KCS Wimbledon 11+ Entrance: The Ultimate Guide to Success
KCS Wimbledon: Kings College School
King’s College School Wimbledon (or KCS Wimbledon) is a boys day school in South West London, founded by Royal Charter in 1829. It prides itself on academic excellence, inclusivity, and developing students into well-rounded individuals with a strong sense of social responsibility. The school emphasises creating an environment where intellectual curiosity, personal growth, and empathy are fostered. Students are encouraged to be independent thinkers with enquiring minds, who not only strive for academic success but also contribute positively to the community.
The school is committed to providing outstanding pastoral care, a wide range of co-curricular activities, and a culture of support where each student is encouraged to thrive both academically and personally.
Entrance to KCS Wimbledon is highly competitive. Students can enter the school at 11+, 13+ and 16+. It’s important to note that students cannot apply for both 11+ and 13+ so you should be selective about when they are ready to excel in the challenging entrance process. KCS Wimbledon is a boys school up until sixth-form, when it becomes co-ed, so girls are welcome to apply to the school at 16+.
This guide will talk you through the admissions process for KCS 11+ (one of the most popular entry points), outlining the application timeline, the entrance exam format and tips to excel in it, and guidance for the interview.
Blog Contents:
KCS 11+ Admissions Timeline
Here’s a full breakdown of the key stages of KCS 11+ admissions:
Attend an open day: KCS Wimbledon hosts open days in the spring and summer terms of year 5. Some of these are the KCS 11+ forum, where you can visit the school during a normal day and have the chance to meet the Head and Head of Lower School in a small group, tour the school and learn more about the school ethos and atmosphere.
Registration: KCS Wimbledon recommend that you register your child at the end of Year 5 or early Year 6, but certainly before the deadline in early November of Year 6.
References: At registration, KCS Wimbledon will ask your son’s current school for a reference.
Entrance Exam: All KCS 11+ applicants will sit the entrance exam in December of Year 6. These are written papers in English, Maths and Non Verbal Reasoning. See our KCS Entrance Exam section for tips on how to excel in these papers.
Interview offers sent out: In January applicants will hear whether they have been offered an interview.
Interviews: Successful candidates at this point will visit KCS Wimbledon to be interviewed by a member of the school staff.
Offers of places made: In mid-February, applicants will be informed whether they have a place at KCS Wimbledon.
Induction Day: the summer term before successful students join KCS Wimbledon, they will be invited to attend an induction day at the school.
The KCS Entrance Exam
In December of Year 6, all students applying for KCS 11+ places must sit entrance exams. The KCS entrance exams are:
English (50 mins, 50 marks)
Maths (50 mins, 50 marks)
Verbal Reasoning
English KCS 11+
For the English KCS entrance exam, there are two sections:
Section A: reading comprehension (30 marks, 30 mins)
Section B: writing exercise (20 marks, 20 mins)
The reading comprehension in section A is quite traditional. The general preparation advice for 11+ reading comprehension applies, which we’ve curated a whole guide on here. The exam does contain some slightly longer comprehension questions, so candidates should read the instructions of the paper carefully to check if they are asked to spend longer on one question in particularly. For example, some longer questions may ask students for more creative responses (e.g. come up with three words that describe the character’s personality, using evidence from the passage).
As always for 11+ English prep, boosting your child’s vocabulary is crucial. They need to have a large vocabulary that they can gain through reading at an ambitious level. Test your child as they’re reading to check their understanding of the story and get them to create a bank of new words that they can build into their active vocabulary by writing sentences or short stories/descriptions. This will also come in useful for section B!
For Section B, students are given a creative writing task and details to include in their writing. It’s important to practise this question style, so set your child writing tasks with a few prompts of scenes or events that they have to include in their narrative. A great vocabulary and excellent spelling and grammar are key here, so make sure your child leaves time to check their work at the end.
See our 11+ creative writing guide for more tips!
They may be asked to continue the story from the comprehension in Section A, writing in the same style. This might feel a bit unfamiliar at first but you can build up their understanding of style by asking them questions about the books they are reading: How does reading it make you feel? Who is the character/narrator? How is the character feeling?
Looking for support with KCS 11+?
U2 Tuition provides expert support for KCS 11+ preparation, offering tailored tutoring plans that cover all aspects of the admissions process, from exam technique to interview performance.
Our team of Oxbridge graduates and former KCS Wimbledon students bring unique insight and first-hand experience, equipping your child with the knowledge and skills to excel in the exam and interviews. We focus on preparing students with higher-level questions and multi-step problems to build confidence and readiness for the more challenging elements of the KCS entrance exam. Our tutors also offer personalised interview coaching to help your child embody the school’s values and come across as confident and enthusiastic.
Whatever your child’s needs, our KCS Wimbledon tutors are here to help them excel in the KCS 11+ admissions journey.
Maths KCS 11+
The Maths KCS 11+ exam is non-calculator. There is a Section A (20 mins, 20 marks) and Section B (30 mins, 30 marks).
Section A of the KCS 11+ exam is a bit more straightforward and in line with traditional maths 11+ practice papers. It emphasises quick, fundamental skills in arithmetic, measurement, and basic problem-solving and includes straightforward questions on addition, subtraction, fractions, and simple probability. With only 20 minutes to complete it, it is a fast-paced test of foundational maths knowledge.
