getting stuck. One short timed section each week is usually enough.

July

Build to roughly 3 to 4 hours a week, split over several shorter sessions. Start using timed papers or timed half-papers in realistic conditions. Afterwards, spend as much time reviewing errors as you spent completing the paper. That review stage is where most improvement happens.

August

This is the main consolidation month. For many children, 4 hours a week is realistic, sometimes a little more if they are coping well. Use a weekly rhythm: one timed paper or substantial timed section, two focused correction sessions, and one lighter skills session on vocabulary or mental maths. Avoid turning every day into exam day; children still need rest.

September (exam month)

In the final run-up, reduce volume slightly and protect confidence. Do short refreshers, one or two final timed pieces early in the month, then prioritise sleep, routine and calm. Avoid cramming new techniques in the last few days.

If your child is relatively new to 11+ preparation, do not panic. A well-organised six to eight months of balanced work can be more useful than a much longer period of unfocused practice.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

For GL-style maths, practise quick and accurate arithmetic first: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, measures and straightforward word problems. Children should also be able to extract the key information from a short question without being distracted by extra wording.

Good practice includes short timed arithmetic sets, mixed problem-solving, and regular error review. Encourage your child to notice patterns in mistakes: are they rushing, misreading, or unsure of the maths itself?

English

English preparation should include comprehension, vocabulary, spelling patterns and careful sentence-level reading. In selective tests, children often lose marks not because the text is impossibly hard, but because they skim and answer too quickly.

Useful practice includes reading short passages and summarising them aloud, learning unfamiliar vocabulary in context, and checking answers against the wording of the text. Build stamina gradually so that careful reading remains possible under time pressure.

Verbal Reasoning

GL-style verbal reasoning commonly rewards pattern recognition in language: code-based tasks, letter and word relationships, sequences, vocabulary links and instructions that must be followed precisely. Children often improve well once they learn the standard task types and stop treating each one as completely new.

Practise little and often. Keep a notebook of unfamiliar words and common errors. Speed matters here, but only after your child understands the logic of each question type.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning focuses on visual patterns, transformations, similarities, rotations, reflections and sequence rules. It can feel unfamiliar at first, especially for children who have done more traditional English and maths work.

The best approach is systematic practice. Teach your child to look for one change at a time: shape, position, size, shading or orientation. Timed sections help later on, but first make sure they can explain why an answer is right.

Across all four subjects, the most useful habit is balanced practice. Reading School’s format means no single area should be neglected.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a learning tool, not just a score generator. Start untimed or lightly timed, then move gradually towards realistic timings. After each paper, review every error carefully: what kind of question was it, why was it missed, and what will your child do differently next time?

A good routine is:

Do one paper or section in quiet conditions.
Mark it promptly.
Sort mistakes into three groups: knowledge gap, misread question, or timing/rushing.
Redo missed questions a day or two later.
Return to the same question type the following week.

For school-specific preparation, use these free ElevenReady resources:

Free Reading School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers): /schools/reading-school-mock-tests
The Reading School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/reading-school
Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=reading-school

If you choose a mock exam, treat it as practice in routine as much as content. Children benefit from rehearsing travel, check-in, sitting still, listening to instructions and recovering after a difficult section. One or two mocks are usually enough for most families; too many can become tiring and unhelpful.

Try to avoid doing full papers back to back every weekend. For many children, alternating full timed work with targeted repair sessions leads to better progress and less stress.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Aim for a familiar breakfast, comfortable clothes, and plenty of time to travel without rushing. If the school has sent instructions about arrival time, equipment or identification, pack everything the night before.

Remind your child that the goal is not to answer every question instantly. A calmer plan is better: read carefully, keep moving, and if a question feels stuck, make the best decision possible and continue. One difficult section does not mean the whole paper has gone badly.

Check pencils, eraser and any other permitted equipment the evening before.
Leave earlier than you think you need to.
Avoid last-minute testing on the journey.
Use reassuring, ordinary language rather than a big emotional build-up.
After the exam, do something normal and relaxing.

Children often take their emotional cue from adults. Quiet confidence helps more than repeated reminders about how important the day is.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For the latest published Reading School and Kendrick School test cycle we found, the schools said results would be sent in mid-October. That timing makes sense because parents then still need to finalise or confirm school preferences through their home local authority before national allocation day.

After results, families who want a Reading School place must still have listed the school on their local authority application. A test result on its own does not allocate a place. Offers of secondary school places are then made on the national offer day through the local authority process.

If your child is not offered a place, parents normally have the right to join the waiting list and, where eligible, to appeal. The detailed process should be set out either on the school’s admissions pages or through the local authority admissions information. Appeals are not a repeat of the test; they consider whether the admission decision should be overturned under the admissions framework.

As ever, keep distinctions clear:

Entrance test result: whether your child reached the required standard or how they performed in the selection process
School application: your local authority preference form
Allocation: whether a place is actually offered
Appeal/waiting list: the next steps if no place is offered

If the school publishes updated guidance for 2028 entry, use that in preference to earlier cycles.

What has changed recently

The most important recent confirmed point for families preparing for 2028 entry is that Reading School’s entrance test format is a GL Assessment paper covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and preparation should be balanced across all four areas.

In the official admissions material we reviewed, we did not find a newly announced change in the last two years to the published admission number or a newly published switch away from designated-area priority. Parents should still read the current admissions arrangements each year, because schools can consult on admissions policies and timetable details can move from one cycle to the next.

For the latest published cycle we found, the entrance test registration window ran from 1 May 2025 to 1 July 2025, with the test on 12 September 2025 and results in mid-October. For 2028 entry, those dates should be treated as the latest published pattern until the new timetable appears.

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Reading School use for 2028 entry?

For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information says Reading School uses GL Assessment.

What subjects are in the Reading School 11+?

The test covers Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Is the Reading School 11+ computer based?

No. For 2028 entry, the verified format is paper based.

Does Reading School have a catchment area?

Yes. Reading School uses designated-area priority in its admissions arrangements, so catchment matters as well as test performance.

When do you register for the Reading School 11+?

For the latest published cycle we found, registration opened on 1 May and closed on 1 July. For 2028 entry, check the current school test registration page because dates may change.

When is the Reading School 11+ exam usually held?

The latest published cycle we found had the test in September. If the 2028 date is not yet published, September is the safest guide based on that official timetable.

📄 Free Reading School practice papers Start free and track readiness for Reading School 🔔 Email me this school's key dates

Sources

Reading School admissions: Reading School is part of the Reading School and Kendrick School Entrance Test; parents register online for the test and also complete their local authority application separately; the latest published cycle showed registration from 1 May 2025 to 1 July 2025, test date 12 September 2025, and results

Preparing for other schools in Reading

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.