Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school, boys, 3 to 18, becoming co-educational in stages |
|---|---|
| Location | Guildford, Surrey |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in the first term of Year 6 (English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning), then an English creative writing task and a teamwork task at the school |
| Test provider | ISEB Common Pre-Test (11+); CAT4 online aptitude tests (16+); school's own assessment morning (Year 3 Prep entry) |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £9,252 per term (First and Second Forms, including VAT); £9,360 per term (Third Form to Upper Sixth) |
| Assessment date | 11+ entrance assessments 7 November 2026; ISEB Common Pre-Tests 13 November 2026 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, art, drama, music and sport scholarships at 11+ and 16+; means-tested bursaries of 5% to 100% of fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 50.44 (average grade A) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
Royal Grammar School Guildford admissions work mainly through 11+ entry into the First Form (Year 7), which combines a confidential headteacher's reference, the online ISEB Common Pre-Tests, an interview, a creative writing task and a teamwork task. The other published entry points are 7+ into Year 3 of the Prep and 16+ into Year 12, with occasional places in Years 8, 9 and 10.
The school is becoming co-educational in stages, with girls joining Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and Year 12 first and Year 7 a year later. Published fees, registration deadlines and assessment dates are in the key facts above, and the sections below cover the format of each stage, the order of the process and the points where preparation helps.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 (Prep) | Assessment morning at the Prep; the school says no special preparation is required | Not stated | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 (First Form) | Online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in the first term of Year 6 (English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning), then an English creative writing task and a teamwork task at the school | Individual interview with current staff; some candidates are invited back for a second interview | about 150 First Form places |
| 16+ | Year 12 (Lower Sixth) | Personal statement and A Level choices, school report with predicted GCSE grades, and half a day of online CAT4 aptitude tests in Year 11 | Academic interview with subject specialists, plus a general interview with a Head of Sixth Form and a member of the Senior Management Team | roughly one third of Sixth Form places, about 50 to 60, open to external candidates |
Entry points and places
The school admits at 7+ (Year 3 of the Prep), 11+ (Year 7, the First Form) and 16+ (Year 12), with occasional places in Years 8, 9 and 10. Entry into Year 11 or Year 13 is considered individually, for example after a school closure. A waiting list is kept for every year group except Years 11 and 13.
The First Form is the main senior entry point. The school typically receives over 400 applicants for 150 First Form places. It has no designated catchment area, and pupils travel in from across Surrey and neighbouring counties, with a travel time of about 30 minutes suggested. At 16+, roughly one third of Sixth Form places, about 50 to 60, are open to external candidates.
- 7+: Year 3, Prep assessment morning
- 11+: Year 7, ISEB Common Pre-Tests, interview, writing and teamwork
- 16+: Year 12, CAT4 tests, personal statement and interviews
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment has five parts: a confidential reference from the current headteacher, the ISEB Common Pre-Tests, an interview, a creative writing task and a teamwork task. The Pre-Tests are age-standardised, multiple-choice, online and taken in the first term of Year 6, covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning in about two and a quarter hours. The school says they need no special preparation.
Whichever location was used for the Pre-Tests, the remaining components take place at the school on an assessment day. The creative writing task is a short English composition, while the teamwork task is a group challenge set in a classroom-style setting that shows how candidates collaborate. Offers at 11+ are unconditional.
11+ tutors
Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
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Sochima
Master TutorI'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.
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Robert
Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
Enquire about this tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Registration for 11+ entry closes in the autumn of Year 6, and the process runs in a fixed order from registration to acceptance. Families complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable registration fee; those whose son is in Year 7 or 8 should contact the Head of Admissions before registering. The senior school admissions team can be reached on 01483 880 600 or RGS-Admissions@rgsg.co.uk.
Offers follow on a date agreed by the Trinity Group schools, in mid-February, with acceptances due by early March. The fees page states that the acceptance deposit is 25% of the first term's fees, non-refundable until the pupil leaves unless the Governors withdraw the offer.
- Register online and pay the registration fee
- Sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests in Year 6
- Attend the assessment day: interview, writing and teamwork
- Some candidates are recalled for a second interview in January
- Offers emailed in mid-February, followed by an Offer Holders' event
- Accept by early March and pay the deposit
Interviews and references
Each 11+ candidate has a relaxed individual interview with current members of staff, which includes questions the candidate has not prepared for. A confidential reference from the current headteacher is part of every application. The school uses it alongside the test results and the day's activities, so that no single component decides the outcome.
