You apply for the 11+ examinations by visiting our website www.dhsg.co.uk or PHSG's website, Plymouth High School for Girls - Admissions (phsg.org), and completing the 11+ registration form, which opens in mid-late April. Regardless of which website you visit, the registration form allows you to choose which school you would like to sit the examinations at. You also have the option of 'no preference'.

You will only need to register to sit the examinations at one of the grammar schools. Please do not register for both schools.

There is no limit on the number of students who can register to take the real 11+ examinations.

Registration for the real 11+ examinations closes at the end of August prior to your child starting Year 6.

English Comprehension and Mathematics multiple choice papers.

Verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning are not tested. There is no longer a 'free-writing' element to the English test.

In 2024, the English Comprehension test was 45 minutes and the Mathematics test was 50 minutes.

In 2024, the English Comprehension test contained 64 questions and the Mathematics test contained 50 questions.

The number of questions can vary year-on-year.

No. The July Practice exam is optional.

No. The results of the Practice exam do not get considered in any way when school places are being allocated.

Allocations are made based on the results of the real exam papers, which are sat in September.

The real 11+ examinations are held on two Saturday mornings in September when your child will be in year 6.

The application window for the real 11+ examinations opens just after the Easter school break (mid-late April) and will remain open until August 31st of the same year.

This will be when your child is in Year 5.

Please note - there is no limit to the number of students who can register to take the real 11+ examinations.

More information is available on our 'Timeline' web pages.

The Practice 11+ examinations are held on one Saturday morning in July when your child will be in year 5.

The application window for the Practice 11+ examinations opens just after the Easter school break (mid-late April) and will remain open until a specified date in May of the same year, or until 170 spaces have been filled. 

More information about the process is available on our 11+ Practice Examination web page.

Yes. Both girls' grammar schools use the same test papers and hold the exams on the same days.

This is why we ask you not to register your child at both schools.

No, the location your daughter took the 11+ at does not affect your choice of secondary school. Your child can sit the 11+ examinations at either grammar school, and can then apply to either/both grammar schools.

You will need to complete the secondary schools application form with your local authority, which for most of you will be Plymouth City Council, by the end of October. If you choose to put either or both of the grammar schools as your choices, and your child did not sit the exams in September, then the local authority will pick up on the fact that your child does not have an 11+ examination result, and they will get in contact with you.

Children are allocated based on their 11+ result and their first choice of school. For example, if your child's 11+ score is ranked as 1st, and their first choice of school is Devonport High School for Girls, then they will be allocated to Devonport High School for Girls. Ultimately, you should choose the best school for your daughter.

Plymouth High School has 120 spaces in year 7, and these spaces are usually filled by students who have chosen us as their first choice of secondary school, and who have scored well enough to secure an allocation. 

You will only get your 2^nd choice grammar school once one of DHSG and/or PHSG is full. This could happen anywhere up to the 278^th student depending on preferences. However, being outside the 278^th position in the rankings does not mean with certainty your daughter will not gain a place at a grammar school, as some students in the top 278 will choose not to take up their place.

No. Neither of the Plymouth girls' grammar schools can choose which students are allocated to them.

There is no 'pass mark' for the 11+.

Allocations are made for both Plymouth girls' grammar schools based on the first 278 students who have put a grammar school as their first or second choice, and who have accepted a grammar school place. Being outside the 278^th position in the rankings does not mean with certainty your daughter will not gain a place at a grammar school, as some students in the top 278 will choose not to take up their place.