How to pass the Merchant Taylors’ School 11+

Are you looking into Merchant Taylors’ School at 11+ for the next step in your son’s education? Find out everything you need to know about the 11 plus admissions process, and how to help your son succeed.

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• The 11+ admissions process
• Exam content
• The interview
• Scholarships
• Find a tutor for Merchant Taylors’
• Contact us

Introduction to Merchant Taylors’ School

Merchant Taylors’ School is a highly selective private day school for boys in Northwood, north-west London. Founded over 460 years ago, Merchant Taylors’ has established itself as an outstanding school where academic success is complemented by a wealth of achievement outside the classroom.

Merchant Taylors’ aims to support, encourage and inspire boys to reach the highest standards. Its ethos is to nurture creativity, confidence and warmth to create a truly impressive school leaver who is equipped to find success in life wherever they choose to look for it. Merchant Taylors’ is highly competitive, considering its outstanding results when it comes to higher education and university admissions. In 2024, 87% of GCSEs achieved at Grade 9, 8 or 7 (A*-A). In the same year, 71% of A Levels were achieved at A* or A. Typically, over 80% of the leavers go on to attend their first-choice university.

Despite its academic record, Merchant Taylors’ does not have the reputation of a “hothouse” that seems to haunt similar high achieving schools. Merchant Taylors’ are known for producing well rounded, sociable boys who are enthusiastic and confident. However, being a larger school, more sensitive and less confident boys may be overshadowed and have a harder time finding their footing. Simon Everson has served as the Headmaster at Merchant Taylors’ since 2013. In September 2026, Sam Baldock, currently Vice Master at Bedford School, will take up the position of Head Master at Merchant Taylors’.

Life at Merchant Taylors’

The main entry points at Merchant Taylors’ are 11+, deferred 13+ entry, and 16+. The school has over 1,100 boys aged 11-18. In addition to its high achieving academics, Merchant Taylors’ offer a broad range of co-curricular opportunities for boys. Sport is at the heart of Merchant Taylors’ as it believes sport is character building – experiencing the highs and the lows of competitive sport prepares boys for life beyond school. There are school teams in Basketball, Cricket, Fives, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, and Tennis. Handball, Badminton, Croquet, Cross Country and Mountain Biking are also on offer at Merchant Taylors’ extensive and outstanding facilities.

Outside of the classroom, boys have opportunities throughout the year to act, direct or work backstage. Every year there are two major productions and two major Drama Competitions at school. Merchant Taylors’ boys have a fantastic range of opportunities for extra-curricular Music offering 21 different ensembles, including three jazz bands, several chamber music groups, and various bands, choirs and orchestras. Around a third of boys at school learn an instrument or have singing lessons delivered. If they find the time, boys are also welcomed to participate in over 80 clubs including Allotment Club, Model United Nations, Robotics Club, Dissection Club and Board Games Club.

Fees

£8,595 per term for Years 7-13 inclusive of VAT and lunch. Upon acceptance of a place, a deposit is required of £1,060 (£600 set against the first term’s tuition fees, £400 set against final account, £60 non-refundable administrative fee). Means tested bursaries of up to 100% of fees are available. To apply you must email the Admissions Office an email expressing your interest in a Bursary Application on you have registered.

11 plus Open Days at Merchant Taylors’

Before registering your son for admission at 11 plus, we recommend that you and your son attend a Merchant Taylors’ Open Morning. These are held each year in September and May. This will give your son a sense of what life is like at Taylors’, the facilities it offers, and a chance to meet members of staff and current pupils. We find that boys who attend Open Events are better prepared in interviews and more confident upon entering in September.

You can book a place at their next open day on the 27th of September on the MTS website.

The 11 Plus Admissions Process at Merchant Taylors’

Applications for 2026 entry to Merchant Taylors’ at 11+ are now open. The deadline to submit your application for 11 plus is October 31st, the year before entry. Merchant Taylors’ advise candidates to apply early. The registration must be completed online. In addition, candidates must pay a non-refundable registration fee of £180. Once your registration form is accepted, Merchant Taylors’ ask parents to submit a recent School Report. Parents will be sent a form for them to forward to their son’s school for completion and direct return to Merchant Taylors’.

At 11 plus, Merchant Taylors’ accept 50 to 60 boys into the Senior School. Around 400 applications are accepted. This number remains constant year on year. As a result odds of securing a place are usually around 1 in 7 to 1 in 8. Siblings of pupils at Merchant Taylors’ are not automatically offered a place and are required to fulfil the standard entry requirements. However, in cases of applicants who perform relatively similar in the entry process, priority is given to siblings of current pupils and to those with a recent family connection to the school.

It is not possible to apply for both the 13 plus and the 11 plus. Merchant Taylors’ offer around 75-80 places at 13 plus. Additionally, around 25 places will go to boys coming up from Merchant Taylors’ Prep School. Those who wish to apply for the 13+ register online by late June of their son’s Year 5.

