What is the King Edward's School 11+ Exam Format?

The 11 plus test consists of papers in English and Mathematics only. The school recently removed Verbal Reasoning to focus on identifying core academic potential rather than testing prior knowledge.

Does King Edward's School Catchment Area affect entry?

King Edward's School, Birmingham, does not have a fixed catchment area. Boys travel from across the West Midlands, utilising the extensive transport network to reach the Edgbaston campus.

Where can I find King Edward's School 11+ Exam Test Paper Analysis?

You can download sample 11 plus exam papers directly from the school website. These resources help candidates understand the style of questions found in the English and Maths papers.

Is this school the best independent school in the UK?

As per the Secondary School league tables 2025, the Sunday Times Parent Power, the School’s Ranking is consistently high. It is renowned as one of the best independent schools in the UK.

What is the King Edward's School acceptance rate?

The acceptance rate varies annually based on the cohort. King Edward's School seeks boys with intellectual curiosity, offering places to those who demonstrate high potential in the 11 plus exam.

Does King Edward's School Birmingham offer scholarships?

Yes, scholarships and Assisted Places are available. These are awarded based on performance in the 11 plus exams and financial need, ensuring accessibility for bright boys from all backgrounds.

How much are the school fees per term?

Following recent VAT updates, the fee is £7,330 per term. The school remains committed to accessibility, offering significant financial support through Assisted Places for families who cannot afford the full fees.

What is the average class size in Year 7?

Class sizes are kept small to ensure individual attention. King Edward's School typically admits around 130 boys into Year 7, dividing them into smaller form groups for optimal learning.

Are there sample papers for the entrance exam?

Yes, the school provides sample 11 plus exam papers online. These are the most authentic resources for 11 plus mock test preparation, reflecting the actual difficulty of the entrance assessment.

When are the 11 plus results released?

The 11 Plus results are typically posted to parents in mid-December following the October exam. Families must accept offers by the stated deadline (usually March) to secure their son’s place for the September start.

Does the school recommend 11 plus tuition?

The school advises that reading widely is the best preparation. While some parents use 11 plus tuition, the exam is designed to test natural ability and logical problem-solving rather than coached responses.

King Edward's School (11+) 11 Plus Exam - 2026 Key Information

Q: What is the King Edward's School Application Process for 11+ Exam Entry?

Parents must complete the online registration form via the website and pay the fee. This is the first step to registering your son for the King Edward's School Admissions Policy process.

Q: Is there an interview for an 11+ entry?

Yes, but by invitation only. Boys being considered for Scholarships, Assisted Places, or those on the academic borderline are invited for an interview to assess their suitability for the school community.

Written by:Ishita B...Ishita Baviskar

Expert Reviewed

28th April 2026

6 mins read

28th April 2026

6 mins read

Introduction to King Edward's School

King Edward's School is a leading selective independent school for boys located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded in 1552, it educates 860+ pupils aged 11 to 18, covering Key Stage 3 (KS3), Key Stage 4 (GCSEs), and sixth form (6th Form).

Ranked among the best independent schools in the UK, King Edward's School Birmingham delivers stellar academic outcomes. It holds a double "Excellent" Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) score, which confirms its exceptionally high standards.

Named the Sunday Times West Midlands Independent Secondary School of the Decade, King Edward's School, Birmingham, offers a distinct academic advantage. It is one of the premier UK schools delivering both A-Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula to foster global intellectual breadth.

In this guide, I leverage my 6-year education consultancy background to simplify King Edward's School 2026 11 plus (11+) Exam admissions for every parent.

Dieu et Mon Droit – God and my Right

King Edward's School Motto

King Edward's School Key Details

School Details

Type of School: Independent Day School (HMC)
Boarding Type: No Boarding
Gender Type: Boys
Religion: Non-denominational
Age Range: 11 – 18 years
Number of Pupils (Total): 890+
King Edward's School GCSE Results (2025): 84% achieved Grade 9-7(A*/A)
King Edward's School IB/A-Level Results (2025): 78% achieved Higher Level 7-6 (Equivalent to A*-A)

Admissions Details

Admissions Policy: Selective
Number of Places in Year 7 (PAN): ~130 places
Exam Board: Internal KES Exam (Maths & English)
Number of Stages: 2 (Entrance Exam & Interview)
School Catchment Area: No
Sibling Policy: No
Pass Mark: Aim for 90%

Important 11+ Exam Dates

Preparing for the King Edward's School open day and the subsequent assessment requires scheduling foresight. I have compiled the definitive calendar of King Edward's School 11 plus exam dates to guide your family. This schedule covers the vital 11+ Exam date and deadlines for families focusing on 11 plus exam dates for 2027 entry in Birmingham.

