HomeSchoolsMagdalen College School
Know exactly where your child stands for Magdalen College School

Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Magdalen College School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.

Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Magdalen College School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.

Magdalen College School

School type
Independent
Also known as
Address
Cowley Place
,
Oxford
,
Oxfordshire
,
England
,
OX4 1DZ
Magdalen College School is an independent day school for boys in Oxford. Its 11+ entrance exam uses the Quest Admissions board and consists of two stages. An interview is a required part of the admissions process for Year 7 entry.

If you have a quick, curious child who wants to be stretched without losing room to be themselves, Magdalen College School is worth a long look. The Good Schools Guide describes a place that is steeped in history but not weighed down by it, modern, playful and unpretentious, with no esoteric language or complicated uniform to contend with. It's an independent day school in Oxford, sitting just across Magdalen Bridge from the university college that founded it. William Waynflete set it up in 1480 to educate boys who would go on to study at Magdalen College, and that long history still shapes the place. It takes boys from seven, girls join in the sixth form, and it is preparing to become fully co-educational from 2027.

Daily life moves at pace. Lessons run at forty minutes, which suits quick minds, and the Latin motto, Sicut Lilium, like the lily, speaks to the school's hope that its pupils flourish. Music is taken seriously, with more than four in ten pupils learning an instrument in school, and sport runs deep, with an MCS hockey team in the national finals every year since 2022. Pupils the Guide met were, to a tee, engaging and well-mannered.

Roughly one in ten pupils holds a means-tested bursary, and fees stay lower than many comparable schools, reflecting a long-held commitment to access. The Master, Helen Pike, has led the school since 2016. MCS suits a bright, inquisitive child ready for an unusually rich start in one of the country's great university cities.

Key facts

Gender
Boys
Year 7 places
Annual fees
Pass mark
Selectivity ratio

Admissions

Open day
July, Sep
Registration opens
Registration closes
CAF deadline
Admissions contact
registrar@mcsoxford.org
Admissions phone
01865 242191

Registration form

Sibling policy

What this school tests

Online Tests

English

  • Grammar
  • Punctuation
  • Reading Comprehension - Comparison
  • Reading Comprehension - Evaluation
  • Reading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuation
  • Reading Comprehension - Inference and Deduction
  • Reading Comprehension - Information Retrieval
  • Reading Comprehension - Language Techniques and Imagery
  • Reading Comprehension - Sentence-level Comprehension
  • Reading Comprehension - Sequencing
  • Reading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and Tone
  • Reading Comprehension - Summarising
  • Reading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose
  • Reading Comprehension - Types of Words and Phrases
  • Reading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice
  • Spelling
  • Vocabulary

Maths

  • Algebra
  • Angles and Degrees
  • BIDMAS
  • Coordinate Grids
  • Estimation and Rounding
  • Factors and Multiples
  • Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
  • Measurement
  • Money
  • Number and Place Value
  • Operations
  • Perimeter, Area and Volume
  • Position and Direction
  • Properties of Shapes
  • Ratio and Proportion
  • Reflection, Rotation and Symmetry
  • Sequences
  • Special Numbers
  • Speed, Distance and Time
  • Statistics
  • Time

Non-verbal Reasoning

  • Figure Analogies
  • Figure Matrices
  • Figure Series
  • Grid Matrices
  • Horizontal Codes
  • Match to a Group of Figures
  • Most Like Three Figures
  • Odd Figure Out
  • Odd Shaped Matrices
  • Star Matrices
  • Triangle Matrices
  • Vertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning

  • Alphabet Logic
  • Anagrams
  • Compound Words
  • Embedded Words
  • Form a Word
  • Insert 2 / 3 Letters
  • Insert a Letter
  • Letter Analogies
  • Letter Sequences
  • Move 1 / 2 Letters
  • Ordering Words
  • Rhyming Synonyms
  • Shuffled Sentences
  • Synonyms
  • Word / Logic Puzzles
  • Word Analogies
  • Word Completion
  • Word Match
  • Word Opposites
  • Word Pairs
  • Word Relationships
  • Word Swap
  • Words and Codes

Spatial Reasoning

  • 2D Rotations
  • 2D View of 3D Shape
  • 3D Rotations
  • Block Counting
  • Building Blocks
  • Combining Shapes
  • Diagonal Reflections
  • Figure Missing from Image
  • Fold and Punch
  • Folding Cubes
  • Hidden Shapes
  • Missing Face of Cube
  • Nets of 3D Shapes
  • Shape Completion

Puzzles And Problem Solving

  • Number Properties & Proportion
  • Logic & Systematic Thinking
  • Geometry, Measures & Data
  • Equations & Early Algebra
  • Magic Shapes & Additive Puzzles
  • Calculation Fluency

Critical Thinking

  • Logical & Deductive Reasoning
  • Inference & Evaluation
  • Extracting & Distilling Information
  • Visual Sources
  • Comparison & Ordering
  • Data Analysis
  • Codes & Decoding

Creative Writing

English

  • Creative Writing - Descriptive
  • Creative Writing - Narrative

Catchment area

Selection review and safety net

Previous exam results

GCSE results

Most pupils at this school sit IGCSE and Pre-U qualifications, which are not reflected in DfE's published GCSE measures. See the school's own website for full results. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved an A average grade per A-Level entry. 71.8% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Magdalen College School use for the 11+?

Magdalen College School uses the Quest Admissions exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Magdalen College School interview as part of the 11+?

Yes, an interview stage is a required part of the 11+ admissions process at Magdalen College School.

Is Magdalen College School co-educational or single-sex for 11+ entry?

Magdalen College School is a single-sex school for boys at 11+ entry. Girls join the school in the sixth form.

How many stages are there in the Magdalen College School 11+ exam?

The 11+ entrance exam at Magdalen College School consists of two distinct stages.

Where can I find more information about Magdalen College School 11+ admissions?

You can find further details about 11+ admissions on the official school website: https://www.mcsoxford.org/admissions/entry-at-11/.

Location

https://www.google.com/maps?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d8388.152876779524!2d-1.2562396218774767!3d51.75278905671214!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4876c6b2ea2ec815%3A0x2a17e3e565a573a6!2sMagdalen%20College%20School!5e0!3m2!1sen!2smk!4v1746180481601!5m2!1sen!2smk

Your child's 11+ journey starts with a single diagnostic

4 subjects. 56 expert-authored questions. A complete picture of where they are, and a personalised plan to get them exam-ready.

Start the free diagnostic
Start the free diagnostic