How to prepare for The Maynard School 11+ exam

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

The Maynard School is an independent girls’ school in Exeter with a Year 7 entry point at 11+. For 2028 entry, the working assumption for this guide, not yet verified with the school, is a paper-based assessment using the school’s own paper structure with a GL-style balance across Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. In practice, that means families should prepare steadily across all four areas rather than assuming the test is mainly English and Maths.

The school’s admissions information says Year 7 applicants complete a formal assessment and may also be invited to a taster day. The school also says its 11+ and 13+ Entrance Assessment Day takes place every January. If a child cannot attend that group event, the school states that an individual entrance assessment can be arranged at another point in the year.

Because this is an independent-school process rather than a local-authority grammar-school test, the day is usually more personal and less like a large public exam centre. Parents should still expect a properly timed assessment, clear invigilation and a structured admissions process. The exact running order for 2028 has not yet been published, so it is sensible to expect standard timed sections, short instructions before each paper and a calm, school-led environment.

Board/format: school’s own paper, GL-style coverage
Subjects: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
Delivery: paper-based
Entry point: Year 7 at 11+
Likely experience on the day: formal assessment, with possible taster-day element as part of admissions

For an overview of the school’s format, admissions summary and updates, parents can also keep an eye on The The Maynard School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).

Registration and key dates

The Maynard runs its own admissions process. The school’s admissions page explains that parents begin by completing the school’s Registration Form. A non-refundable registration fee of £180 including VAT is payable when the form is completed, or £240 including VAT for non-UK residents. If a place is later accepted, the school charges a non-refundable Acceptance Fee of £480 including VAT.

For the exact registration steps, families should work directly through the school rather than a local authority portal. The school’s admissions page is the first place to check for the current form, any supporting documents requested and instructions about arranging an assessment date.

For 2028 entry, the school has not yet published a full set of Year 7 deadlines that could be verified at the time of writing. What is confirmed on the school’s admissions page is:

the 11+ and 13+ Entrance Assessment Day takes place every January
if a pupil cannot attend the group assessment day, an individual entrance assessment can be taken throughout the year
the page notes that the deadline for 11+ scholarship applications for September 2026 entry had passed, which shows that scholarship applications operate to a separate timetable when offered

So, for a child starting Year 7 in September 2028, parents should expect the main assessment point to be in January 2028, unless the school announces otherwise. Because independent-school timelines can change from year to year, it is wise to check the admissions page regularly from spring 2027 onward and register early rather than waiting for the last moment.

If you want a reminder when the school updates its page, you can use Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

What to check	What is confirmed now
Who runs registration?	The Maynard School admissions team
How to register?	Complete the school’s Registration Form
Registration fee	£180 incl. VAT; £240 incl. VAT for non-UK residents
Main assessment timing	Every January
If you cannot attend the main day	Individual assessment available throughout the year
Acceptance fee if offered a place	£480 incl. VAT

Because no verified 2028 closing date was published in the sources reviewed, parents should not rely on unofficial deadline lists. Check the school’s admissions page directly for the live timetable.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

The Maynard is an independent girls’ school, so there is no catchment area in the grammar-school sense. Admissions are run by the school itself, and entry depends on the school’s assessment process and availability of places rather than distance bands set by a local authority.

The school’s admissions page confirms that Year 7 applicants complete a formal assessment and may also attend a taster day. That combination is typical of independent-school admissions: the assessment helps the school judge academic readiness, while the taster experience helps everyone see whether the school is the right fit.

What parents should keep in mind is that independent schools do not always publish the same level of numerical admissions data that grammar schools do. In the sources checked for this guide, The Maynard did not publish a verified Year 7 pass mark, cut-off score, standardised threshold, number of applicants or distance rule for entry. If the school publishes new admissions criteria for 2028, use the school’s own page as the authority.

In practical terms, the key questions are usually:

Has your daughter been registered in time through the school’s process?
Has she prepared evenly for Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning?
Is she ready for a formal assessment setting and, where relevant, a taster day?
If you are interested in scholarship consideration, have you checked whether there is a separate scholarship deadline?

Because there is no catchment restriction, families applying from outside Exeter can still enquire. The admissions page also makes clear that non-UK residents follow the same registration route but with a different registration fee.