Some candidates are invited back in the January after the assessment day for a second interview. The school says this happens to clarify inconsistent performance or differences between a candidate's results and the reference. A recall is therefore a routine follow-up step for some applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are available in academic, art, drama, music and sport at both 11+ and 16+, each with its own application form and assessment. At 11+, families request information on art, drama, music and sport scholarships in the autumn before applications are submitted, and the scholarship assessments are held in January. At 16+, forms must be requested and submitted in early October, with academic scholarship presentations and the other assessments in November.
Means-tested bursaries cover between 5% and 100% of the fee and are open at First Form, Lower Sixth and Prep Year 3 entry. Families state their interest at registration and receive a link to apply. Bursary Assessment Associates, an independent company, reviews income, household expenditure and net assets, and the financial assessment is separate from the academic one. Successful bursaries are confirmed with the place offer.
Fees and what they include
Senior fees are charged termly, with one rate for the First and Second Forms and a slightly higher rate from the Third Form to the Upper Sixth; the amounts are in the key facts. Fees include most stationery and textbooks, games and school societies. Public examination and UCAS fees, individual music tuition and extra-curricular foreign language lessons are charged separately.
Lunch is charged on top of the fee and is compulsory for the First and Second Forms, then optional. The school does not give sibling discounts, and the fees page states that fees are payable in advance, on or before the first day of term. A full term's written notice is required to withdraw a pupil who has not yet started.
Where pupils join from
The senior school takes pupils from its own Prep and from many other primary and prep schools, and the school lists no partner or feeder schools. According to the FAQ page, about 45% of the latest First Form intake came from state primaries. The Prep page says over 80% of its leavers move on to the senior school.
Prep pupils sit the 11+ in Year 6 like other applicants, although the Prep page describes an assured places arrangement under which pupils secure a senior place during Year 5 without the formal 11+. Prep deposits are deducted from the senior deposit for families who move up.
How 16+ entry works
Entry to the Sixth Form requires grades 7 to 9 at GCSE in each subject a candidate wants to study at A Level, with at least six grades 7 to 9 overall including English and Mathematics. After registering and paying the non-returnable fee, candidates submit an A Level Choices form and a personal statement in early October, and their current school sends a confidential report with predicted GCSE grades.
The assessment is a half-day of online CAT4 aptitude tests in verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, held in October of Year 11. Successful applicants are interviewed in mid-November by subject specialists and then by a Head of Sixth Form with a member of the Senior Management Team. Offers are unconditional when the criteria are already met and otherwise conditional on August GCSE results.
How to prepare
Preparation for the 11+ centres on the four Pre-Test subjects, the live interview and the two tasks held on the assessment day. The school describes the Pre-Tests as needing no special preparation, so familiarity with the multiple-choice, online format across English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning is usually enough. Practice papers should match that format and the two-and-a-quarter-hour length.
For the assessment day, practise explaining reasoning aloud and talking about interests and reading, since interview questions include ones the candidate has not prepared for. Short timed pieces of creative writing and group activities, where a child listens and contributes in turn, mirror the writing and teamwork tasks. At 16+, practising verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning questions suits CAT4, and reviewing intended A Level subjects helps with the academic interview.
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Preparing for the Royal Grammar School Guildford 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The Royal Grammar School Guildford 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 Surrey 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.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Royal Grammar School Guildford entrance exam at 11+?
- The 11+ combines the online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, taken in the first term of Year 6, with an interview, a creative writing task and a teamwork task at the school. A confidential reference from the current headteacher is also required.
- How much are Royal Grammar School Guildford fees?
- Fees are charged per term, with one rate for the First and Second Forms and a higher one from the Third Form to the Upper Sixth. The amounts for each year group, plus lunch charges, are on the school's fees page. Stationery, textbooks, games and societies are included.
- Does RGS Guildford have a catchment area?
- No. The school has no designated catchment area, and pupils travel from across Surrey and neighbouring counties. It suggests a travel time of about 30 minutes. Applicants are assessed on the entry components, and where they live does not affect the outcome.
- Are there scholarships and bursaries at RGS Guildford?
- Scholarships in academic, art, drama, music and sport are offered at 11+ and 16+. Means-tested bursaries cover between 5% and 100% of the fee at First Form, Lower Sixth and Prep Year 3 entry, assessed by Bursary Assessment Associates separately from the academic process.
- What are the sixth form entry requirements at RGS Guildford?
- Candidates need grades 7 to 9 at GCSE in each A Level subject and at least six grades 7 to 9 including English and Mathematics. Entry also involves CAT4 online tests, a personal statement, a school report with predicted grades, and academic and general interviews.
- Can a child re-apply to RGS Guildford after an unsuccessful 11+?
- The school allows re-application at a later entry point, but its Senior admissions page and its FAQ page give different earliest year groups. Families should confirm the rule with the admissions office on 01483 880 600 before registering.
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