11 Plus Exam Content at Merchant Taylors’

All 11 plus applicants to Merchant Taylors’ will sit the entrance exam in December. For 2026 entry, the exam will be on 29th November or 1st December 2025, depending on the applicant’s postcode. Candidates will sit papers in English, Mathematics, and a Merchant Taylors’ General Paper. Boys sit the exam at the school in Year 6. These papers are challenging, and boys often find technique and time management difficult, so preparation is vital. Merchant Taylors’ provides multiple practice papers for English and Maths on its website.

The English exam is 1 hour and consists of comprehension and composition. Boys should spend half their time on each. Specifically, the comprehension includes a long passage with complex sentences, unfamiliar vocabulary, and lengthy paragraphs. Questions are short and long-form written responses. In the composition section, boys choose from four options and complete a piece of creative writing. Throughout, they are assessed on spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and ability to read, understand and respond to a text.

The Maths paper is also 1 hour and requires boys to work at a pace of just over a mark and a half per minute. The exam tests arithmetic and problem-solving skills. Boys must think creatively and logically.

The Merchant Taylors’ General Paper replaced the previous Verbal Reasoning paper. It includes some similar questions but is designed to test a broader set of learning skills, including creativity, thinking, and problem solving.

If you want an experienced third party to help you stay on track with your preparation, our specialist 11 plus tutors can help. Many have significant Merchant Taylors’ entrance experience and over 80% are qualified teachers themselves.

11 Plus Interviews at Merchant Taylors’

Those successful in the entrance exam are invited to Merchant Taylors’ for an 11+ interview. The school usually interviews around 220 boys. Interviews take place in the last two weeks of January and the first week of February. They are one-to-one with a member of staff and last around 25 minutes. It is a key part of the admissions process, and success here is vital to securing a place.

The interview assesses four areas: communication, intellectual curiosity, reasoning, and extra-curricular commitment. Applicants are expected to talk about themselves, as the interviewer explores their interests and ideas to see if Merchant Taylors’ is the right fit. Questions aim to gauge communication, inquisitiveness, reasoning, and wider cultural interests. The interviewer may also revisit academic strengths or weaknesses seen in the exam. This could involve reading and discussing a passage, or solving some maths problems.

Teachers are looking for enthusiastic, confident boys who will thrive at the school and make the most of its opportunities. Your son should be able to engage in discussion, clearly express himself, and answer the question directly rather than wander off-topic. At Merchant Taylors’, over-practised answers are discouraged. If a child sounds too rehearsed, it may work against them.

Interviews can be daunting for boys who struggle to express their views. Every year, Mentor runs individual and group sessions to build confidence. Focusing on interview prep and what to expect, we help children develop answers and present their best self.

11 Plus Scholarships at Merchant Taylors’

All applicants to Merchant Taylors’ are automatically eligible for an Academic Scholarship. Academic Scholarships will be awarded to boys who perform exceptionally well in both the exam and interview, taking into account the information received from the boy’s current school. At 11 plus, there are at least five major academic scholarships available, each to the value of at least 10% and at most 50% of the school fees. Up to five minor academic scholarships (known as Exhibitions) will also be awarded, worth a maximum value of 10% of the school fees. Merchant Taylors’ will award up to 2 all-rounder scholarships at 11 plus, worth between 10 and 50% of the school fees. 

MTS also offers scholarships in Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music and Sport. Applicants need to apply to Merchant Taylors’ by 31st of October in the year preceding entry and fill out the relevant scholarship application form available on the School’s website. One or two scholarships in art, D&T, drama and sport are available at 11 plus each up to the value of £200 per annum department programme and associated materials. Four Music Scholarships (one of up to 25% of the School fees; one of up to 15% and two of up to 10%) will be awarded across 11+, 13+ and 16+. A Music Scholarship includes free instrumental tuition on two instruments, additional awards of free tuition may be made if there are applicants of sufficient merit.

Scholarship applicants will be invited for an assessment day in January of the year of entry. Here, boys will attend an in-person assessment or audition set by the relevant department. All candidates must also satisfy Merchant Taylors’ normal academic entry requirements at 11 plus.

Find a Tutor

To guarantee your son the best chance of 11 plus admission, offer him some additional support from one of our tutors. Many of our over 200 tutors are experts in the Merchant Taylors’ 11 plus and with bespoke one-to-one tuition, they can help children to achieve success at exams and interviews. 

With more than 40 years of experience in tutoring children to gain admission to some of London’s most competitive independent schools, we at Mentor have a wealth of knowledge on how best to prepare your son for entry to Merchant Taylors’. 

Over 80% of our tutors are qualified teachers, so they have an in-depth knowledge of their subject, the syllabus and the most effective teaching methods. Many have been heads of department, head teachers or examiners and all come with a wealth of experience and a great track record of success. All have been reference checked and have up-to-date DBS certificates. Wherever possible we will match your son with a tutor who has a track record at Merchant Taylors’ themselves.

For more information on our tutors’ unique approach to testing children in preparation for exams, contact our team.

More Information on MTS

Address: Merchant Taylors’ School, Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HT

Telephone: 01923 820644

Email: info@mtsn.org.uk 

Website: www.mtsn.org.uk

Local Authority: Hertfordshire

School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 117616

Gender: Boys

Age Range: 11-18

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