Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Bishop Wordsworth’s School is a selective boys’ grammar school in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Children applying for Year 7 entry sit a GL Assessment entrance examination covering English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning across two multiple-choice papers. This guide explains the Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus format, what its demands mean for preparation, and how Learning Street’s GL courses and school-specific mock exams can help your child prepare effectively.
Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Bishop Wordsworth’s School |
| Location | Salisbury, Wiltshire |
| School type | Selective boys’ grammar school |
| Exam provider | GL Assessment |
| Exam structure | Two multiple-choice papers |
| Paper 1 | English and Verbal Reasoning |
| Paper 2 | Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning |
| Paper length | Approximately 50–55 minutes per paper |
| Scoring | Scores are age-standardised |
Information and Mock Exam Review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Bishop Wordsworth’s School mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about the Bishop Wordsworth’s School entrance test.
The Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus consists of two GL Assessment papers. One assesses verbal skills, including reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar and Verbal Reasoning. The other assesses mathematical knowledge and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
View Bishop Wordsworth’s School’s latest admissions information
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus Exam Format
The Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus is provided by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting approximately 50–55 minutes.
The first paper assesses verbal skills. This includes reading comprehension, technical English skills such as spelling, punctuation and grammar, and Verbal Reasoning.
The second paper assesses Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, testing mathematical knowledge and problem solving alongside the ability to recognise visual patterns and relationships.
All questions are multiple choice. Scores are age-standardised, which means raw marks are adjusted to take account of a child’s age within their school year.
What Does the Bishop Wordsworth’s School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The two-paper structure means children need to develop strong literacy and verbal skills alongside secure Maths and visual reasoning ability.
The verbal paper requires more than comprehension alone. Children also need confident spelling, punctuation and grammar, a broad vocabulary and familiarity with Verbal Reasoning techniques. Efficient reading is important because children need to understand unfamiliar material while still working accurately under time pressure.
The Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning paper requires children to switch between numerical problem solving and visual reasoning. Secure arithmetic fluency helps prevent straightforward calculations from consuming unnecessary time, while Non-Verbal Reasoning preparation should develop a systematic approach to identifying patterns and relationships.
Each paper lasts close to an hour, so stamina and concentration are also important. Preparation should therefore begin with secure underlying skills before gradually introducing timed sections and full realistic mock examinations.
Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
Learning Street produces Bishop Wordsworth’s School-specific 11 Plus mock exams. These are separate from Learning Street’s South Wilts Grammar School mocks because the two Salisbury grammar schools use different entrance-test structures.
Learning Street researches the Bishop Wordsworth’s entrance test when developing these papers, with the aim of reflecting the known content, structure, difficulty, instructions and timings as closely as practical. The current mocks use one English and Verbal Reasoning paper and one Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning paper.
Each pack includes realistic answer sheets, detailed parent and invigilation instructions, guidance on how time should be called, information about what children can expect from the test experience and full detailed answers.
The four Bishop Wordsworth’s mock exams contain different questions, allowing children to complete several realistic mock experiences without repeating the same material.
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48
Bishop Wordsworth’s 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus Pass Marks and Standardised Scores
There is no permanent raw percentage or fixed standardised score that guarantees a pass in the Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus.
The school uses age-standardised scores produced from the GL Assessment papers. Importantly, the qualifying standard is not a predefined permanent mark. It is determined with reference to the performance of the pupils sitting the examination.
This means historic pass marks should not be treated as a fixed target for future applicants. Practice-paper percentages can still be useful for monitoring progress, but they should not be confused with the official qualifying standard.
Reaching the qualifying standard also does not automatically guarantee admission to Bishop Wordsworth’s School. Where more boys qualify than places are available, the school’s published oversubscription criteria are used to determine offers.
For preparation, it is therefore more useful to work towards consistently strong performance across English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning while identifying weaknesses in knowledge, accuracy, timing and exam technique.
View Bishop Wordsworth’s School’s latest admissions information
How to Prepare for the Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus
Effective preparation for Bishop Wordsworth’s School should first establish secure underlying skills and then help children apply those skills accurately within the timed, multiple-choice structure of the GL Assessment entrance test.
Learning Street’s GL programmes are designed around this approach. Rather than relying on repeated testing alone, our courses combine structured learning, practice, revision and progressively more timed work across the areas needed for the Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Children need to read unfamiliar material efficiently while retaining enough detail to distinguish between closely matched multiple-choice answers.
Regular reading should be combined with deliberate vocabulary development and technical English practice. These language skills also support the Verbal Reasoning element of the same paper.
Maths Preparation
Secure KS2 Maths is important, but children also need sufficient arithmetic fluency to complete routine calculations efficiently within timed conditions.
Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become reliable. Preparation should increasingly require children to decide independently which mathematical method is appropriate when solving less familiar problems.
Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning relies on both reasoning technique and strong vocabulary. A child may understand the method required for a question but still struggle if important words or verbal relationships are unfamiliar.
Preparation should therefore combine systematic practice of Verbal Reasoning techniques with regular vocabulary development and revision.
Non-Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal Reasoning rewards careful and systematic observation.
Children should learn to identify relationships involving shape, position, rotation, reflection and other visual changes rather than selecting an answer simply because it looks plausible. Regular practice helps children develop a repeatable approach to unfamiliar visual problems.
When your child is ready to apply these skills under realistic timed conditions, Learning Street’s Bishop Wordsworth’s mock exams provide structured practice based on the known demands of the school’s entrance examination.
View the Bishop Wordsworth’s 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Which Bishop Wordsworth’s School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street offers three main GL preparation routes for children preparing for Bishop Wordsworth’s School: Complete, Enhance and Boost. Our courses combine structured learning, practice, revision and timed testing rather than requiring parents to build their own preparation programme from unrelated books and papers.
The most suitable route mainly depends on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Learning Street course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Learning Street’s Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is our most comprehensive preparation option. It provides structured preparation across Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning alongside extensive timed practice.
The Complete 11 Plus Programme
The Complete 11 Plus Programme – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
The Complete 11 Plus Programme – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
The Complete Vocabulary Course
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Learning Street’s Enhance GL programme provides a shorter structured preparation route for families with less time available while still covering the main GL preparation areas.
11 Plus Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
11 Plus Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Learning Street’s Boost GL programme is our shortest full GL preparation route and is designed for families beginning focused preparation later.
11 Plus Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
11 Plus Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still building the literacy and numeracy foundations needed before dedicated 11 Plus preparation begins, Learning Street’s course chooser can help you select the most appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Learning Street’s 11 Plus Revision Course provides structured revision for children who have already covered the core material elsewhere.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in areas beyond the Bishop Wordsworth’s School entrance examination.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Bishop Wordsworth’s School Admissions Information
Test dates, registration deadlines, qualifying standards and oversubscription arrangements can change. Always check Bishop Wordsworth’s School’s own guidance for the latest admissions information.
View Bishop Wordsworth’s School’s latest admissions information
For general questions about the 11 Plus, preparation and Learning Street courses:
