The Eleven plus selection procedure is designed to determine whether or not children in the autumn term of their final year at primary school are suitable for admission to a grammar school.  Parents should note that meeting the academic requirements for entry to the School is not, in itself, a guarantee of an offer of a place.

The entrance test assesses students’ verbal and non-verbal abilities, English skills and mathematics.

• All questions are multiple choice style questions.
• In one paper, students will be tested on their verbal skills (including reading comprehension, technical skills of spelling, punctuation & grammar and verbal reasoning).
• The other test paper assesses non-verbal reasoning and mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding.
• Each test takes between 50-55 minutes.

For free familiarisation materials and information on the 11+ practice papers available from GL Assessment please see here.

In order to register, the School's 11+ Application Form and the Local Authority Common or Secondary Application form (CAF or SAF) must both be completed.

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that they register with their Local Authorities by the given deadline.

Local Authority Applications

Local Authority applications for September 2027 Year 7 entry open on 1 September 2026 and close on 31 October 2026.

• Wiltshire
• Hampshire
• Dorset
• Southampton City

Please see this page for information on our admissions process.

Bishop Wordsworth's School does not have any partnership or affiliation with any private tutors or tutoring agencies. Any statements suggesting that tutors have access to Bishop Wordsworth’s School (BWS) exam papers, sample materials, or non-public “inside “information are incorrect.

BWS is committed to widening learners from all backgrounds. Boys with parents/guardians on low incomes are entitled to priority when places are allocated and have a lowered qualifying standard.

Applicants who, at the time of the entry exam, meet the eligibility criteria to claim for free school meals currently or in any of the previous six years and who therefore qualify for the Pupil Premium Grant must indicate that their son qualifies for Free School Meals on the 11+ Registration Form and provide documentary evidence.

From September 2026 the qualifying standard for boys who qualify as Pupil Premium will be 10% lower. In addition 10 places are reserved for them. To qualify for a modified qualifying standard supporting documentary evidence from the local authority will be required. If fewer than 10 pupil premium eligible boys meet the reduced qualifying standard, then the places will be reallocated to standard qualifying standard applicants.

For information on free or subsidised resources to prepare for the 11+ exam please see here

Yes.  If a pupil has a current statement of educational needs (SEN) including an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), speaks English as a Second Language, or faces any other barrier to learning, whether medical or educational, or in that event that parents believe his circumstances may affect his performance in the entrance exam, they can request that reasonable adjustments are put in place. 

There is more information on the Special Access Arrangements page.

For practical reasons we recommend that a pupil’s journey time should be under an hour in order that he can fully participate in the wider life of the school.

The current designated area map for Bishop Wordsworth's School is shown below (higher resolution copy at the bottom of the page).

Boys who live within the designated area will be given priority in the event of oversubscription. Boys do not need to live within the designated area to apply or attend BWS.

From September 2026: In the event of excess applications to sit the 11+ the 480 boys who live closest to the Exter street gate will be prioritised. Please see the Admissions Policy 2027-2028 for more information.

The BWS Foundation provides grants to pupils not currently at the School but who need financial assistance to support their application, for example attending open days and the 11+ examination. For information on how to apply, please see our Financial Assistance page.

For information on free or subsidised resources to prepare for the 11+ exam please see here.

Boys whose parent is or has been a member of the Regular Armed Forces are entitled to priority when places are allocated. Parents must indicate on the 11+ Registration form that their son qualifies for the Service Premium in their school or that their son has been a Service Child in any of the previous three years prior to the date of the test or that their son is in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence.  Documentary evidence will be required.

GL Assessment design the mark scheme. All marks are 'standardised' according to the age in years and months of the applicant to produce a final score.

Your results letter from the School will inform you if your son has met the qualifying standard but this letter does not constitute an offer of a place.  Offers depend not only on meeting the qualifying standard but also on the overall number of boys who passed and the preferences that parents have expressed on the Secondary (sometimes called ’Common’) Application Form issued by the Local Authority.  If the school is, as usual, oversubscribed, boys who have met the qualifying standard will not be offered places but will be put on the waiting list. More detail can be found in the Admissions Policy.

Please see the Appeals page for more information.