Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding school for girls, ages 9 to 18 (senior entry points from Year 5) |
|---|---|
| Location | Bath, Somerset |
| Entry points | Year 5 (9+), Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+), Year 12 (16+) |
| Assessment | CAT4 online cognitive ability test, an English writing assessment, an interview, and a report from the candidate's current school |
| Test provider | CAT4 (GL Assessment), plus the school's own English writing assessment |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £6,861 per term |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | £13,796 to £15,414 per term |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to Royal High School Bath (RHS Bath) at 11+ depends on registering for a Year 7 place, then sitting the school's own CAT4 online ability test and English writing assessment, attending an interview, and having a reference sent from the candidate's current school. There is no catchment area, since the school is independent, so girls apply from any location and boarding candidates unable to travel can sit assessments through British Council offices or approved agencies.
Places are decided on the combined picture from the assessments, the interview and the school report; no single pass mark determines the outcome, and academic and specialist scholarships are available alongside means-tested bursaries for those who qualify.
Fees and key dates for 2026/27
Royal High School Bath publishes day fees of £6,861 per term for 2026/27, with boarding at £13,796 to £15,414 per term, taken from the school's own fees page in October 2026. Registration dates for the next 11+ round are published by the school's admissions office. For Year 7 entrants from outside the Prep School, the school requires a reference from the applicant's current school plus a CAT4 online test, an English writing assessment, and an interview. Fees and dates change each year, so the school's website remains the reference for the current round.
How 11+ entry works
Girls join Royal High School Bath's senior school at four main points, with Year 7 (11+) sitting alongside Year 5 (9+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+) entry. For Year 7, external applicants register online, sit the school's entrance assessments, attend an interview and are asked to complete a taster morning, which the school encourages though does not make compulsory.
Offers follow from the combined result of the assessment, interview and current school's report, so no single test score determines a place on its own.
What the 11+ assessment involves
The Year 7 assessment combines a CAT4 online cognitive ability test with an English writing task, covering verbal, non-verbal and quantitative reasoning alongside a written English exercise. Every candidate is then invited to an interview, where the school asks girls to prepare a three-minute talk and bring an object they are proud of, giving them a chance to show strengths that written papers do not capture.
A reference from the candidate's current school forms part of the decision alongside the written and interview elements.
- CAT4 online cognitive ability test
- English writing assessment
- Interview, including a prepared three-minute talk
- Reference from the candidate's current school
How registration and the admissions process run
Registration opens well ahead of entry and closes in mid-November for Years 5 to 9, with the school publishing the exact date on its admissions timeline each cycle. Families are encouraged to attend an Open House or book a personalised tour before registering, then join a taster morning once registered.
After registration, candidates sit the CAT4 and English assessment and attend interview, both scheduled in January for Year 7 entry. Families who accept an offered place confirm this by the acceptance deadline the school sets each year, alongside a deposit.
- Open House or personalised tour
- Register online via the school's application portal
- Taster morning (encouraged)
- CAT4 and English assessment, plus interview, in January
- Offer and acceptance, with deposit due
Scholarships and bursaries for Year 7 entry
Royal High School Bath awards academic scholarships based on entrance assessment performance, and specialist scholarships in music, dance, drama, art and sport, for which candidates audition in their chosen area. The school describes a scholarship as recognition of promise and access to its scholars' programme; it does not bring a substantial reduction in fees.
Means-tested bursaries are separately available at Year 7 entry for families who can demonstrate financial need. Parents complete an income and assets assessment handled by the GDST's Finance Department, and awards are reviewed annually.
- Academic scholarship: based on entrance assessment performance
- Music, dance, drama, art and sport scholarships: by audition
- Means-tested bursaries: income and assets assessment via GDST Finance Department
How to prepare for the assessment
The Year 7 assessment combines a CAT4 cognitive ability test with an English writing task, so preparation usually covers general reasoning practice (verbal, non-verbal and quantitative) alongside regular writing practice in different styles. CAT4 measures developed ability; it does not test a fixed syllabus.
For the interview, the school's request for a three-minute talk and a personal object rewards girls who have rehearsed speaking clearly about their own interests. Attending a taster morning beforehand lets a candidate see the school and settle any nerves before assessment day.
Boarding and international applicants
Boarding places at Year 7 follow the same CAT4, English, interview and reference process as day applications. Where a boarding candidate cannot travel to Bath, the school allows assessments to be sat at British Council offices, approved agencies, or the candidate's current school, so location need not be a barrier to applying.
Weekly and full boarding are both offered from Year 7, with separate fee schedules for each option.
Related guides
Preparing for the Royal High School Bath (RHS Bath) 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Royal High School Bath (RHS Bath) 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in Bristol and Bath 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 tests do girls sit for 11+ entry to Royal High School Bath?
- Applicants sit a CAT4 online cognitive ability test and an English writing assessment. There is also an interview and a reference is requested from the candidate's current school, so the outcome does not rest on a single written exam alone.
- Is there an interview as part of 11+ admissions?
- Yes. The school describes the interview as a chance to show skills not revealed in written papers, and asks each candidate to prepare a three-minute talk and bring along something they are proud of.
- Does Royal High School Bath use a catchment area for 11+ entry?
- No. As an independent school it does not admit by catchment area; places at 11+ depend on registration, performance in the CAT4 and English assessments, the interview and the current school's report.
- Are scholarships or bursaries available at Year 7 entry?
- Yes. Academic scholarships are awarded on entrance assessment performance, alongside specialist scholarships in music, dance, drama, art and sport that require an audition. Means-tested bursaries are also available at Year 7 for families demonstrating financial need.
- When does registration close for Year 7 entry?
- Registration for Years 5 to 9 closes in mid-November each year; the school confirms the exact date on its admissions timeline page.
- Can boarding applicants overseas sit the assessment away from the school?
- Yes. Boarding candidates unable to travel to Bath for assessment can sit it at British Council offices, approved agencies, or their current school, so distance need not rule out an application.
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