Manchester Grammar School 11+: Format, Past Papers, and How to Prepare

Boys applying to Manchester Grammar School for entry to Year 7 attend one of its Assessment Days and also sit an Entrance Exam. What many families don't realise until they begin preparing is that the MGS 11+ is the school's own examination: MGS holds the copyright of its entrance papers and publishes past sets on its own website. That is why MGS's own past papers are the first place to look.

About Manchester Grammar School

Founded in 1515, Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is a day school for boys; MGS states that there is no boarding. MGS offers means-tested bursaries for boys joining Year 7 and the Sixth Form; bursaries are awarded in order of academic merit, and MGS says it aims to achieve needs blind admission at some point in its future. MGS's Fees and Assistance page, read on 3 October 2026, says 194 pupils receive full or partial bursaries, with the vast majority being full.

MGS's own website reports 32 offers from Oxford and Cambridge University in 2025 and says that the vast majority of its boys go on to study at leading Russell Group universities.

The MGS 11+ Examination: Format and Structure

The MGS entrance exam is sat in January of Year 6 — for September 2027 entry, Entrance Examination Day is Wednesday 13 January 2027, as MGS lists in its Year 7 Entry admissions timetable. On Entrance Examination Day, boys sit two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, so preparation should follow that format rather than a general 11+ one.

The examination consists of two English papers and two Arithmetic papers, followed by an afternoon activity:

Arithmetic — two papers. MGS says it provides answers with its past papers but not for the English comprehension; its Past Entrance Exam Papers page does list answer files for some comprehension sets, such as 2019 and 2017. English — two papers; the published past papers include a comprehension passage, and MGS says every boy expresses the answer in his own words. Afternoon activity — not an exam paper: boys take part in one of a choice of activities (for example sporting, science-based, musical or outward bounds), and lunch is provided between the exams and the afternoon's activities.

In the English comprehension, MGS says each response a boy makes is considered by the markers on its own merits, which rewards children who can express ideas in writing.

MGS publishes its own past papers for Year 7 entry only. The newest set is 2024, with sets for 2023, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2014 also listed. If you are looking for authentic practice material, Manchester Grammar past papers give a closer picture of the exam's style than generic 11+ workbooks, because MGS says the style of its questions is unique to MGS.

What the MGS Exam Tests — and What It Doesn't

MGS describes its papers as designed to challenge the mind of any child (and parent) attempting them, and says the style of its questions is unique to MGS. In the English comprehension, MGS says the questions and answer schemes are structured so that boys determine the number of different responses required and are encouraged to make those responses as detailed as they can.

On the Assessment Day, boys are taught a Maths lesson and a topic-based lesson, take part in group activities and complete a piece of creative writing; MGS says no preparation is required, or indeed possible, for the day itself.

Generic 11+ practice can be a useful foundation, but MGS says the style of its questions is unique to MGS, so its own past papers matter. A child who has only worked through standard practice papers may find the first MGS paper difficult; MGS itself says the first set may appear difficult.

How Competitive Is Entry to Manchester Grammar?

MGS says it has no formal quota for entry to the Senior School, and that the important question is whether a boy will flourish. MGS also gives a rough guide: if a boy is scoring 50% and over on its past papers, he is well on the way to reaching the MGS entrance criteria.

MGS describes itself as a regional school that provides wide transport links. Its transport page lists MGS Shuttle Service timetables for Cheadle Bramhall, Worsley, Altrincham and the City Centre, plus private services for areas including Macclesfield, Alderley Edge, Prestbury and Wilmslow.

Our 11+ specialists prepare students for the Manchester Grammar School entrance exam, covering the school's Arithmetic and English paper formats. Our students have achieved a 95%+ offer rate across selective school entry. Book a free consultation here.

MGS publishes results on Friday 5 February 2027, and the offer acceptance deadline is Wednesday 3 March 2027. Financial assistance must be requested when making the application for entry; families who do so are sent a financial assessment form (form FB1) closer to the time of the boy's assessment.

Building an Effective Preparation Plan

Given that the MGS exam is set in January of Year 6, it makes sense to begin structured preparation in Year 5, from the spring or summer term. A realistic preparation timeline allows enough time to build genuine ability rather than simply drilling past papers in the final weeks.

An effective preparation plan for MGS should include the following elements:

1. Strengthen core arithmetic. Use MGS's published Arithmetic papers to find gaps, and cover them well before the exam date.
2. Read widely and analytically. MGS says a boy who reads, enjoys puzzles and does its past papers is well placed for the examination. Encourage reading across a range of genres, including non-fiction, and discuss what has been read rather than simply logging pages.
3. Practise extended writing. In the English comprehension boys express answers in their own words, so practising written answers is useful preparation; MGS says there is no preparation required, or indeed possible, for the Assessment Day itself.
4. Work through MGS's own past papers. MGS suggests that parent and son complete the first set of papers together, that the son does the second set by himself first, that he does the third set on his own in the set time, and that the fourth and fifth sets are used as out-and-out practice on time management and accuracy. Generic 11+ papers can supplement this but should not replace it.
5. Review and understand mistakes. Simply completing papers is not enough. Each error should be understood and the underlying gap addressed before moving on.

A specialist tutor can support this period, particularly for the Arithmetic papers and the written English answers, through targeted feedback.

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MGS Year 7 Entry Dates for September 2027

The Manchester Grammar School lists these stages in its Year 7 Entry admissions timetable for September 2027 entry:

• Monday 13 July 2026: the application form opened.
• Monday 21 September 2026: Assessment Days began.
• Saturday 14 November 2026: Whole School Open Morning, 9:30am – 12:00pm (time from MGS's Visit Us page).
• Wednesday 18 November 2026: application deadline for guaranteed assessment.
• Wednesday 13 January 2027: Entrance Examination Day.
• Friday 5 February 2027: publication of results.
• Wednesday 3 March 2027: offer acceptance deadline.

A £48 application fee is payable online at the end of the application form, and MGS says all applications received before the deadline will be registered for an assessment.

Reviewed October 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against The Manchester Grammar School's own Year 7 Entry admissions timetable, Entrance Exam Papers, Past Entrance Exam Papers, FAQ, How to Apply, Fees and Assistance, Year 7 Application Form, Transport, Universities and Our Aims pages.

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