If your son is in Year 5 now, he'd sit the Reading School FSCE test in summer 2027 for a September 2028 start. Reading School hasn't published its 2028 entry dates yet, so we show how the 2026 sitting ran as last year's pattern: sign-up from late March to mid-May, and the test in mid-July of Year 5.
If he's in Year 4 now, he'd sit in summer 2028 for September 2029 entry. The test has four papers called Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery, and for practice material see FSCE past papers and free alternatives.
This guide uses Reading School's 2027 entry admissions policies, the latest it has published. Where the school hasn't said anything about 2028 entry yet, we say so.
- Reading School is a boys-only grammar academy in Berkshire with 150 Year 7 places: 138 day and 12 weekly boarding.
- The test is FSCE, sat in July of Year 5. Year 5 now? Your son sits in 2027. Year 4 now? He sits in 2028.
- Last year's pattern: sign-up 27 March to 17 May 2026, test 16 July 2026.
- There is no fixed pass mark. The governors set an eligible score each year.
- Passing the test isn't enough. Places are ranked in six categories, and feeder schools and priority postcodes come first.
- You must also name Reading School on your CAF by 31 October of Year 6, which is 31 October 2027 for 2028 entry.
- Reading School has not yet published dates for 2028 entry. Watch its admissions page from early 2027.
What is the Reading School 11 plus?
The Reading School 11 plus is a selective entrance test for boys who want a Year 7 place at Reading School, a state grammar academy in Reading, Berkshire. Education is free. The test is called FSCE, after Future Stories Community Enterprise, a trading company of Reading School.
Boys sit it in July of Year 5, a year earlier than the Year 6 tests many families know from other areas. A boy who reaches the school's eligible score is then ranked against a set of admission rules. You apply for a place separately, on your council's Common Application Form (CAF).
FSCE is used by other schools too. See which schools use the FSCE 11 plus or our wider guide to the FSCE 11+. For how it compares with other tests, read FSCE vs GL vs CSSE.
What are the key dates for Reading School 2028 entry?
Reading School hasn't published its 2028 entry dates yet (checked 15 October 2026). Last year, sign-up ran from 27 March to midnight on 17 May 2026, and the main test was on Thursday 16 July 2026, in Year 5.
If the school keeps that pattern, a boy in Year 5 now would register in spring 2027 and sit in July 2027. The timeline below shows how the 2026 sitting ran, so you can see the shape of the year ahead.
| Step | 2027 sitting (2028 entry, Year 5 now) | Last year: 2026 sitting (2027 entry) |
|---|---|---|
| Open Day and sign-up opens | Not published yet | Open Day 25 March 2026. Registration opened 27 March. |
| Registration closes | Not published yet | Midnight, Sunday 17 May 2026. Late sign-ups weren't tested until after offer day. |
| Evidence for priority places | Not published yet | 31 May 2026 |
| Sporting Aptitude Assessment | Not published yet | Sunday 12 July 2026 |
| Test for boys with SEN or special arrangements | Not published yet | Wednesday 15 July 2026 |
| Main FSCE test, day and boarding | Not published yet | Thursday 16 July 2026, in Year 5 |
| Online test, day applicants outside the catchment | Not published yet | Friday 25 September 2026, in Year 6 |
| Results | Not published yet | Mid-October 2026, before the CAF deadline |
| CAF deadline (national) | 31 October 2027 | 31 October 2026 |
| National Offer Day | 1 March 2028 | 1 March 2027 |
| Accept a day place | Not published yet | 12 March 2027 (boarding 13 March) |
| Term starts | September 2028 | 3 September 2027 |
Source: Reading School Year 7 entry page and its Day and Boarding Admissions Policies for 2027 entry, checked 15 October 2026, when no 2028 entry policy or dates were listed. The CAF deadline and National Offer Day are the national dates, 31 October and 1 March.
Who can sit the Reading School entrance test?
Only boys can sit it, and a boy can only take the test once. Last year's policy asked for a boy in Year 5 at the July test, born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.
For 2028 entry that would mean boys born 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017, which is our reading until the new policy is out. Last year, to be considered, a boy had to meet all of these points.
- He is biologically male.
