Entrance exam, interview process and preparation strategy for one of London's top independent girls' schools.
The City of London School for Girls (CLSG) is one of London's most prestigious independent day schools for girls, educating pupils from age 7 to 18 in the heart of the City at the Barbican. Founded in 1894 and part of the City of London Corporation's group of schools, CLSG has a long-standing reputation for academic excellence, outstanding pastoral care, and exceptional co-curricular provision. The school consistently places in the top 20 independent girls' schools nationally for A-level results and Oxbridge progression.
Each year, approximately 500 girls apply for around 55 Year 7 places — a ratio of roughly 9:1. The school is academically selective and expects candidates to demonstrate strong ability in English, Mathematics, and Reasoning, together with the intellectual curiosity and breadth of thinking that characterises a typical CLSG pupil.
CLSG's entrance examination is administered in January for the following September's entry. The examination consists of three components:
Mathematics: A paper designed to test mathematical reasoning and problem-solving ability rather than rote calculation. Questions draw on primary school curriculum topics — number, algebra, geometry, and data — but present them in unfamiliar or challenging contexts that reward flexible thinking. Girls who have practised working methodically through multi-step problems and explaining their reasoning will be well prepared.
English: A reading comprehension and extended writing paper. The comprehension section asks girls to demonstrate close reading skills, make inferences, and respond to unseen texts analytically. The writing component typically asks for a creative or discursive piece and rewards girls who write with precision, voice, and structural awareness. Wide reading is the single most effective preparation for this paper.
Reasoning: Both verbal and non-verbal reasoning are tested. This section assesses logical thinking, pattern recognition, and the ability to apply rules in novel situations. It broadly resembles the reasoning elements of standard grammar school 11+ tests but is presented at a higher level of difficulty.
Shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview in late January or early February. CLSG's interview is a genuine academic conversation — examiners want to understand how a candidate thinks, not just what she knows. Girls should be prepared to talk about something they have read recently, explore an open-ended question, and think aloud when presented with an unfamiliar problem.
CLSG looks for girls who are genuinely engaged with learning — not just high achievers in a narrow academic sense. The school's admissions guidance emphasises intellectual independence, the ability to approach problems from multiple angles, and a curiosity that extends beyond the curriculum. In practice, strong candidates are typically reading above their age level, interested in a wide range of subjects, and able to articulate their thoughts clearly and confidently.
In terms of raw attainment, girls who receive offers are typically working significantly above national average expectations in both English and Maths. However, the difference between a strong candidate and a borderline one at interview level is very rarely attainment — it is the quality of thinking and the ability to engage with ideas in the moment.
CLSG's position within the City of London Corporation gives it access to a significant endowment, and the school offers both means-tested bursaries and academic scholarships. Bursaries can cover up to 100% of fees for families who demonstrate genuine financial need. Academic scholarships are awarded to candidates who perform outstandingly in the entrance examination and carry prestige value, though the monetary award is often modest unless combined with a bursary.
Families who would not otherwise consider a fee-paying school are strongly encouraged to apply and to contact the admissions office at the earliest opportunity to explore what financial support might be available. CLSG is committed to broadening its intake and has invested significantly in its access and bursary programmes.
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CLSG's Barbican location gives it a unique character: the school has strong links with the City's cultural institutions, including the Barbican Centre, the Museum of London, the Guildhall, and a wide range of City firms who offer work experience, mentoring, and lecture programmes. Girls benefit from exceptional co-curricular breadth — from orchestras and drama productions to debating, robotics, and an extensive sports programme despite the urban campus.
Sixth form results are consistently outstanding: CLSG regularly achieves among the highest proportions of A* grades at A-level of any school in the country, and a significant percentage of girls each year gain places at Oxford, Cambridge, and leading international universities. The internal sixth form is competitive; girls who join at 11 are expected to maintain strong academic progress throughout Years 7 to 11.
Parents considering CLSG often compare it to North London Collegiate School and Henrietta Barnett School. The key differences:
CLSG vs NLCS: Both are fee-paying independent schools with comparable academic standards. CLSG is smaller and more centrally located; NLCS has a larger campus in Edgware with more extensive sports facilities. Both run their own entrance examinations with an interview element.
