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Applying to Queen Elizabeth's School for September 2028? This guide covers the Queen Elizabeth's School entrance test, the qualifying score, how the 180 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
Number of places in Year 7: 180 (2027-entry figure — Queen Elizabeth's School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: a combined standardised score of 225 or higher across the two papers, for 2027 entry
11+ test: Queen Elizabeth's School entrance test (two multiple-choice papers, English and maths, sat in a single session)
Catchment or priority area: no — places are not allocated by where you live
Source: Queen Elizabeth's School Criteria for Admission and Admissions Guide for Parents, September 2027 Admissions. Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
Queen Elizabeth's School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Friday 1 May 2026 to Wednesday 8 July 2026 (noon), the test took place on Wednesday 16 or Thursday 17 September 2026 (one of the two days) and results were due on Thursday 1 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.
Key dates for Queen Elizabeth's School 11+ entry in September 2028, with expected windows where the school has not yet confirmed exact dates.
Date
What happens
Early May 2027
Entrance test registration form expected to open
Early July 2027
Open Day (usually the first Thursday in July)
Early to mid-July 2027
Registration expected to close (noon deadline in 2026)
Mid-September 2027
Entrance test expected, over two days
Early October 2027
Results expected by email
Sunday 31 October 2027
Deadline to apply for secondary school places through your home local authority. This date falls on a Sunday.
Wednesday 1 March 2028
National offer day for secondary school places
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Queen Elizabeth's School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
You register your son by completing the school's entrance test request form, which can be submitted electronically from the admissions section of the school's website from early May of Year 5 (paper forms are available on request). For 2027 entry the form opened on Friday 1 May 2026 and had to reach the school by noon on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Queen Elizabeth's School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.
Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.
What will my child be tested on?
Queen Elizabeth's School sets its own entrance test, sat at the school in September. There is one round only: your son sits two multiple-choice papers, in English and maths, in a single session. Answer sheets are marked electronically.
The scores are age-standardised by the company that supplies the tests, so a boy's month of birth doesn't give him an advantage or disadvantage. The two scores are combined into one overall score, and boys with a combined score of 225 or higher meet the standard for admission.
The school doesn't publish how long each paper lasts, and there are no past papers. Its website links to sample materials that may help with familiarisation, but it notes these may not reflect the format of its own tests.
How are places allocated at Queen Elizabeth's School?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 180 Year 7 places, Queen Elizabeth's School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027/28. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
Queen Elizabeth's School oversubscription criteria in priority order, from the 2027/28 admissions policy.
Priority
Who it covers
1
Boys who reach the standard set by the governors (a combined score of 225 or higher), ranked by their combined entrance test score. Places go to the 180 highest-ranked boys who apply
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The school's criteria say all places are allocated on the basis of academic ability, established by the entrance tests. The school also says there is no priority for Pupil Premium, siblings or twins, and no music, sport or drama aptitude places. If fewer than 180 boys reach the standard, the remaining places stay unfilled and are kept for boys who do meet it.
Does Queen Elizabeth's School have a catchment area?
Queen Elizabeth's School has no catchment area. Where you live only matters as a tie-break between boys with the same score.
Where two or more boys have the same score, the boy who lives closest to the main school gate, measured in a straight line from the Ordnance Survey address point of the home, is ranked higher. If boys are still tied for the final place, a random ballot supervised by someone independent of the school decides.
If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.
How can I help my son prepare for the test?
The Queen Elizabeth's School entrance exam can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your son prepare for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your son feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures he builds skills in the right order, covers everything he needs, and avoids last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your son's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics he'll be tested on. It shows him what to work on and when, adapts as he improves, and helps him build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for him, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your son's knowledge grows, practice tests can help him feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your son will get new questions each time. This helps him practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your son's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing his standardised age score (SAS), where he's doing well, and what he should focus on next. You'll also learn how he compares to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your son to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps him become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will broaden his vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts.
When you're supporting your son through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing he's moving in the right direction — not just how he scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your son is doing in each topic and the direction he's moving in. You can see where he's on track, where he might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
