Practical guidance from the Leading Tuition team
Book a Free ConsultationThe word "consortium" is used informally in London independent school admissions to describe groups of schools that share exam infrastructure — the same sitting date, the same paper, or both. There are two main groups parents encounter: the North London girls' schools and the South London independents. Many families apply to two or three schools within the same sitting, making this one of the most strategically complex parts of the 11+ process.
There is no single official body called "the 11+ London consortium." The term has developed among parents and tutors to describe informal arrangements between independent schools that coordinate their admissions exams. The practical effect is significant: your child may sit one paper on one morning, and that result feeds into the admissions process at multiple schools simultaneously.
Understanding which schools share a sitting, which mark independently, and how each school uses the results is essential before you register — because the decisions you make at registration in Year 5 shape everything that follows.
The most established informal consortium in London involves a group of highly selective girls' independent schools in North London. These schools coordinate their exam date so that candidates sit on the same day in October or November of Year 6. The key schools in this group are:
Because these schools share a sitting date, a girl cannot physically sit the exam at two of them on the same morning. Families must choose which school's exam to sit. Some schools in this group set their own papers and mark independently; the shared element is primarily the date, which prevents double-sitting and forces parents to prioritise. This makes early research — ideally in Year 4 or early Year 5 — genuinely important rather than just advisable.
Preparing for these schools requires familiarity with verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English comprehension, and creative writing. Reviewing past papers from consortium schools and North London independents gives children a clear sense of the style and difficulty level they will face.
South London has its own grouping of selective independent schools that coordinate exam sittings in late October or early November of Year 6. The schools most commonly associated with this group include:
As with the North London group, the coordination here is primarily around exam dates rather than a single shared paper. Each school sets and marks its own assessment. Parents applying to schools in this group face similar strategic decisions: which school's exam to prioritise, and how to manage the timeline if a child is also applying to schools outside the group.
Separate from the main 11+ sitting, some schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test as a pre-registration filter. This is an adaptive online test covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics, and English. Scores run from 60 to 140, with a threshold of approximately 115 often cited as the point at which schools begin to shortlist candidates for the main exam or interview stage.
Schools that use the ISEB Common Pre-Test at 11+ include Haberdashers' Boys' School, Haberdashers' Girls' School, and some other selective independents. Eton College uses it at 11+ as part of its pre-registration process. Crucially, results are sent directly to the schools a candidate has nominated — parents do not receive a score to share themselves.
The ISEB pre-test is typically sat in September of Year 6, before the main consortium exam sittings in October and November. It does not replace the main entrance exam; it is an additional filter used by specific schools to manage large applicant pools before inviting candidates to sit their own papers or attend interview.
The 11+ admissions calendar for London independent schools is tightly structured. Missing a registration deadline — particularly for oversubscribed schools — can mean a child is simply not considered, regardless of ability. Here is the typical sequence:
One of the most common misconceptions about consortium admissions is that schools share a single ranked list. They do not. Even where schools share a sitting date or use similar papers, each school scores its own assessments and ranks candidates only within its own applicant pool.
This means a child who sits the exam at NLCS is ranked against other NLCS applicants — not against children who sat at South Hampstead or Channing on the same morning. Each school applies its own marking criteria, weighting, and thresholds. A child who narrowly misses an offer at one school might comfortably receive one at another, even if the papers looked similar on the surface.
Where schools do share a paper — and some do use identical or near-identical assessments — the marking and ranking remain entirely separate. The shared element is logistical, not evaluative. Schools may also weight different components differently: one school might place greater emphasis on the English paper, another on mathematics or reasoning.
Interview performance adds a further layer. At schools that interview, the exam score determines who is invited; the interview then informs the final offer decision. In practice, very few candidates who score well enough to be interviewed are rejected on interview alone — but the interview can influence scholarship decisions and, in borderline cases, the final offer.
For families preparing across multiple schools, this structure is actually reassuring: a strong performance on the shared sitting date gives a child a genuine chance at each school they have registered with, assessed on its own terms.
For school-specific preparation strategies, the 11+ school-specific preparation guides from Leading Tuition cover the key differences in paper style, subject weighting, and interview format across these schools.
Can my child apply to two schools in the same consortium group?
Yes, but with an important practical constraint. Because schools within each group coordinate their exam dates, your child can only physically sit one school's exam on a given morning. You register with each school separately and then choose which sitting to attend. Some families register with two or three schools and make a final decision closer to the exam date based on open day impressions and updated advice.
How does the ISEB Common Pre-Test affect consortium admissions?
The ISEB pre-test is used by a specific subset of schools — including Haberdashers' Boys', Haberdashers' Girls', and some others — as a pre-registration filter before their own main exam. It does not affect admissions at NLCS, South Hampstead, Channing, Alleyn's, JAGS, or Dulwich College, which run their own entrance assessments without the ISEB pre-test. If a school on your list uses the ISEB, your child must sit it in September of Year 6 to proceed to the next stage.
Can a strong interview performance override a weaker exam score?
In most cases, no. The entrance exam determines who reaches the interview stage, and schools set score thresholds that candidates must clear before being invited. Once at interview, performance can influence borderline decisions and scholarship awards, but it is very unusual for a school to make an offer to a candidate whose exam score fell significantly below the threshold. The exam remains the primary filter.
What happens if my child receives offers from two schools?
This is a genuinely positive situation, though it requires a prompt decision. Most London independent schools ask families to accept or decline within one to two weeks of the offer date. Holding two offers beyond that window is generally not possible — schools need to release places to waiting list candidates. Families in this position should revisit open days, speak to current pupils and parents if possible, and make a considered choice rather than holding both places.
The 11+ process for London's independent schools is demanding, but it is also well-structured once you understand how the groups work. Knowing which schools share a sitting, how each one marks independently, and where the ISEB pre-test fits in gives families a much clearer picture of what to prepare for — and when. Leading Tuition works with families across both the North and South London groups, and the resources below are a practical starting point for preparation.
For school-specific strategies and preparation advice, visit our 11+ school-specific preparation guides. To practise with real exam-style materials, explore our collection of past papers from consortium schools and North London independents.
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