CLSG vs HBS: HBS is a state grammar school — free to attend — and is super-selective by score alone with no interview. CLSG requires fees but offers bursaries and is a realistic option for families who apply for financial support. Both schools are extremely competitive and have similar academic cultures.
Preparation for CLSG's January examination should begin in Year 5 at the latest, with structured exam-condition practice ramping up from September of Year 6. Key priorities:
In Year 5, establish a habit of wide reading across fiction, non-fiction, and quality journalism. Build mathematical fluency through regular problem-solving practice — not just curriculum exercises. Begin verbal and non-verbal reasoning familiarisation to remove the element of unfamiliarity from the exam.
In Year 6 (from September), move to timed, exam-condition practice on English, Maths, and Reasoning papers. Introduce mock interview preparation from October or November, working with a tutor who can provide honest feedback on how a candidate presents in an academic conversation.
At Leading Tuition, our specialist tutors have helped girls prepare for CLSG entry across all three examination components — and crucially, for the interview. We know from experience that the interview is where candidates are won or lost at this level, and we build mock interview practice into all our CLSG preparation programmes.
We also prepare girls simultaneously for NLCS, state grammar schools, and other selective London day schools. For families applying to both independent and grammar school entry, an integrated preparation plan is both more efficient and more effective. Book a free consultation to discuss your daughter's preparation.
City of London School for Girls is one of the few London independent schools that operates a three-stage admissions process: an initial online CEM reasoning assessment, a written English and Maths assessment, and a final interview. Successfully preparing for all three stages requires a different approach at each stage, and many families underestimate how much the demands shift between them.
For Stage One — the online CEM assessment — the priority is familiarity with the question formats and pacing. The CEM style differs from GL Assessment papers in its emphasis on curriculum-linked skills and time pressure. Running multiple timed practice sessions under realistic conditions is the most effective preparation. CLSG provides familiarisation content on its website, and this should be reviewed carefully — girls who are surprised by the format on the day lose valuable time.
For Stage Two — the written papers — the focus shifts to sustained written work. The English paper's creative writing component rewards originality, structure, and precise language; the Maths paper rewards clear working and the ability to apply reasoning to unfamiliar problems. Stage Two is where many girls who pass Stage One are sifted, and mock papers under timed conditions should be a weekly fixture from October of Year 6 onwards.
For Stage Three — the interview — preparation should begin as early as November. Girls who receive their Stage Two results in early January have only a short window to prepare for an interview in mid-to-late January. Building the habit of academic conversation, reading widely, and being able to discuss ideas with enthusiasm and precision should begin well before results are known, so that interview preparation is consolidation rather than a sprint from a standing start.
CLSG uses its own examination rather than a shared consortium paper. The format — English, Mathematics, Reasoning, plus interview — is broadly similar to other top independent girls' schools such as NLCS, but the papers are set and marked by CLSG independently. Some parents sit their daughters for multiple independent schools in the same January window; the content overlaps sufficiently that joint preparation is efficient.
CLSG offers means-tested bursaries through the City of London Corporation's endowment. Awards can cover up to 100% of fees depending on household income. The bursary application process runs alongside the entrance examination process, and families should indicate their interest in bursary support at the time of registration. Academic scholarships are also awarded to the highest-performing candidates at 11+ entry.
The interview is a significant component of the final selection decision. Candidates who reach the interview stage have typically already demonstrated strong written performance; at that point, the interview is used to assess intellectual engagement, the ability to think aloud, and the depth of a candidate's curiosity. Preparation through mock interviews with an experienced tutor makes a measurable difference.
Leading Tuition specialises in preparing girls for the City of London School for Girls 11+ entrance examination. CLSG uses its own independent papers covering English, Mathematics, and verbal reasoning, with a style and difficulty level that reflects the school's position as one of London's most academically selective independent schools. Our specialist tutors work with girls from Year 4 through to the examination, building the analytical English skills and mathematical fluency that CLSG examiners look for. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by families across Central and North London. To discuss a preparation plan for your daughter, book a free consultation at leadingtuition.co.uk/consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
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