What is St Paul’s School 11 Plus Exam Format?
There are three stages; (1) requires the completion of the ISEB online pre-test; (2) requires the completion of St Paul’s Schools internal exam; and, (3) is the interview process.
Stage One
- ISEB Common Pre-test;
- Candidates have 2 ½ hours;
- Areas of study: English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
ISEB Pre-Test
Set by the examining board GL Assessment, this is a computerised, multiple-choice test assessing the ability and potentiality of candidates. Parents should feel encouraged to know that their child will not be disadvantaged by the timeframe in which they sit the test, be it early or late, since the test is age-standardized.
A breakdown of the test is as follows:
- English (25 Minutes) - involves exercises pertaining to grammar (spelling and punctuation), reading comprehension, and sentence completion;
- Mathematics (50 Minutes) - involves exercises pertaining to the National Curriculum, covering Maths subject topics extending to Year 5;
- Verbal Reasoning (36 Minutes) - involves exercises pertaining to number codes, and language e.g. word combinations, common words, letter transfers and antonyms;
- Non-Verbal Reasoning (32 Minutes) - involves exercises pertaining to classes like, horizontal codes, and shape analogies.
Whilst official papers have not been published, indeed currently unavailable, our website features a multitude of resources to help familiarise candidates with the test material, and what is expected of them. Please see our Expert Tips section below for further insight.
Stage Two
- Candidates sit St Paul’s Schools 11+ entrance exam;
- 2 written papers, English and Mathematics, each 20 minutes;
- English paper involves a comprehension and writing task;
- Mathematics paper involves KS2 content and some standard format Maths questions.
English
Features a comprehension passage testing candidates’ ability to: process difficult passages; pay attention to detail; and provide in-depth, comprehensive answers to obtain high scores.
Preparation Tips
- Study passages featuring advanced vocabulary and complex themes;
- Revise punctuation, spelling, and grammar;
- Formulate answers exploring multiple points, supported by quotes and analysis;
- Recognise inference-based reasoning.
Mathematics
Features content, of a similar standard to the 11+ syllabus, testing candidates’ ability to:develop written answers evidencing working out, and keep an eye on any unusual wording which may be confusing.
Preparation Tips
- Revise difficult areas within the 11+ syllabus e.g. ratio, symmetry, cubed and squared numbers, etc;
- Quick, independent thinking will be rewarded;
- Carry a ruler, protractor, and HB pencils with an eraser.
Stage Three
- Interview with a senior member of the teaching faculty;
- Assessing independence, inquisitiveness, ability to voice opinions sufficiently backed by evidence;
- Approximately 20 minutes;
- Conversational topics may include general academic studies or specific subjects e.g. English and Mathematics.
Interview Tips
There is no precise checklist, but here are some useful pointers:
- Maintain eye contact and remember to smile;
- Prepare to explain why you have chosen the school;
- Express your opinion, providing supporting reasons;
- Watch the news to demonstrate political and social awareness.
How Can I Prepare for St Paul’s School 11+ Exam?
St Paul’s School have not published their independent school entrance exam past papers or 11 plus test papers free download. Consequently, there is simply no access to their sample papers free download.
To deal with this lack of 11+ test papers, we suggest practising a variety of Maths problems and different styles of English comprehension questions. If you are truly determined to achieve admission, Pi Academy strongly recommends practicing these free sample papers available on our website as part of your preparation:
- For Maths: over 3000+ maths questions with detailed stepwise answers will help your child perform to the best of their ability. Helpfully, every question is segregated as per the topic. To access these see 11+ Maths test paper with solutions;
- For English: Your child’s English comprehension skills will improve infinitely with the help of our 11+ English Papers with Detailed Answers. Helpful hints are provided for each question.
Evidently, our tutors, many of whom are English and Mathematics experts, have written many eleven plus sample papers, as well as an extensive number of detailed, comprehensive answers. Our tutors’ study these with potential candidates because they are the best resources to gain ample practice in Maths and English, indicative of what candidates may expect in their actual exams.
These have helped many former Pi Academy pupils gain admission to St Pauls boys School, as well as other prestigious institutions.
How Competitive Is St Paul’s School?
Fiercely competitive, over 600 boys apply for the 36 available places.
Statistically speaking, this means that only 6% of students are admitted. Rigorous preparation and careful study of our resources is a sure-fire recipe for boosting your son’s chances of success.
