City of London School for Girls 11+ Assessment Tutor 2026
Specialist preparation for CLSG's first assessment, second assessment and interview — from specialist tutors.
Book a Free ConsultationSpecialist preparation for CLSG's first assessment, second assessment and interview — from specialist tutors.
Book a Free ConsultationCity of London School for Girls (CLSG) is a selective, independent day school in the heart of the City, and girls come to it from all over London. Entry for September 2027 begins with a one-hour computer-based first assessment at CLSG between 13 and 18 November 2026; pupils invited back sit a second assessment on Wednesday 6 January 2027 and attend interviews later in January, with offers on Friday 12 February 2027, as set out on CLSG's 11+ admissions page. This guide covers everything families need to understand about the CLSG 11+ process — the format, the timeline, how selection works, and how to prepare for every stage.
City of London School for Girls is an independent selective day school for girls aged 11 to 18, located within the Barbican Estate in the City of London (EC2Y 8BB).
CLSG publishes its A level results for 2026 as “81% of papers graded at A* - A and 95% awarded A*- B”, and its leaver destinations page says: “Our students go on to study at top universities across the UK and the globe.” Its location in the City reflects a distinctive ethos: girls are encouraged to engage with the intellectual and commercial world on their doorstep, with regular access to professional speakers and cultural institutions.
CLSG is not one of the thirteen schools that the London 11+ Consortium's own website lists as its members. CLSG runs its own first assessment between 13 and 18 November 2026, so a girl who also applies to a Consortium school sits that group's separate 100-minute assessment as well, on one of Friday 27 November, Tuesday 1 December or Thursday 3 December 2026.
CLSG's 11+ process has a first assessment, a second assessment and an interview. Every pupil who would like to take the assessment must be registered with the school, and registration for entry in September 2027 closes on Friday 30 October 2026.
The first assessment is a one-hour computer-based test, Cambridge Select Insight, assessing numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills; pupils are invited to City to sit it, and the tests run between 13 and 18 November 2026. CLSG asks families to show their daughter the familiarisation materials beforehand. In mid-December, pupils who have been successful in the first assessment receive their invitation to City for the second assessment; under CLSG's admissions policy, these are candidates “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report”.
The second assessment takes place on Wednesday 6 January 2027 and consists of a 45-minute English paper, testing creative writing and analytical skills, and a 45-minute maths paper, testing problem-solving; CLSG also plans to give pupils a taste of lessons at City. Interviews take place between Monday 11 and Thursday 21 January 2027, and offers — including scholarship and bursary offers — are sent by email on Friday 12 February 2027. The deadline to accept is in early March 2027.
| Stage | Component | When | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First assessment | Numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills | 13–18 Nov 2026 | One-hour computer-based test (Cambridge Select Insight) | Pupils are invited to City to sit it; the school links familiarisation materials |
| Second assessment | English paper | 6 Jan 2027 | 45 minutes | Tests creative writing and analytical skills |
| Second assessment | Maths paper | 6 Jan 2027 | 45 minutes | Tests problem-solving |
| Interview | Interview | 11–21 Jan 2027 | Follows the second assessment | Music scholarship auditions for shortlisted candidates also take place in January |
CLSG's admissions policy explains how candidates reach the second assessment. It says that candidates who are “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report” will then be invited to the second assessment and to attend an interview. The school sets a pass mark on the computer test above which every candidate is invited back for the second assessment and interview, and a mark below which no candidate is invited back, and these marks vary from year to year. Between the two marks there is a pool of candidates from which the school selects using criteria such as girls who score in the top 10% in individual sections of the test, girls who have been or are Looked After, girls currently enrolled in a state school, girls who have siblings at CLSG and girls who have summer birthdays. The second assessment then tests creative writing and analytical skills in English and problem-solving in maths. At interview, the school says it is looking for academic potential and interest above anything else — qualities that are difficult to manufacture at short notice and that distinguish girls with genuinely rich intellectual lives.
CLSG's own FAQs address tutoring directly: “We do not wish for pupils to endure hours of extra tuition.” “The assessment is designed not to be ‘tutorable’.” The school recommends that applicants look at the familiarisation for the CEM assessment and at the maths and English sample papers it provides, so that they know what to expect on the assessment days.