Date	Event
Monday 30^th March 2026	11+ Applications Open (Registration Begins)
Wednesday 9^th September 2026	11+ SEND Consideration Deadline (9:00 am)
Monday 21^st September 2026	Application Deadline / Registration Closes (9:00 am)
Saturday 3^rd October 2026	Entrance Exam Date (English & Mathematics only)
November 2026	Interviews & Music Scholarship Auditions (By Invitation Only)
Friday 11^th December 2026	Results Sent by Letter to Parents
March 2027 (TBC)	Acceptance Deadline

Our Practical Tip for Parents

Manage the Autumn Sprint: Unlike independent schools in other regions that test in January, the King Edward's School entrance exam takes place in early October. This means it lands just weeks after the local Birmingham Grammar Consortium (GL Assessment) tests in September. Ensure your son does not suffer from "exam fatigue" and maintains his stamina to peak for this crucial October assessment.

King Edward's School Application Process for 11+ Exam Entry

King Edward's School (KES) manages its own admissions for boys entering Year 7. As stated on the King Edward's School 11 Plus Admissions Page, families must apply directly through the school portal. This institution is a prominent choice among independent schools in Birmingham.

How to Register for the 11+ Exam

Complete the online form on the King Edward's School, Birmingham website to begin the 11 plus exam process.
Pay the registration fee (£50 + VAT) to finalize the 11 plus exam registration before the deadline. (Note: This is waived for those on certain benefits.)
Upload a digital recent passport-style photograph of your child as required by the application portal.
Tick the specific box on the form if applying for an Assisted Place or Music Scholarship.

Our Practical Tip for Parents

Ensure you indicate your interest in an Assisted Place specifically on the initial registration form, as missing this step effectively disqualifies you from financial assistance considerations later.

Parent’s Top 2 Queries

What exam board does King Edward's School, Birmingham, follow?

The Papers are set internally by the school. Past papers are not available, but official sample questions are provided on their website.

How long is the 11+ Exam for King Edward's School, Birmingham?

The exam consists of a 70-minute English paper and a 60-minute Mathematics paper.

King Edward's School 11+ Test Format

In this section, we explore what is in the 11 Plus exam at King Edward's School. The admissions process for Year 7 entry in September 2027 aims to identify boys with high academic potential and intellectual curiosity. Candidates for 2027 entry will sit their entrance examinations in early October 2026.

As stated in the King Edward's School Admissions Policy, the school conducts a comprehensive academic assessment. All registered applicants attend the school to sit two formal papers on the examination day.

11+ English

The English paper is 70 minutes long (40 minutes for comprehension, including 10 minutes of reading time, and 30 minutes for continuous writing). This section of the King Edward's School 11 Plus Test evaluates how well a student can analyse texts and construct arguments.

Comprehension: Students must answer questions based on a passage of prose, selecting information and showing the ability to 'read between the lines'.
Analysis: The questions require candidates to understand both literal and figurative language, such as proverbs, metaphors, and colloquial expressions.
Creative Writing: Boys are asked to produce continuous writing, which could be a factual essay, a story, or imaginative writing to create a mood or atmosphere.
Assessment: Marks are awarded for correct spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, and the use of a strong vocabulary without empty slang.

11+ Mathematics

The 11+ Mathematics paper lasts 60 minutes and assumes knowledge of the National Curriculum up to the end of Year 5. Calculators are not permitted, as the school wishes to assess mental fluency and written methods.

Arithmetic: The paper tests the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Section A consists of multiple-choice questions completed on a separate answer sheet.
Problem Solving: Questions become progressively more complex, with some designed to test a candidate's ability to extract mathematical data from English sentences.
Topic Coverage: The paper aims to see how basic operations are applied to solve problems. There is no negative marking; marks are not deducted for getting answers wrong in either section.
Methodology: In Section B, students must show their working out directly on the examination paper, as credit is given for the correct logical process.

