St. Mary's College 11+ Admissions: Entrance Exam, Registration and Fees

Entry to St. Mary's College at 11+ runs through registration, an entrance examination and an interview, with places offered on the combined result of an online cognitive abilities test, written English and mathematics papers, an informal interview and a report from the child's current primary school. Most candidates apply for Year 7, though the school also considers individual applications into Year 10 and external candidates for the Sixth Form.

The school sits on Everest Road in Crosby, admitting day pupils only from early years through to Sixth Form, with many Year 7 places filled by children moving up from its own prep school alongside those joining from other primaries. Open Academic Scholarships, means-tested Edmund Rice Scholarships and other awards are assessed at the same entrance examination, so no separate application is needed for most of them.

How entry to Year 7 works

Most pupils enter the school at 11+, joining Year 7 after registering, sitting the entrance examination and attending an interview. Some children progress internally from the school's own prep department, The Mount, while others apply from state or independent primary schools. The school also admits individual pupils into Year 10 when GCSE courses begin, and takes external candidates into the Sixth Form. The number of places available in each year group is not published on the school's admissions pages.

How the 11+ assessment works

The 11+ assessment combines an online Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) with written papers in English and mathematics, alongside an informal interview and a report from the child's current primary school. The admissions pages describe the test only as an online cognitive abilities test, without naming a specific external provider.

Candidates applying for Open Academic Scholarships sit the same papers, with awards decided on academic merit alone. Those applying for art, music or sport awards undergo a separate assessment in the week before the main interviews, in addition to the standard entrance requirements.

Registration and the admissions process, step by step

Registration for Year 7 entry opens with a completed application form, a copy of the child's recent school report and a registration fee, paid by bank transfer before the published closing date. Once registered, candidates applying for art, music or sport awards attend a specialist assessment first, followed by interviews for all applicants, then the entrance examination itself. Registration closes in the autumn term before entry, and the school publishes the exact date, along with assessment and interview dates, on its admissions page.

• Register: application form, school report and registration fee
• Art, music or sport award assessment, where applicable
• Interview
• Entrance examination: CAT, English and mathematics papers

Scholarships and bursaries

Open Academic Scholarships, worth up to half fees, are awarded on entrance examination performance alone, judged solely on merit and independent of family income, with candidates considered automatically without a separate application. Edmund Rice Scholarships are means-tested academic awards, with the family contribution scaled to household income and set through exam results, interview and primary school references.

Awards for ability in art, music or sport are assessed during the entrance examination period and conditional on pupils maintaining expected conduct as scholars. Families with more than one child at the school can receive discretionary reductions that increase with each additional sibling enrolled, and bursarial awards offer flexible, reviewable support for families facing temporary financial hardship. The combined value of Open Academic Scholarships, art, music and sport awards, and Family Awards cannot exceed half the fees.

Fees at the school

Senior school fees are charged termly, alongside compulsory lunch charges in Years 7 and 8 and an optional charge for school transport where used. Instrumental and piano tuition are included free of charge in Year 7 and become optional, chargeable extras from Year 8 onward. A registration fee is payable when the application is submitted, and current fee amounts for the applicable academic year are published on the school's own fees page.

How to prepare for the assessment

Preparation usually covers three areas: the verbal and non-verbal reasoning style of the online cognitive abilities test, written comprehension and composition for the English paper, and arithmetic and problem-solving for the mathematics paper. Familiarising a child with online, timed testing tends to help, since the CAT is taken on screen instead of on paper. The interview is described as informal, so rehearsing natural conversation about interests, reading and school life is generally more useful than formal interview coaching. A calm, well-rested candidate on the day usually performs closer to their normal ability than one who has been drilled heavily beforehand.

Other ways to join the school

Beyond the main 11+ intake, the school admits individual pupils into Year 10 when GCSE courses begin. Sixth Form applicants need a combined total of at least 36 points across their seven best GCSEs, together with a minimum grade 6, preferably grade 7 to 9, in each subject they wish to study at A-level. External Sixth Form candidates also sit a cognitive abilities test and attend an interview, alongside a wider assessment of their academic understanding and motivation, and can apply for Sixth Form awards in art, music, sport or other achievements by submitting evidence and attending interview.

Related guides

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Preparing for the St. Mary's College 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Preparation for the St. Mary's College 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.

The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.

Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, 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.