The London 11+ Consortium test explained

What is the London 11+ Consortium?

It is a group of selective independent schools that agreed to run one shared 11+ process instead of setting a separate exam each. The Consortium says it is concerned about the pressure the 11+ can put on young children, and about the harm that constant "teaching to the test" does to learning. So it aims for a simple process with just one test.

Every member is a girls' school, and each runs its own interviews and makes its own offers. The shared parts are the test, a common reference form and the timetable.

The Consortium is not a council test and has nothing to do with state grammar schools. If you are also applying for state schools, that is a separate application through your council.

Which schools are in the Consortium?

These are the member schools for September 2027 entry, A to Z. Each one appears on the Consortium's own list, and each school's admissions pages confirm it uses the Consortium test. The area is the one the Consortium gives for each school.

Each school page has that school's fees, bursaries, scholarship dates and open days.

Schools that are not members. Many other London girls' and co-educational schools set their own tests. For example, Alleyn's School, Putney High School, St James Senior Girls' School, St Paul's Girls' School and Wimbledon High School are not on the Consortium's list for 2027 entry. Their dates and tests are their own, so check each one separately.

What does the Consortium test involve?

The test is taken online, in one sitting, and has two parts:

• An adaptive test of thinking skills. The questions adjust to how your daughter is doing. The Consortium says it is interested in verbal and mathematical potential, and also in non-verbal ability, which it links to creative and visual problem-solving.
• A section that does not adapt, testing problem-solving and creative and critical thinking.

The result is age-standardised, so younger and older girls in the year group are compared fairly. The Consortium also publishes familiarisation materials on its website, so your daughter can see what the online test looks like before the day.

Where and when does my daughter sit it?

She sits the test once, in Year 6. If possible she takes it at her current school. If her school cannot host it, every Consortium school offers a place to sit it there instead.

For September 2027 entry, the Consortium's sitting dates are 27 November 2026, 1 December 2026 and 3 December 2026Source for Channing School: Parts (2027)Channing School: Parts (2027)CloseChecked 10 Oct 2026 against London 11+ Consortium.The source says: Consortium Assessment dates: One of Friday 27th November, Tuesday 1st December or Thursday 3rd December 2026View the official source. She sits on one of these days only, not all three. Some member schools also name the day they host their own sitting; you will find it on each school page.

How do registration, references and interviews work?

Registration. You register with each member school you are interested in, by its deadline. For 2027 entry every member school gives the same closing date: Friday 6 November 2026Source for London 11+ Consortium: Registration closesLondon 11+ Consortium: Registration closesCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London 11+ Consortium.The source says: Closing date for registrations: Friday 6th November 2026View the official source. The test result then goes to every Consortium school where your daughter is registered, so she does not sit it more than once.

The reference. The Consortium has a common reference form for your daughter's current school to fill in. It asks about her academic work and also about her attitudes and character. Using it is not compulsory, and some schools use their own form instead. Every member school asks for a reference from the current school.

Interviews. Each school runs its own interview, so the style differs from school to school. The Consortium describes them as a chance to explore a child's skills and the way she thinks. Interviews take place after the test. The Consortium says that The Godolphin and Latymer School and South Hampstead High School choose whom to interview from the test results, so not every applicant to those two schools will be invited. The table above shows each school's interview dates.

What are the key dates for September 2027 entry?

All member schools make offers on the same day and share the same deadline to accept. That means you can compare every offer before you decide. Scholarship and bursary deadlines are set by each school and differ, so check them early on each school page.

How is it different from the ISEB Pre-Tests?

Both are online tests that many independent schools use, and both send one result to several schools. They are different tests, though.

• The ISEB Pre-Tests are four online adaptive tests, 2 hours 15 minutes in totalSource for ISEB Pre-Tests: formatISEB Pre-Tests: formatCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board).The source says: The tests cover English, mathematics, verbal reasoning (VR) and non-verbal reasoning (NVR) and will take 2 hours 15 minutes to complete.View the official source. They are used by many schools across the country, and results go to every senior school that asks for them, so children take the tests only onceSource for ISEB Pre-Tests: SharedISEB Pre-Tests: SharedCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board).The source says: This means that children only have to take the tests once.View the official source.
• The Consortium test is used only by the member schools listed above. It is a single sitting and includes a section on problem-solving and creative thinking.

If your daughter is applying to Consortium schools and to schools that use the ISEB Pre-Tests, she may need to sit both. Our ISEB Pre-Test guide explains how those tests work.

Can we apply for a bursary or scholarship?

Yes, but bursaries and scholarships are run by each school, with their own forms and deadlines. For example, Channing gives a bursary deadline of 6 November 2026Source for Channing School: Bursary deadline (2027)Channing School: Bursary deadline (2027)CloseChecked 10 Oct 2026 against Channing School.The source says: Bursary Application Deadline: 6 November 2026View the official source, while Francis Holland Regent's Park gives 16 November 2026Source for Francis Holland Regent's Park: Bursary deadline (2027)Francis Holland Regent's Park: Bursary deadline (2027)CloseChecked 10 Oct 2026 against Francis Holland School, Regent's Park.The source says: | Bursary Application Closing Date | Monday 16 November 2026 |View the official source. Read each school's own bursary policy, and see our guide to bursaries for how means-testing works.

How can you help your daughter prepare calmly?

• Try the familiarisation materials on the Consortium's website together, so the screen and question styles feel familiar.
• Keep reading and talking about ideas. The test looks for thinking and problem-solving, not facts learned for the day.
• Ask her current school early whether it will host the test and complete the reference form.
• Put every date in one calendar, including each school's interview and bursary deadlines.
• Talk about offers as a family decision, so she knows the outcome does not rest on one morning.

Related pages

• Independent school entrance exams: the complete guide
• ISEB Common Pre-Test
• Bursaries explained
• Selective independent schools in London
• Keeping perspective

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked between 9 and 13 October 2026: the London 11+ Consortium (home page and key dates for 2027 entry), the ISEB (Pre-Tests information for families) and the admissions pages of each school named above.

ExamKind is independent and is not connected with the London 11+ Consortium, any school or any test provider. How we make our content.