The 11+ Interview

Boys being considered for Scholarships, Assisted Places, or those on the academic borderline are invited back for an interview. This session allows senior staff to assess the candidate's interests, academic suitability, and "teachability."

Format: The interview typically lasts 15 to 20 minutes with a senior teacher.
Content: Discussions cover the boy's hobbies, reading habits, and responses to the exam papers.
Preparation: Parents should review PiAcademy’s 11+ interview questions to help their child prepare for this conversation.
Objective: The school looks for enthusiasm and the ability to articulate ideas clearly.

Our Practical Tip for Parents

King Edward's School places immense value on the "showing working" aspect of the Maths paper. Ensure your son does not just write the final answer; he must document his logical steps clearly in Section B, as partial marks are awarded for the correct method even if the final calculation is slightly off.

King Edward's School 11 Plus Pass Mark

King Edward's School, Birmingham, does not publish a specific pass mark. Successful candidates are selected based on the rank order of their 11 plus exam results.

There is no fixed minimum score required for admission.
Offers are made to boys who perform best across the entrance tests.

While the school does not have an official pass mark, if the child is able to achieve 95%+ score in PiAcademy’s 11+ Practice Papers, they will be able to ace the King Edward's School eleven plus exam.

Which are Best Alternatives to King Edward's School?

King Edward's School, Birmingham, is widely considered the premier independent day school for boys in the West Midlands. However, the competition is intense, with hundreds of applicants vying for limited places. Relying solely on one option is a high-risk strategy.

In my 6 years of consulting, I have seen brilliant students miss out simply due to exam-day nerves. To mitigate this, I recommend a strategy of applying to three Grammar schools and two Private schools. This ensures your son secures a place in an elite academic environment, regardless of the final KES outcome.

Top 5 Alternative Grammar and Independent Schools

Most families targeting King Edward's School also register for the Birmingham Grammar Consortium and nearby prestigious independent schools. Here is how the top alternatives compare:

School Name	School Type	Gender	Exam Board	GCSE (9-7)	A-Level (A*-B)	Oxbridge
King Edward's School	Independent	Boys	School's Own	~85%	~78% (IB HL 7-6)	~15-20
KE VI Camp Hill Boys	State Grammar	Boys	GL Assessment	~88%	~89%	~20+
Solihull School	Independent	Co-Ed	School's Own/ISEB	~79%	~85%	~8-12
KE VI Aston School	State Grammar	Boys	GL Assessment	~72%	~70%	~5-8
Warwick School	Independent	Boys	School's Own	~76%	~80%	~6-10
Queen Mary's (Walsall)	State Grammar	Boys	GL Assessment	~68%	~70%	~5-8

Why these schools are the top alternatives to King Edward's School, Birmingham

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys: This is the academic "Gold Standard" for state education in Birmingham. It uses the GL Assessment format, focusing heavily on Verbal Reasoning, which differs from the KES written papers.

Solihull School: As a leading independent co-educational school, Solihull offers comparable facilities and pastoral care to KES. It is an excellent choice for parents seeking a holistic education with slightly less intense entrance pressure.
King Edward VI Aston School: Located conveniently for city-centre access, Aston is a robust grammar school alternative. It focuses on STEM subjects and shares the historic foundation ethos of the King Edward VI branding.
Warwick School: For families willing to commute or use school transport, Warwick offers a traditional single-sex independent education. Their entrance process looks for potential and character, often interviewing boys to assess fit beyond just raw scores.

Our Practical Tip for Parents

Do not confuse the exam dates. The Birmingham Grammar test (GL Assessment) happens in September, while the King Edward's School independent exam takes place shortly after in early October. Because both happen in the Autumn term, your revision timeline must prepare your son to peak early in Year 6, rather than waiting for the January dates used by independent schools in other parts of the country.

What are the topics for the 11+ Exam of King Edward's School?

Analysis of 11+ Exam Maths topics

Our analysis of the King Edward's School 11+ exam past papers reveals a distinct topic weighting. Because KES tests knowledge strictly up to the end of the Year 5 National Curriculum, this breakdown clearly shows that foundational Arithmetic and complex Problem-Solving account for the vast majority of the questions.

