Registration for City of London School for Girls 11+ closes in 25 days, on 30 October 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day school, girls, non-denominational, academically selective, ages 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Barbican, City of London |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7); 16+ (Sixth Form); occasional places may be available at other ages |
| Assessment | Computer-based Cambridge Select Insight test (CEM), then two 45-minute papers in English and maths, plus an interview |
| Test provider | CEM (Cambridge Select Insight) |
| Registration deadline | 30 October 2026 (UK applicants); registration fee £192 UK, £300 overseas |
| Assessment date | First-stage assessments: 13-18 November 2026. Second-stage papers: 6 January 2027. Interviews: 11-21 January 2027. |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to City of London School for Girls at 11+ runs through a two-stage assessment for girls joining Year 7: a computer-based reasoning test first, then written English and maths papers and an interview. Registration opens ahead of the autumn assessment window and closes before the first-stage test dates are set, with a fee covering exam administration and papers.
The Barbican school is non-denominational and academically selective; it sets its own pass marks each year, with no fixed catchment area or published quota of places. Girls who score between the upper and lower marks may still be called back for the second stage, under criteria the school publishes covering top scorers in individual sections, looked-after children, state-school applicants, siblings and summer-born candidates.
How 11+ entry works
Girls join the school at 11+ into Year 7, with a further entry point at 16+ into the sixth form; occasional places may also become available at other ages. Admission is by competitive assessment and interview, with no catchment area involved; the school does not publish a fixed total of Year 7 places or forms of entry, so families cannot calculate odds from a published quota.
CLSG describes itself as seeking girls who are most able to benefit from the education on offer, and applies the same assessment criteria to all candidates regardless of additional needs or disability, provided the school's site can accommodate them safely.
What the first-stage computer test involves
The first stage is a computer-based test called Cambridge Select Insight, designed by CEM to assess numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills that are not tied to a specific taught curriculum. The school sets a pass mark each year above which every candidate proceeds automatically to the second stage, and a lower mark below which no candidate is invited back; both marks vary year to year depending on the cohort's performance.
Between those two marks sits a pool of borderline candidates, from whom the school selects further entrants using published criteria, alongside any encouraging report received from the candidate's current school.
- girls who score in the top 10% of individual sections of the test
- girls who are, or have been, looked after under the Children Act 1989
- girls enrolled in a state school
- girls who have siblings at the school
- girls with summer birthdays
What the second-stage papers and interview involve
Candidates invited back after the first stage sit two 45-minute papers, one in English and one in maths, designed to test potential beyond straightforward recall. An interview follows the second-stage papers, and the school does not discuss assessment results with parents or make them public.
Families applying for Access Arrangements should submit supporting evidence, such as an educational psychologist's or medical report, when registering. The school follows JCQ guidelines and offers arrangements where a documented history of need is supported by the child's current school; a professional report alone does not secure them, and the school may offer alternative arrangements to those used in the child's usual setting.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration for 11+ entry opens ahead of the assessment season and closes in the autumn before entry, with the school publishing the exact date on its admissions pages each year. The sequence then runs: first-stage computer test, second-stage English and maths papers, interview, and finally offers, which are sent by email and include any scholarship or bursary decisions alongside standard places.
Families who accept a place do so by a published deadline, usually with a deposit, except where a bursary has been awarded. A waiting list may be compiled, and a welcome afternoon in the summer term before entry lets new pupils meet form tutors and future classmates.
Scholarships and bursaries at 11+
Music scholarships are the only scholarship category offered at 11+. Candidates need broadly Grade 6 standard on an instrument or voice, though lower grades are considered for rarer instruments, and go through an uploaded audition video, shortlisting, and a formal audition and interview held after the entrance exams; a joint award with Junior Guildhall is available to some shortlisted musicians.
Means-tested bursaries are aimed at UK families with a net household income up to a published threshold and very limited assets; overseas applicants are not eligible. Awards depend on entrance exam success, family eligibility and available funding, and full bursary recipients receive support that can extend to lunches, a laptop, uniform, transport costs and exam fees, with no acceptance deposit required.
How to prepare for the assessment
As the first stage tests underlying reasoning and not a fixed syllabus, practice tends to work best when it builds general comfort with numerical, verbal and non-verbal question styles under time pressure, avoiding reliance on drilling a single question bank. For the second stage, familiarity with writing a structured English response and working through maths problems within a 45-minute limit matters more than covering extra topics.
Since a current-school report can support a borderline candidate's progress to the second stage, and interviews explore interests and academic character as much as test performance, treating preparation as building confidence and stamina, alongside normal schoolwork, tends to serve a candidate better than last-minute intensity.
Related guides
Preparing for the City of London School for Girls 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The City of London School for Girls 11+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.
Because the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, and more than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status, families get a tutor who understands what the assessors are looking for. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in London and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What test provider does the school use for the 11+?
- The first stage is a computer-based test called Cambridge Select Insight, designed by CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) to assess numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills. It is followed by the school's own 45-minute English and maths papers at the second stage, so preparation needs to cover both a reasoning-style test and subject-specific written papers.
- Does CLSG interview every candidate?
- Interviews follow the second-stage papers, for candidates who have been invited back after the first-stage test and, where relevant, an encouraging report from their current school. The school does not publish the exact proportion of second-stage candidates who reach interview.
- Can my daughter have access arrangements for the assessment?
- Parents applying for Access Arrangements should submit evidence, such as an educational psychologist's or medical report, at the point of registration. The school follows JCQ guidelines and offers arrangements where a history of need is supported by the child's current school; a professional report alone is not sufficient, and the school may offer alternative arrangements to those used in the child's current setting.
- Does attending a state school help my daughter's application?
- Between the school's upper and lower pass marks sits a pool of borderline candidates, and current state-school enrolment is one of several published criteria the school uses to select further entrants from that pool, alongside top scores in individual test sections, sibling links, looked-after status and summer birthdays.
- Who can apply for a means-tested bursary?
- Bursary support is aimed at UK families with a net household income up to a published threshold and very limited assets; overseas applicants are not eligible. Awards depend on entrance exam success, family eligibility and available funds, and full bursary recipients pay no acceptance deposit.
- Are scholarships available at 11+?
- Music scholarships are the only scholarship offered at 11+, requiring around Grade 6 standard on an instrument or voice, an uploaded audition video, shortlisting, and a formal audition and interview held after the entrance exams. A joint scholarship with Junior Guildhall is also available for shortlisted musicians.
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