Dame Alice Owen's School 11+: guide for 2028 entry

At a glance

Test dates

Not yet published for 2028 entry. The school says it aims to provide test dates by the end of the autumn term. It says the first test takes place in early September, when children are starting Year 6

Registration

Exact dates not yet published for 2028 entry. The school says registration is open between May and June, when children are in Year 5

Part I

Verbal Reasoning: 80 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes, provided by GL Assessment

Part II

English and Mathematics, one hour each, for children ranked in the top 325 in Part I

Who can register

Only children living in one of the school's Local Priority Areas, both at test registration and at the date of application (31 October)

Familiarisation

Familiarisation papers are available for all to view. Additional sample papers are available to buy from the school

Key dates

For 2028 entry (Part I expected in early September 2027, going by the school's description)

Dame Alice Owen's School has not published these dates yet. Its key dates page says it aims to provide test dates by the end of the autumn term. Its entrance exam page says registration is open between May and June of Year 5.

Source: Dame Alice Owen's School: Key Dates inc School visits

This year's dates (2026 tests, 2027 entry)

When we checked, the school's key dates page did not list this year's test dates, so we have not given them here.

Source: Dame Alice Owen's School: Key Dates inc School visits

The two parts

80 questions in 50 minutes

That works out at under 40 seconds a question, so Part I rewards steady pace as well as knowledge. Timed practice helps a child learn not to get stuck on one question.

Part I decides who sits Part II

The school says children ranked within the top 325 are invited to sit Part II. Children ranked below position 325 are not eligible for further consideration under its academic criterion. The English and Maths results are age-standardised and combined with the Verbal Reasoning result to give a total combined mark.

Check where you live before registering

The school asks parents to check that their child lives within one of its Local Priority Areas before registering. It says it cannot accept registrations after the closing date, and that only one application is allowed for each child.

When the dates appear

The school says it aims to provide test dates by the end of the autumn term for tests taking place later in the year, so that parents can make sure their child is available. We read that as meaning the dates for the September 2027 tests should appear towards the end of this term, so it is worth checking its key dates page then.

Five Dame Alice Owen's-style sample questions

These are our own questions, written in the style of the test so you can see the level. They are not taken from any real paper. Tap a question to see the answer and the method. The real Part II English paper includes an extended piece of writing; we use multiple choice here only so you can check quickly.

What a Year 5 parent can do now

1. Check that your home is inside one of the school's Local Priority Areas. Only children living in those areas can be registered for the test.
2. Look at the school's key dates page towards the end of this autumn term. The school says it aims to provide test dates by the end of the autumn term, and we expect that to cover the September 2027 tests.
3. Start short, regular verbal reasoning practice now, and look through the school's familiarisation papers together.

Free Year 5 baseline check: 20 questions in 15 minutes

How to prepare

• Look at the school's own familiarisation papers first. It strongly recommends that all children use them to get to know the format.
• Practise multiple-choice verbal reasoning against the clock, building up to 80 questions in 50 minutes.
• Practise one-hour comprehension papers that end with a longer piece of writing.
• Practise one-hour maths papers.