A month-by-month preparation plan

For September 2028 entry, the main assessment is typically in January 2028. That gives most families the whole of Year 5 and the first term of Year 6 to prepare sensibly. The aim is not cramming. It is steady, balanced practice across the four tested subjects, with timing introduced gradually.

February to April of Year 5

Keep preparation light: around 1 to 1.5 hours a week in short sessions.
Build core number fluency, vocabulary, comprehension stamina and confidence with pattern-based reasoning.
Read widely every week: fiction, non-fiction and short articles.
Use untimed work first so your child learns method, not panic.

May to July of Year 5

Increase to about 2 hours a week.
Begin rotating all four subjects so none is neglected.
Start short timed bursts, such as 10-minute sections, especially for reasoning.
Note recurring weaknesses: tables fluency, vocabulary, inference, visual accuracy, multi-step maths.

Summer holiday before Year 6

Keep it steady rather than intense: roughly 2 to 3 hours a week.
Do one or two mixed sessions each week plus regular reading.
Practise answer-sheet discipline if using paper materials: neat marking, skipping and returning, checking.
If your child finds one area much harder than the others, use the summer to close that gap.

September of Year 6

Move to around 3 hours a week.
Start longer timed sections and occasional half-papers.
Review mistakes carefully: was it knowledge, vocabulary, speed, accuracy or nerves?
Keep school homework in balance; most children do better with consistency than very long weekend sessions.

October of Year 6

Continue at 3 to 4 hours a week, split across several sessions.
Introduce full papers only if your child already has secure basics.
Practise transitions between subjects, because mixed assessments can feel mentally tiring.
For English, keep up reading and written expression, not just multiple-choice work.

November of Year 6

Use one timed paper or paper-equivalent set each week, with deep review afterwards.
Keep one session focused purely on weak areas.
Teach pacing: move on from a sticky question, then return if time allows.
Maintain sleep, sport and normal routines; resilience matters as much as content.

December of Year 6

Do not overdo it in the final month.
Use shorter, tidy revision sessions and one or two realistic timed practices.
Revisit familiar question types rather than introducing lots of new material.
Sort practical arrangements early so the holiday period stays calm.

January of Year 6: exam month

In the final week, reduce workload.
Use confidence-building review, not intensive drilling.
Focus on routine: sleep, breakfast, travel plan, equipment and a calm mindset.

The broad rule for this school is simple: because the assessment is balanced across Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, preparation should be balanced too. A child who is very strong in English still needs regular reasoning practice; a mathematically confident child still needs vocabulary and comprehension work.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

For a GL-style 11+ maths paper, children usually need secure Key Stage 2 skills applied quickly and accurately. Practise arithmetic fluency, place value, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measures, time, perimeter, area and multi-step word problems. The most useful habit is showing enough working to stay organised while still moving at pace. Use short timed sections once methods are secure.

Good preparation includes regular mental maths, careful reading of problem wording and checking whether the answer is sensible. Many marks are lost through rushing, not difficulty.

English

At this level, English preparation should include both comprehension and the wider language skills that support it: vocabulary, inference, finding evidence, understanding tone and writing clearly when required. Because the school describes a formal assessment but does not publish a detailed paper breakdown in the sources checked, parents should keep practice broad rather than narrowly coached.

Read a mixture of classic and modern children’s fiction, narrative non-fiction and short informational texts. Discuss unfamiliar words in context. Practise retrieving information, explaining why a character acts in a certain way and spotting clues in the passage rather than relying on guesses.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning typically rewards pattern recognition in language as much as raw vocabulary. Children should practise common GL-style skills such as codes, letter sequences, word relationships, synonyms, antonyms, hidden words, compound words and logical language patterns. Speed matters, but only after the method is understood.

The best routine is little and often: a few question types at a time, repeated until they become familiar. Vocabulary-building helps here too, so reading and word games are genuinely useful.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-Verbal Reasoning usually focuses on shapes, visual sequences, symmetry, rotation, reflection, similarity, nets and pattern change. Many able children improve quickly once they learn to scan systematically: first shape, then size, then shading, then position, then number.

