Registration for Manchester Grammar School 11+ closes in 42 days, on 18 November 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School | Manchester Grammar School |
|---|---|
| Location | Old Hall Lane, Manchester M13 0XT |
| School Type | Independent day school for boys |
| Age Range | 7-18 years |
| Entry Points | 7+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Telephone | 0161 224 7201 |
| Website | www.mgs.org |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £6,603 per term |
| 11+ entrance exam | Maths lesson, Topic-based lesson, Group activities, Creative writing, English |
| Registration deadline | Wednesday 18 November 2026 (application deadline for guaranteed assessment) (September 2027 entry) |
| Offers | Friday 5 February 2027 (Publication of results) |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
The Manchester Grammar School 11+ entrance exam for Year 7 entry runs across two stages: Assessment Days early in Year 6, followed by an Entrance Examination Day in the spring term. MGS sets and marks both itself, without an external test provider. Candidates face taught lessons and group activities on the Assessment Days, then English and Arithmetic papers on the Entrance Examination Day.
About Manchester Grammar School
MGS is a selective independent school for boys, based in Manchester and admitting pupils from Greater Manchester and further afield.
The entrance exam
MGS sets and marks its own papers for Year 7 entry, without an external test provider, and assesses candidates across two separate events. Assessment Days come first, early in Year 6, when candidates are taught short lessons on unfamiliar material and then assessed on what they have just learned, alongside group activities and a piece of creative writing, so no revision of a fixed syllabus applies. The Entrance Examination Day follows later in Year 6, when candidates sit two English papers and two Arithmetic papers. The school has not published the length of any of these papers. Families should check the admissions pages for the current format.
- Maths lesson (Assessment Day): a taught lesson on a new concept, followed by assessment, so no preparation is possible.
- Topic-based lesson (Assessment Day): a taught and then assessed lesson on content not previously studied.
- Group activities (Assessment Day): format and length are not published; see the school's admissions pages for detail.
- Creative writing (Assessment Day): format and length are not published; see the school's admissions pages for detail.
- English: two papers taken on the Entrance Examination Day; length not published.
- Arithmetic: two papers taken on the Entrance Examination Day; length not published.
Registration and key dates
Registration for Year 7 entry usually opens over the summer before Year 6 begins, with an application deadline in the autumn term of Year 6 for a guaranteed assessment place. Assessment Days run from the start of Year 6, ahead of the Entrance Examination Day itself, which is sat in the spring term. Results follow a few weeks later, also in the spring term, before successful candidates join Year 7 the following September. The key facts table on this page gives the current dates for each stage.
- Registration opens: summer, shortly before Year 6 begins
- Assessment Days begin: September, at the start of Year 6
- Registration deadline: November, in the autumn term of Year 6, for a guaranteed assessment place
- Entrance Examination Day: January, in the spring term of Year 6
- Results published: early February, in the spring term of Year 6
- Entry to Year 7: September, the following school year
Current dates are in the key facts table at the top of this page, taken from the school's own admissions pages below, which remain the reference for each round.
Past papers and familiarisation
MGS publishes its own past Entrance Examination papers on its admissions pages, for candidates to use in personal preparation. These help most with the English and Arithmetic papers set on the Entrance Examination Day; the taught lessons, group activities and creative writing that make up the Assessment Days are new material by design, so they cannot be revised for directly. Families often use the past papers to help a child grow used to the format and timing, alongside general reading, writing and mental arithmetic practice suited to the child's age.
Preparing with Taylor Tuition
The MGS 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 Greater Manchester 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 does the MGS 11+ entrance exam for Year 7 entry involve?
- The Year 7 entry process at MGS combines Assessment Days, where candidates take part in taught lessons on new material, group activities and creative writing, with a separate Entrance Examination Day made up of two English papers and two Arithmetic papers. All papers are set and marked by the school itself.
- When do registration and the exam usually take place?
- Registration for Year 7 entry usually opens over the summer before Year 6 begins, with the application deadline for a guaranteed assessment place falling in the autumn term of Year 6. Assessment Days run from the start of Year 6, and the Entrance Examination Day is sat in the spring term, with results following shortly after.
- Does the school publish past papers for the 11+ entrance exam?
- Yes. MGS publishes its own past Entrance Examination papers on its admissions pages, for candidates to use in personal preparation. These cover the English and Arithmetic papers sat on the Entrance Examination Day; the taught lessons and activities that make up the Assessment Days are new to every candidate, so they cannot be prepared for in the same way.
- How hard is the 11+ exam and how should a child prepare?
- The exam combines familiar paper-based English and Arithmetic assessment with taught lessons and activities on unfamiliar material, so preparation tends to focus on two things: working through past English and Arithmetic papers, and building general reading, writing and mental arithmetic skills that support quick learning on the day itself. The school does not publish a pass mark or detailed marking guidance.
- What type of school is MGS?
- MGS is an independent day school for boys.
Enquire about 11+ preparation
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English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with mark schemes.
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