St Paul’s School Outstanding A-Level and GCSE Results 2018/19
A-Levels:
- 51.0% achieved A* grades
- 82.4% achieved A*/A grades
GCSEs:
- 78.5% achieved A* grades
- 96.1% achieved A*/A grades
St Paul’s School 11+ Exam: Expert Tips
As there are no publications of St Paul’s School sample papers or independent school exam papers, parents are, understandably, worried and anxious. However, we believe that it is essential for candidates to have working knowledge of advanced Mathematics topics and a good command of verbal reasoning.
Candidates should apply their knowledge in practical ways to solve problems, and, critically, practice attempts should be under timed conditions. Candidates will need to exercise their time-management skills in order to finish each paper within 20 minutes. Those who use their time efficiently, to answer all question types, have a greater chance of performing well.
It is equally important that after marking the 11+ practice papers, parents clearly identify weak areas. These should then be corrected through extensive practice, which should also boost confidence. Our website offers free 11 practice papers download and 11 plus maths papers free download with writing tasks and solutions, written for these papers by our Oxford and Cambridge educated tutors.
We advise students to practise these, especially the papers with answers, in order to prepare for a variety of questions which may feature in the examination. Prioritising difficult topics will enhance logical thinking and problem-solving skills, ultimately strengthening your child’s exam technique. Method and quantity of revision are of equal importance for any eleven plus papers.
Having downloaded the free 11 plus test papers created by our experienced tutors, from our website, parents should follow our 4-step guide when practising:
- Print the paper;
- Supervise your child, ensuring that they complete the paper under timed conditions;
- Revisit the website to mark the answers;
- Make note of weak areas and then practice more questions on similar topics by revisiting the website.
For Maths, to increase effectiveness and efficiency all questions from 11 plus sample papers free are segregated as per the topic. This should resolve weak areas and gaps in your child’s knowledge since our system allows you to pinpoint relevant questions segregated by topic, so that you may practice them.
On our website you will find a plethora of Verbal and Non-verbal resources featuring problem-solving questions and word problems, all uniquely different. For convenience, the links for 11 Plus Maths and English Practice Papers are below:
- 11 Plus Maths Past Papers with Detailed Answers (For Maths)
- 11 Plus English Past Papers with Detailed Answers (For English)
Instead of being limited by typical 11+ resource providers, our tutors work diligently to prepare and solve a variety of 11 plus free sample papers with answers for our students to practice. Exposing our students to these different, but hugely beneficial, resources explains our huge success rate because our students always remain one step ahead.
See our highly rated papers below:
- 11 Plus Maths Past Papers with Detailed Answers
- 11 Plus Maths Topic Wise Questions
- 11 Plus English Practice Papers
- 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- 11 Plus Non-Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers
- 11 Plus online Mock Exams
How to Revise for St Paul’s School?
To those applying to multiple schools, including St Paul’s School, please note that, broadly speaking, the core subjects for the 11+ entrance test are English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-verbal Reasoning, and Mathematics.
Unlike the typical 11+ comprehension paper, St Paul’s School entrance exam is more demanding so the earlier you prepare the more useful it is. Visit our sample 11 plus papers and free 11 exam papers; likewise, focused study of our sample Maths and English exam papers are an effective way of strengthening Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning and preparing candidates for the real thing.
Below is a revision schedule all Pi Academy students studiously followed in their Mathematics tutoring sessions when revising sample test papers.
Please download this spreadsheet; updating the relevant fields provided will help you track your child's progress. To avoid wasting time on irrelevant resources and incorrect questions, subscribe to our 11+ Papers with Detailed Answers.
As our system shows topic wise segregated questions, it is beneficial for practising questions on the same topic in a focused manner. Our subscription service is a one stop haven which supports frequent revision and provides reliable and realistic guidance.
How to Secure Proficient Tutelage for St Paul’s School?
Our private tutors are dedicated, organised, and adept at problem-solving. Their creative teaching style and excellent communication skills allow them to effectively teach a wide range of children by prompting them to practice our free 11 test papers.
We prioritise the practice of our eleven plus papers with answers because candidates noticeably improve in skill and confidence, proceeding to then achieve brilliant marks when practising with our 11+ sample papers for Maths and 11 plus English comprehension papers.
The marks are indicative of what could be achieved in the real exam; indeed, our tutoring methodology has resulted in a large quantity of our former pupils succeeding in securing a place at St Paul’s School, among other equally prestigious institutions.
Be sure to visit our website for more tutoring pages:
- 11 plus Maths courses for CEM and GL
- 11 plus English courses for CEM and GL
- 11 plus Verbal Reasoning courses for CEM and GL
- 11 plus Non-Verbal Reasoning courses for CEM and GL
To avoid missing out, don’t delay in completing this form to engage one of our expert tutors; their invaluable experience will be a huge asset to your journey to St Paul’s School.