Practise on paper where possible, since this assessment is paper-based. Encourage your child to mark up patterns lightly if allowed in practice, and to avoid spending too long on one puzzle. Accuracy with visual detail is just as important as speed.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used diagnostically, not just as a score chase. After each paper, review every mistake and sort it into one of four groups: knowledge gap, misunderstood question, timing issue or careless error. That tells you what to do next.

A sensible sequence is:

learn the question type untimed
practise a short set
complete a timed section
only then move to a full paper

For this school, because the test is balanced across four subjects, avoid doing weeks of only one topic. Mixed practice is better. It trains children to switch between different kinds of thinking, which is exactly what exams ask them to do.

Mocks can help if your child needs experience of working under time pressure away from home. They are most valuable in the autumn before the exam, once your child already knows the main question types. Too many mocks can dent confidence, so choose quality over quantity.

You can use these ElevenReady resources alongside your child’s regular preparation:

When using practice papers at home, try to copy exam conditions sometimes: quiet room, visible clock, sharpened pencils, no interruptions and a short break between sections if that matches the session you are simulating.

On the day

The most helpful thing a parent can do on the day is make everything feel ordinary and well organised. Children tend to perform best when the practical side has been taken care of in advance.

Check the time, location and any instructions from the school the day before.
Prepare simple equipment the night before, following the school’s instructions.
Aim for a normal breakfast your child is happy to eat.
Leave in plenty of time so the journey is unhurried.
Keep conversation calm; avoid last-minute quizzing in the car.

For your child, the key reminders are straightforward:

listen carefully to instructions at the start of each section
keep an eye on the time, but do not panic about it
if one question feels hard, move on and come back if possible
check answers carefully where there is time
treat each new section as a fresh start

Because The Maynard’s process may also include a taster-day element, it helps to frame the day positively: this is not only about being tested, but also about seeing whether the school feels right.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

After the assessment, independent schools usually contact families directly with the outcome rather than through National Offer Day in the way local-authority secondary transfers work. The precise timing for The Maynard’s Year 7 decisions for 2028 was not published in the sources reviewed, so parents should expect communication directly from the school and check the admissions page for the live process.

If a place is offered and you wish to accept it, the school’s admissions page states that a non-refundable Acceptance Fee of £480 including VAT is charged on formal acceptance.

If your child is not offered a place immediately, it is reasonable to ask the admissions team politely whether a waiting list operates and whether any further information is needed. Independent-school appeals and reviews are not always structured in the same way as maintained-school admission appeals, so the right next step is to ask the school directly about its procedure.

For families applying to more than one school, keep careful note of response deadlines and financial commitments. Independent-school offers can require a decision before state-school allocation timelines, so it is important to read all paperwork closely.

What has changed recently

In the sources checked for this guide, no newly announced change to The Maynard’s 11+ exam board, catchment policy or published admissions structure for the last two years could be verified beyond the school’s current admissions wording. The school’s admissions page currently states that the 11+ and 13+ Entrance Assessment Day takes place every January, that individual assessment is available throughout the year if needed, and that the deadline for 11+ scholarship applications for September 2026 entry had passed. If the school publishes a revised timetable or assessment format for 2028 entry, parents should treat the school’s own admissions page as the authoritative source.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Maynard School 11+ exam held?

The school’s admissions page says the 11+ and 13+ Entrance Assessment Day takes place every January. If a child cannot attend that group day, the school says an individual assessment can be arranged at another time in the year.

Does The Maynard School have a catchment area?

No. It is an independent school and there is no catchment rule in the grammar-school sense.

What subjects are in The Maynard School 11+?

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

How do I register for The Maynard School 11+?

Registration is handled by the school through its own Registration Form on the admissions page, not through a local authority test portal.

How much is the registration fee?

The school says the registration fee is £180 including VAT, or £240 including VAT for non-UK residents. An Acceptance Fee of £480 including VAT is payable if you formally accept a place.

Does The Maynard School publish a pass mark?

Not in the sources checked for this guide. If the school publishes score information in future, parents should rely on the school’s own admissions page.

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Sources

The Maynard School – How to Apply: Year 7 applicants complete a formal assessment and may attend a taster day; the 11+ and 13+ Entrance Assessment Day takes place every January; if applicants cannot attend the group event, they can sit an individual entrance assessment at any time throughout the year; registration is via the school’s
The Maynard School – Home: The Maynard School is a girls’ school in Exeter.

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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.