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Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppPreparing well for the CLSG first assessment requires understanding not just the skills tested, but how the test is delivered and how the result feeds into the invitation to the second assessment. CLSG's first assessment is a one-hour computer-based test, and the familiarisation materials that the school links to describe separately timed sections, each beginning with examples of how to answer.
Numerical skills. The familiarisation materials describe numerical ability as “arithmetic and problem solving”. Preparation should build fluency in arithmetic and confidence in problem solving. Speed matters: before each section starts, candidates are told how many questions there are and the time available, so accuracy and pace both count.
Verbal skills. The familiarisation materials describe the verbal questions as covering vocabulary, grammar and comprehension. Trying the example questions in the school's linked familiarisation before the test lets a girl meet the question types in advance.
Non-verbal skills. The familiarisation materials list non-verbal ability among the topics, and one of their example question types shows “a set of pictures with one picture missing”, from which the candidate selects one of four pictures to complete the set. Trying that question style in the school's linked familiarisation before the test lets a girl meet the on-screen format in advance.
The second assessment is made up of two 45-minute papers, one in English and one in maths, and CLSG publishes an English specimen paper and a maths specimen paper on its 11+ admissions page.
The English paper. The 45-minute English paper tests creative writing and analytical skills. CLSG's English specimen paper sets a short descriptive extract with two tasks: one detailed paragraph on the impression of the weather that the passage gives, using quotations and explaining the effects of the language, and a continuation of the story in one or two paragraphs, using a range of interesting language and imagery. Originality, a confident narrative voice, precise and vivid vocabulary, and controlled use of literary technique (imagery, varied sentence structure, deliberate punctuation) are the qualities to build. The most effective preparation develops genuine storytelling and analytical writing over time, with regular personalised feedback from a tutor who can give craft-level commentary on draft writing.
The maths paper. The 45-minute maths paper tests problem-solving. CLSG's maths specimen paper does not allow a calculator, asks candidates to show their working, and includes questions that ask for a short explanation, such as identifying and explaining the mistakes in worked answers. Preparation should include regular unseen problem-solving under timed conditions, with the habit of writing out working clearly and explaining reasoning in a sentence or two.
The Interview. Interviews take place between Monday 11 and Thursday 21 January 2027, following the second assessment. CLSG says its interviewers are experienced at putting pupils at ease, that it is looking for academic potential and interest above anything else, and that any practice a girl can get in articulating her ideas with enthusiasm and justification would be beneficial. The most compelling candidates bring genuine enthusiasms: a book that genuinely excited them, a topic they have followed because they find it interesting, an extracurricular activity they care about. Interview coaching can help a nervous girl develop composure and learn to express her thoughts clearly — but the interview rewards authenticity above performance, and girls with rich intellectual and extracurricular lives tend to find it an enjoyable conversation rather than an ordeal.
City of London School for Girls offers means-tested bursaries and music scholarships at 11+ entry; only pupils who are successful in the first assessment may apply for a music scholarship. Scholarship and bursary offers are sent alongside regular admissions offers on Friday 12 February 2027. Families who wish to be considered for a bursary should indicate this when they register their daughter; once registered, they are sent an online bursary application form, and supporting documents are required if their daughter does well in her first assessment.
On its bursaries page, CLSG says: “City is committed to enabling access to the school for those for whom its education will be most transformational.” It reports “around 100 pupils at City receiving bursary support, i.e. financial assistance of up to 100% of our school fees”, adds “We usually have 12 to 15 bursary places to allocate at 11+”, and says its bursaries are awarded “thanks to the generosity of benefactors, other parents, the City of London Corporation, and the City livery companies”.
Detailed and up-to-date fee information — including the current registration fee — is available directly from CLSG's admissions pages. Families interested in bursary support can contact the bursary team at bursaries@clsg.org.uk as early as possible in the cycle.
CLSG's location in the City of London is genuinely distinctive and not merely a geographical detail. The school has deep, sustained relationships with the City's financial, legal, professional and cultural institutions — and girls are expected to engage seriously with the world outside the school gates from their first year. Visiting speakers, work-shadowing opportunities, and partnerships with City businesses and cultural organisations form a significant part of school life.
The school's ethos is also notable for the expectations it places on intellectual curiosity and independence of thought. CLSG is not a school that emphasises examination performance to the exclusion of genuine intellectual engagement — it values girls who think independently, argue with evidence, and pursue ideas beyond the syllabus. This ethos is reflected in the admissions process: the English paper at the second assessment tests creative writing and analytical skills.