Section B of the Maths exam gets a little more complex. Rather than testing recall of facts or simple addition and subtraction questions, it focuses on more complex problem-solving, including multi-step problems such as calculating areas, interpreting angles and working with charts. This section also introduces patterns and rules, requiring students to apply logic and algebraic thinking. While students have slightly longer to complete this section (30 minutes), and there are fewer questions, each question requires a bit more thinking time.
In order to excel in Section B, candidates need to be confident breaking down longer problems that aren’t often encountered in 11+ practice papers. Once your child has a strong knowledge of the foundations tested in section A (and the 11+ curriculum), you should make sure they are working on these more challenging questions which test their ability to apply their knowledge and solve multi step problems. You can select harder questions from 11+ papers, or find some easier questions from 13+ papers to stretch and challenge them for this paper.
Finding opportunities to build these question styles into everyday life is a key way to help your child exceed in the KCS entrance exam. For example, on a visit to the shops you can ask simple questions like:
“If I have £1, how many 20p bags of strawberry laces can I buy
And then more complicated, multi-step questions:
e.g. I go to the supermarket with £5. I buy 4 carrots, each costing 12p. I also buy a loaf of bread for £2.30 and a bottle of milk. After buying all these items, I have £1.02 left. How much did the bottle of milk cost?
Pattern questions are another example of a more challenging question that students might encounter in the KCS 11+ Maths exam. You could try making them more fun and turning the numbers into stories with questions like:
“Every day, a shopkeeper receives 5 new customers. On the first day, 5 customers came, on the second day 10, on the third day 15, and so on. How many customers will the shopkeeper have after 10 days?”
Or you could also look for selective non verbal reasoning questions that test these kind of pattern recognition skills; even though KCS 11+ doesn’t have a non verbal reasoning section, some questions test similar skills!
If you’d like some more guidance through the KCS 11+ process, a specialist tutor can help you prepare resources in the style of the KCS entrance exams. With in-depth knowledge of the entrance exams, tutors can select and create questions that stretch and challenge students, preparing them for the most difficult questions they are likely to encounter in the KCS entrance exam and ensuring they are comprehensively prepared.
Verbal Reasoning
For verbal reasoning, KCS Wimbledon doesn’t provide any past papers but suggests that any verbal reasoning paper (such as Bond or CGP) will be good practice.
KCS 11+ Interview
The KCS 11+ interview is designed to assess not only a candidate’s academic abilities but also their potential for growth and their alignment with the school’s ethos. The school values curiosity, intellectual engagement, and the development of well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to the community.
During the KCS Wimbledon interview, candidates should demonstrate qualities such as intellectual curiosity, confidence in their abilities, and a willingness to learn. The interviewers are looking for students who show a genuine passion for learning, can engage in thoughtful discussion, and have a sense of responsibility and empathy toward others, reflecting the school’s commitment to inclusivity and social awareness.
To prepare for the interview, students should focus on expressing their enthusiasm for learning, particularly by discussing subjects or projects that excite them. It’s important to be prepared to talk about recent academic achievements, interests, and extracurricular activities, while showing humility and a readiness to grow. Additionally, demonstrating a respect for diverse perspectives and a commitment to being a positive and engaged community member will align well with the school's core values of inclusivity and social responsibility.
If you’d like further guidance on approaching the KCS 11+ interview, you can take a look at our 11 plus interview guide. We also have a great pack of 11+ questions that you can use to practice the KCS Wimbledon interview with your child and ensure they are prepared to tackle any question thrown at them.
Additionally, preparing for the KCS 11+ interview with a tutor is a fantastic way to boost your child’s confidence and help them naturally reflect the school’s ethos and values in their responses. Our experienced tutors are well-versed in every aspect of the KCS 11+ admissions process and are dedicated to making the interview preparation as stress-free as possible. Learn more about how we can support you on your KCS Wimbledon journey.
Looking for a KCS 11+ Tutor to help you secure a place at KCS Wimbledon
To support your child’s preparation for the KCS Wimbledon 11+ entrance exam, a dedicated tutor can provide invaluable assistance. U2 Tuition offers bespoke study plans designed to target the key areas of the KCS entrance exam, focusing on academic content and exam techniques to maximise your child's performance.
U2’s team of KCS 11+ tutors includes Oxbridge graduates, many of whom are former KCS Wimbledon students with experience supporting other candidates to secure a place. With this first-hand insight, they are well-placed to answer all your child’s questions and support them through the admissions process. Our tutors can help your child prepare for the more challenging KCS entrance exam questions by creating supplementary resources in the style of higher level or multi-step questions to ensure they are ready for anything in the exam. They can also work to build confidence and boost interview skills to ensure your child comes across naturally and reflects KCS Wimbledon’s ethos.
We begin with a free consultation to discuss your child’s goals, identify areas for improvement, and match them with a tutor who specialises in KCS 11+ admissions. Starting early allows us to provide comprehensive support but we also offer an intensive preparation programme in the build up to the KCS entrance exam or interview. Our flexible tutoring options are available online or in-person to meet your needs.
Book a free initial consultation now to find out more about how our tutors can support you and your child through the KCS Wimbledon admissions process.