11+ Maths Topics	Estimated % of Questions
Arithmetic & Number Operations	40%
Applied Word Problems	25%
Fractions, Decimals & Percentages	15%
Geometry & Measures	15%
Data Handling & Statistics	5%

Try our 11 Plus Maths topic-wise Questions with more than 15,000+ Questions. Because the KES Maths paper requires both multiple-choice answers and documented working-out, we highly recommend using the 11+ Maths Independent Practice Papers Pack 1 to master these specific 11+ Maths topics. For comprehensive revision that builds mental fluency, our 11+ Maths Solved Past Papers are essential.

Analysis of 11+ Exam English topics

Based on our analysis of the 70-minute KES format, Reading Comprehension and Continuous Writing are the critical areas for this school. Students must demonstrate strong analytical skills and imaginative writing abilities to succeed in their 11+ English past papers.

English Topic	Estimated % of Questions
Reading Comprehension	45%
Creative Writing	35%
Vocabulary	10%
(SPAG) Grammar & Punctuation	10%

We recommend the 11+ English Independent Practice Papers Pack 1 for focused practice on independent-style 11 Plus Practice papers. Additionally, mastering continuous writing is vital for a high score in the 30-minute KES composition section. Use our 11+ Exam Creative Writing resources to improve your child's narrative structure, vocabulary, and ability to create atmosphere.

Which are the Best (11 plus) 11+ Practice Papers for King Edward's School?

Our targeted 11 plus papers are based on actual exam questions from top independent schools. They help students familiarise themselves with the rigorous exam pattern well in advance.

Subject	Name of the practice pack	Exam boards covered	Type of exam questions
Maths	11+ Maths Independent Practice Papers Pack 1	Independent School Board	Standard / Multiple Choice
English	11+ English Independent Practice Papers Pack 1	Independent School Board	Standard

Best 11 Plus Mock Test for King Edward's School

King Edward's School is extremely competitive, making consistent practice vital for admission success. Sitting an 11 plus mock test allows your son to familiarise himself with the rigorous exam environment. These 11 plus mock tests identify weak areas while testing speed and accuracy under pressure.

As King Edward's School, Birmingham, sets its own entrance papers, we recommend versatile practice resources. The following pack covers the core skills—specifically English and Mathematics required for this challenge:

Exam Board	Suggested Mock Exams Names
All Exam Boards	PiAcademy’s Mock Test 11 Plus

You can try our free 11 plus mock test to assess your child’s current progress. Securing a King Edward's School 11 plus mock exam ensures he is prepared for this prestigious institution. Using an 11 plus mock test, a Birmingham-based service provides a distinct advantage.

What are the King Edward's School Fees?

For the 2025/26 academic year, the fee is £7,330 per term (including VAT), primarily covering tuition. This totals £21,990 per annum. Please note that catering is charged separately, and all Year 7 boys are required to participate in the school lunch system for an additional daily charge.

The school provides generous King Edward's School bursaries (known as Assisted Places), ensuring accessibility for talented boys requiring financial assistance. While searching for private school scholarships and bursaries, note that KES also offers King Edward's School Scholarships for academic and music excellence.

You can check our guide on the most expensive Private Schools UK to see how these costs compare with other elite institutions.

King Edward's School Half - Term Dates (2025-2026)

Autumn Half Term 1: Wednesday 3^rd September 2025 to Wednesday 22^nd October 2025
Autumn Half Term 2: Monday 3^rd November 2025 to Friday 12^th December 2025
Spring Half Term 1: Tuesday 6^th January 2026 to Friday 13^th February 2026
Spring Half Term 2: Monday 23^rd February 2026 to Friday 27^th March 2026
Summer Half Term 1: Tuesday 21^st April 2026 to Friday 22^nd May 2026
Summer Half Term 2: Tuesday 2^nd June 2026 to Thursday 9^th July 2026

This information has been sourced from Get Information about Schools and King Edward's School Official Website.

Related References for Parents

Independent school admissions involve direct applications, distinct registration deadlines, and bespoke pre-testing. Review these official inspection reports and testing guidelines to prepare your child for King Edward's School.

Author(s)

Ishita Baviskar

Co-Founder of PiAcademy and School Uni Guide

Ishita Baviskar is an education specialist and co-founder of PiAcademy, with extensive experience in developing high-quality exam preparation materials for competitive exams, including Pre-11+, 11+, and GCSE, as well as UK National Curriculum resources for KS1 and KS2 SATs.