Decoding the London 11+ Consortium Exam for South Hampstead High School

South Hampstead High School is an exceptionally ambitious independent girls' day school in Hampstead and a prominent member of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST). Because South Hampstead belongs to the London 11+ Consortium, their entry process is completely unified with several other top-tier London schools, meaning your daughter sits just one shared entrance exam.

The Core Timeline

• Registration Deadline: Early November of Year 6

• Consortium Exam Dates: Late November or early December of Year 6

• Interviews & Practical Assessments: Held on-site in mid-January of Year 6

• Offers & Results Dispatched: Mid-February of Year 6

The Detailed Exam Format

The London 11+ Consortium exam is a bespoke, digital assessment lasting exactly 100 minutes. It is strictly split into two distinct, timed halves with a 30-minute break in between:

• The Adaptive First Half: This section adjusts its difficulty automatically based on how your child answers. It includes Maths (20 minutes) focused cleanly on foundations from the Year 5 National Curriculum, Non-Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes) assessing spatial logic, and English & Verbal Reasoning (30 minutes) tracking text interpretation, grammar, and vocabulary in context.

• The Non-Adaptive Second Half: This half provides identical questions to every single student to evaluate critical thinking. It contains Puzzles & Problem Solving (15 minutes) featuring multi-step logical challenges, and Creative Comprehension (25 minutes) where girls must synthesise and extract data from a varied collection of maps, charts, or informational texts.

The Interview

Girls who demonstrate strong potential in the digital test are invited to South Hampstead in January for a dynamic individual interview and a practical activity session designed to assess creative communication.

Prepare with Exceptional Academics

The unique structure of the Consortium exam especially the fast-paced Creative Comprehension and Puzzle sections requires quick analytical thinking and sharp test mechanics. Exceptional Academics works 1-to-1 with applicants to demystify these online puzzle formats and build calm, structured interview skills. Contact us today at info@exceptionalacademics.com.