South Hampstead High School, situated in Hampstead NW3, describes itself as one of the UK's pre-eminent schools, and its 11+ entrance exam is the London 11+ Consortium exam, an online assessment that all the schools in the Consortium share, covering Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension. The Consortium says any prior knowledge it assesses is based on the National Curriculum for Year 5, with opportunities for additional challenge built into the assessment, so understanding exactly what the exam involves, and how it is sat, is the essential first step.
South Hampstead is part of the London 11+ Consortium, and its own FAQs say that all schools in the Consortium share the same 11+ admissions exam. The exam is taken online and lasts 100 minutes in total, with a break in the middle, and the Consortium describes it as including cognitive reasoning, English comprehension, Maths and some creative components to assess problem-solving and analysis skills. The English section is built around a piece of fiction written specially for the exam. It assesses comprehension and spelling and grammar, and the Consortium states that there is no extended writing required.
The Maths section is based on the National Curriculum for Year 5: the Consortium says it does not test anything on the Year 6 curriculum, and provides stretch and challenge through the style and depth of the questions. It is adaptive, so the questions are tailored to each candidate's performance. Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension are the two sections taken after the break. Problem Solving tests the ability to use words and numbers to solve multi-step problems, and Creative Comprehension asks candidates to use information from a variety of sources, given in a range of formats, to answer questions. Both are non-adaptive, as is English.
South Hampstead High School is part of the GDST (Girls' Day School Trust). In the school's own words, "Entry is competitive. Girls are assessed via examination, interview and report." The school welcomes approximately 55 new girls into the school each year to join those moving up from its Junior School. Girls must have reached the age of 11 before 1 September in the year of entry, and will be in Year 6 when they sit their entrance examination.
The Head's welcome describes the school's academic results as excellent, and its aims and ethos say it wants pupils to develop a love of learning and curiosity about the world and to fulfil their academic potential. At 11+ the school says it is looking for potential: curious pupils who will take advantage of the opportunities on offer.
The English section is where careful reading counts most. The text is a piece of fiction written specially for the Consortium exam, comprehension is followed by an assessment of whether a candidate can identify the correct use of standard English in context, and the Consortium says that candidates should not be thrown by vocabulary they do not know, because one of the things being assessed is the ability to infer meaning from context. It adds that the section does not require any recall of grammar and that candidates who read widely will be well prepared for it.
Our 11+ specialists work with South Hampstead High applicants on the English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension sections of the Consortium exam, tailoring preparation to the academic standards this GDST school expects. Our students have achieved a 95%+ offer rate across selective school entry, and we're rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan for the South Hampstead High School 11+.
Problem Solving is non-adaptive, and candidates are likely to complete different numbers of questions in the time available. In Creative Comprehension the information is given in a range of formats, candidates may have to look at several sources at once, and the context is likely to be unfamiliar to all candidates.
For a family living abroad, our guide to South Hampstead High School from overseas gathers what the school publishes for applicants outside the UK, stage by stage.
South Hampstead's own FAQs say "Practice tests are not available and no special preparation is required." They add that it is important for candidates' confidence that they are familiar with the nature and style of the exam, that familiarisation material is available on the Consortium website, and that, although a degree of practice may help children to feel secure in what is expected of them, repeated practice is not encouraged.
The Consortium recommends that all candidates look at its familiarisation materials. It says the exam tests knowledge of the Year 5 Maths National Curriculum and that candidates will need to know how to read an extended passage of fiction and answer questions on it, skills a child develops in school anyway, so that "your daughter does not need special tuition or intensive practice for this assessment". For Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning it does not recommend intense preparation, as any gains quickly become very marginal. To discuss your child's 11+ preparation, book a free consultation.
Leading Tuition provides 1-to-1 specialist tutoring for the South Hampstead High School 11+ exam. Our tutors are familiar with the specific demands of the Consortium exam that South Hampstead uses — the style of comprehension questions, the Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension sections, and the level of mathematical reasoning required. Tutoring is tailored to each child: we assess where they are, identify the gaps that matter most for this particular exam, and build a structured programme around them.
We work with families across North London, including those based in and around Hampstead NW3, and we understand the timeline pressures and the level of competition involved. We keep sessions focused, purposeful, and encouraging for the child.
For official entry requirements and registration details, see the South Hampstead High School admissions.
South Hampstead High School's 11+ entry exam is the London 11+ Consortium exam, which the school says is provided by Quest. It is taken online, lasts 100 minutes in total with a break in the middle, and is sat once however many Consortium schools a candidate applies to. The Consortium lists thirteen London independent schools as its members: Channing School, Francis Holland (Regent's Park), Francis Holland (Sloane Square), Godolphin and Latymer, More House, Northwood College for Girls, Notting Hill and Ealing High School, Queen's College, Queen's Gate School, South Hampstead High School, St Augustine's Priory, St Helen's School and St Margaret's School.
| Component | Order | Duration | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | 1st | 20 min | Adaptive |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | 2nd | 10 min | Adaptive |
| English | 3rd | 20 min | Non-adaptive |
| Verbal Reasoning | 4th | 10 min | Adaptive |
| Break | After Verbal Reasoning | Up to 30 min | — |
| Problem Solving | 5th | 15 min | Non-adaptive |
| Creative Comprehension | 6th | 25 min | Non-adaptive |
The Consortium sets out these six components in this order, with a break of up to 30 minutes after Verbal Reasoning. Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning are adaptive, so the questions are tailored to each candidate's performance; English, Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension are non-adaptive, with different content for each of the three exam days. Once a section has been completed, candidates cannot go back to amend it, which is different from classroom assessments where children can go back and check their work. The English section rewards close reading of a piece of fiction written specially for the exam, followed by identifying the correct use of standard English in context, and the Consortium states that there is no extended writing required.