For families considering multiple selective girls' schools in London, the City location also means excellent transport links — the school is within walking distance of Barbican station (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan lines), St Paul's (Central line), and Moorgate (Northern, Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City lines), making it accessible from virtually every part of London.
A preparation schedule for the CLSG assessments can combine: regular 1-to-1 sessions with an Academic who knows the CLSG assessment format; consistent, high-quality reading that extends beyond school work; timed mock practice under exam conditions; and specific written work on the English paper's analytical and creative writing tasks, and on maths problem-solving, with personalised tutor feedback on each draft.
No. CLSG runs its own first assessment: a one-hour computer-based test, Cambridge Select Insight, assessing numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills, which pupils are invited to City to sit between 13 and 18 November 2026. The London 11+ Consortium's own website lists thirteen member schools, and City of London School for Girls is not among them; the Consortium's shared assessment, developed with Quest Assessments, is 100 minutes in total and is held on one of Friday 27 November, Tuesday 1 December or Thursday 3 December 2026. Candidates who are “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report” are invited to CLSG's second assessment on Wednesday 6 January 2027, with interviews later in January and offers on 12 February 2027.
CLSG's admissions policy says that candidates who are “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report” will then be invited to the second assessment and to attend an interview. The school sets a pass mark on the computer test above which every candidate is invited back for the second assessment and interview, and a mark below which no candidate is invited back, and these marks vary from year to year. Between the two marks, it selects from a pool using criteria such as girls who score in the top 10% in individual sections of the test, girls who have been or are Looked After, girls currently enrolled in a state school, girls who have siblings at CLSG and girls who have summer birthdays.
The second assessment takes place at CLSG on Wednesday 6 January 2027 for candidates who are “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report”. It consists of a 45-minute English paper, testing creative writing and analytical skills, and a 45-minute maths paper, testing problem-solving, whereas the first assessment is a one-hour computer-based test of numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills. CLSG also plans to give pupils a taste of lessons at City. In the school's English specimen paper, candidates read a short extract, write one detailed paragraph about the impression it gives, and then continue the story in one or two paragraphs.
For September 2027 entry: registration closes on Friday 30 October 2026. First assessments take place 13–18 November 2026, and candidates who are “successful in the first assessment and for whom the school may have received an encouraging school report” receive their invitation to the second assessment in mid-December. The second assessment takes place on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Interviews take place between Monday 11 and Thursday 21 January 2027. Offers — including scholarship and bursary offers — are sent by email on Friday 12 February 2027. The deadline to accept an offer is in early March 2027. On open events, CLSG says: “Our next open events for 11+ will be in the Summer and Autumn terms of 2027, for students applying for entry in September 2028.”
The first assessment is a one-hour computer-based test, Cambridge Select Insight, assessing numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills, and pupils are invited to City to sit it between 13 and 18 November 2026. CLSG asks families to show their daughter the familiarisation materials it links to. Those materials describe separately timed sections, tell candidates before each section how many questions there are and how much time is available, and use multiple choice, drag and drop, and complete-the-word answers. Preparation should therefore build accuracy at pace in numerical, verbal and non-verbal questions, together with comfort answering on screen.
Yes. CLSG offers music scholarships and means-tested bursaries at 11+ entry. Scholarship and bursary offers are sent alongside regular admissions offers on 12 February 2027. Families wishing to be considered for a bursary should indicate this at registration. CLSG reports “around 100 pupils at City receiving bursary support, i.e. financial assistance of up to 100% of our school fees” and says “We usually have 12 to 15 bursary places to allocate at 11+”. Bursaries are means-tested and assessed on the basis of household income and assets.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tuition for the CLSG 11+ entry process, delivered by our specialist tutors who understand every stage of the assessment. We cover the first assessment's numerical, verbal and non-verbal skills, plus personalised preparation for the second assessment's English and maths papers and for the interview. We run mock assessments under timed conditions, give craft-level feedback on written work, and help girls develop the confidence and adaptability that the assessments reward. Contact us to book a free consultation and discuss your daughter's preparation.
Further reading: CLSG 11+ School Guide | 11+ School Guides | CLSG 11+ Complete Guide (blog)
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