Reading & Berkshire 11+ Practice & Format Guide (2026)
Updated June 2026 · free, no sign-up · facts checked against official sources
Reading School and Kendrick School are two of England's highest-performing grammar schools, both in Reading, Berkshire. Both are super-selective (they take only children who score very highly, not simply above a threshold) and both are heavily oversubscribed. Getting into either requires well above-average preparation, particularly in maths and English. Here is the current format and free practice questions.
Reading School & Kendrick 11+ format (2026)
Both schools use GL Assessment papers (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English).
The test is sat in September of Year 6. Registration opens in the summer of Year 5 - check each school's admissions page for the exact window, as they set their own deadlines.
Reading School is an all-boys grammar; Kendrick School is all-girls. Both are Reading Borough Council maintained schools.
Both schools are super-selective: rather than a fixed pass mark, they offer places to the top-scoring applicants until places are filled. The score needed in practice is typically well above the standard GL qualifying mark - competition is very high.
There is no published qualifying score for 2026 entry; the effective "pass mark" depends on how many applicants score in any given year. Confirm the current process with Reading School or Kendrick School directly.
Both schools also run separate sixth-form entry processes; this page covers Year 7 (11+) entry only.
Dates and pass marks change each year - always confirm with the school or local authority before you rely on them.
Free Reading/Berkshire-style practice questions
These questions are pitched at the higher difficulty level needed for super-selective entry. Tap an option to check it; a worked explanation follows every answer.
Question 1 · Maths
What is the lowest common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 12?
Answer: 24. Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24. Multiples of 12: 12, 24. The smallest number that appears in both lists is 24.
Question 2 · Maths
A cistern fills in 6 hours. A drain pipe empties it in 9 hours. If both are open at the same time, how many hours does it take to fill the cistern?
Answer: 18 hours. In 1 hour, the cistern fills by 1/6 and drains by 1/9. Net fill rate = 1/6 − 1/9 = 3/18 − 2/18 = 1/18 per hour. So it fills in 18 hours.
Question 3 · English / Vocabulary
Which word is most similar in meaning to TENACIOUS?
Answer: persistent. Tenacious means holding firmly to something - not giving up. Persistent (continuing despite difficulty) is the closest match.
Question 4 · Verbal Reasoning
SUMMIT is to MOUNTAIN as APEX is to ?
Answer: TRIANGLE. A summit is the highest point of a mountain. An apex is the highest or top point - it is most specifically used for the top vertex of a triangle.
Question 5 · Maths
A number is multiplied by 6 and then 15 is subtracted, giving 57. What is the original number?
Choose the word most opposite in meaning to VERBOSE.
Answer: concise. Verbose means using too many words (long-winded). Concise means expressing things briefly and clearly - the direct opposite.
Question 8 · Maths
A map has a scale of 1:50,000. Two towns are 6 cm apart on the map. How far apart are they in real life? Give your answer in km.
Answer: 3 km. 6 cm × 50,000 = 300,000 cm. Convert: 300,000 cm ÷ 100 = 3,000 m ÷ 1,000 = 3 km.
Question 9 · Verbal Reasoning
What comes next in the sequence? 1, 3, 7, 13, 21, ___
Answer: 31. The differences between consecutive terms are 2, 4, 6, 8 - increasing by 2 each time. The next difference is 10, so 21 + 10 = 31.
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