For South Hampstead, an academically selective school that says it is looking for pupils who will thrive in a scholarly environment, the Consortium exam rewards accurate reasoning and careful reading across six sections in a single sitting. Our specialist tutors work with girls across North London and online, covering every component of the exam and building the accuracy, reasoning fluency and reading skills that South Hampstead expects. For further information, see our guide to schools that use Quest.
Preparing your daughter for the South Hampstead High School Consortium exam?
Leading Tuition offers specialist London 11+ Consortium exam preparation covering all six components — Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning (all adaptive), English, Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension. Our specialist tutors work with families across North London and online, building personalised programmes tailored to each child's starting level and available time.
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Book a Free Consultation Our guide to schools that use Quest →South Hampstead High School uses the London 11+ Consortium exam, which all schools in the Consortium share and which the school says is provided by Quest. It is taken online and is 100 minutes in total, with a break of up to 30 minutes after Verbal Reasoning. The six sections, in order, are Maths (20 minutes), Non-Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes), English (20 minutes), Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes), Problem Solving (15 minutes) and Creative Comprehension (25 minutes). Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning are adaptive; English, Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension are non-adaptive. The Consortium states that there is no extended writing required, and once a section has been completed candidates cannot go back to amend it.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tutoring for the South Hampstead 11+ exam, covering all six components. Our specialist tutors focus on the specific demands of an online, timed exam with adaptive sections — where candidates cannot go back to amend a section once it is completed — and on developing the reading, reasoning and problem-solving skills South Hampstead expects. We work with families across North London and online, building structured programmes tailored to each child's needs and timeline. Visit our guide to schools that use Quest or book a free consultation to discuss your daughter's preparation.
South Hampstead High School says that entry is competitive and that girls are assessed via examination, interview and report. It is a member of the GDST and one of thirteen London independent schools in the London 11+ Consortium, which share the same 11+ exam. A girl sits the exam once, however many Consortium schools she applies to, and the results are shared with all the schools at which she is registered. Candidates who do well in the entrance test are invited to interview at South Hampstead.
Registration for entry in September 2027 closes at noon on Friday 6 November 2026. The Consortium exam is taken on one of three dates: Friday 27 November, Tuesday 1 December or Thursday 3 December 2026, at the candidate's own school or, if that school is unable to host it, at South Hampstead on the first two of those dates or at another Consortium school she has applied to. South Hampstead asks each applicant's current school for a reference in late November, and candidates who do well in the entrance test are invited to interview, in person at South Hampstead, on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Offers are made on Friday 12 February 2027, and the deadline to accept is noon on Wednesday 3 March 2027. Families should check the current admissions cycle deadlines on the SHHS website directly, as dates are published each year and can shift slightly between cycles.
Yes. South Hampstead is one of the thirteen London independent schools in the London 11+ Consortium, so candidates only sit the assessment once, irrespective of the number of Consortium schools they apply to, and the results are shared with all the schools at which the candidate is registered. She sits it at her current school if possible and otherwise at a Consortium school to which she has applied. The location has no bearing on the outcome of the application. Candidates living abroad can take the exam overseas: the school's FAQs say to ask the current school whether it can invigilate the exam, otherwise to contact the British Council, and failing that to find a professional invigilation venue, and that the Consortium does not allow candidates to be tested at home or at a tutor's house. The interview, by contrast, is individual to each senior school.
South Hampstead is an academically selective school and says it is looking for pupils who will thrive in a scholarly environment: at 11+ it is looking for potential, meaning curious pupils who will take advantage of the opportunities on offer. Each application has three elements: the Consortium exam, a reference from the candidate's current school, and an interview. The Consortium says candidates who read widely will be well prepared for the English section.
The Consortium says the Maths is based on the National Curriculum for Year 5, with stretch and challenge coming from the style and depth of the questions. Alongside it, the exam includes adaptive Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning, Problem Solving, which asks candidates to use words and numbers to solve multi-step problems, and Creative Comprehension, which asks them to answer questions using information from several sources given in different formats. The Consortium states that there is no extended writing required, and the exam is taken online.
South Hampstead's FAQs say that practice tests are not available and no special preparation is required, and that it is important for candidates' confidence that they are familiar with the nature and style of the exam. The Consortium recommends that all candidates look at its familiarisation materials.
The school's admissions policy says the final decision regarding admissions rests with the Head: "There is no right of appeal against their decision." It also states that the Head's decision on admission is final. Some candidates will not receive an immediate offer but will be told they have been placed on the waiting list, and offers are made to waiting-list candidates if places become available.
Book a free consultation to discuss your child's 11+ preparation.
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