- He was born in the right school year (1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016 for 2027 entry). The policy allows a few exceptions, set out in its appendices.
- He registered with Reading School and completed the test.
- He reached the eligible score.
- Reading School is named on the CAF, submitted on time to your council.
- The application has no false or misleading information.
- There is no repeat application in the same year.
Registering for the test isn't the same as applying for a place. What most families get wrong here is stopping after the first. You need to do both.
What is in the Reading School entrance test?
The test has four papers called Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery. Between them they cover multiple choice, short constrained answers and written questions. The skills tested are called Thinking Like an Author, Thinking Like a Problem Solver, KS2 subjects up to the end of Year 5, and Thinking Creatively.
The subjects named by the school are Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Music, PE and Science. Maths and English carry most of the weight. The school doesn't publish question numbers or timings.
- Answers go on a separate answer sheet.
- Instructions are played as audio.
- Pupils use a black pen. No calculator is allowed.
- The content and format change every year.
Our guides cover each part in more detail: the four papers, the subjects, the creativity paper, the answer sheet and test day.
Is there a pass mark for Reading School?
No. Reading School says the eligible score isn't a pre-defined pass mark. The Governors' Admissions Committee sets it each year, after looking at how the whole group did, how earlier groups did, the admission rules and the 150 places.
Scores are standardised and adjusted for age, so a younger boy isn't marked down for his birthday. The school may also apply weightings to the papers, set each year.
- The school expects more boys to reach the eligible score than there are places.
- Reaching it doesn't guarantee a place.
- A score from a past year doesn't guarantee admission either.
- A boy below the eligible score isn't ranked.
Reading School doesn't publish the eligible score for any year. Scores you may see on forums or tutor sites are unofficial, so we don't quote them. Read more in our FSCE pass mark and scores guide.
How many boys apply for Reading School, and how many places are there?
Reading School has 150 Year 7 places: 138 day places and 12 weekly boarding places. The school says that over 1,100 boys typically register for the test each year. It doesn't publish how many reach the eligible score.
| Fact | Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Published admission number | 150 | Reading School admissions policy, 2027 |
| Day places | 138 | Reading School admissions policy, 2027 |
| Weekly boarding places | 12 | Reading School boarding policy, 2027 |
| Boys who register each year | Over 1,100, typically | Reading School admissions FAQ |
| Eligible score | Not published | Set by the governors each year |
| Boys reaching the eligible score | Not published | No official figure found |
One reported figure helps with the picture. A third-party site that reproduces Department for Education data says that for Year 7 entry in 2025/26 there were 360 first-preference applications and 448 applications in total, with 146 offers on National Offer Day. We haven't checked that against the original DfE file, so treat it as a guide only. Those numbers count CAF applications, which come after the test, so they aren't the same as the 1,100 who register.
The school may admit above 150. It must tell the local council if it does. The numbers above don't give an official "applicants per place" ratio, and we don't make one up.
How does Reading School choose between eligible boys?
Reading School ranks eligible boys in six categories, and it fills them in order. The first priority is looked-after children and those with certain needs. Next comes sporting aptitude, then boys from feeder schools, then boys in priority postcodes, then the wider catchment, then everyone else.
| Category | Who is in it | Places |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Priority places | Looked-after and previously looked-after children, boys on Pupil or Service Premium or with a social or welfare need who live in the catchment (all three may score 5 marks below the eligible score), and children of staff who have worked at the school for two years or more (usual eligible score). | First |
| 2. Sporting aptitude | Boys with an eligible score who also beat the sports threshold, and who live in the catchment or registered for boarding. Ranked by sports score. | Up to 15, across day and boarding |
| 3. Feeder schools | Boys at a named state primary school within 4.6 miles of the Erleigh Road gate, with a home address in the priority postcodes. | Up to 50% of the remaining places |
| 4. Priority postcodes | Boys living in the 13 priority postcode areas. Twins and multiple births are ranked first. | Up to 80% of the remaining places |
| 5. Catchment | Boys living anywhere in the wider catchment. | The remaining places |
| 6. Everyone else | All other eligible boys, including those outside the catchment. | Any places left |
Boys with an Education, Health and Care Plan that names Reading School and who reach the eligible score are admitted first. Places that aren't filled in one category pass to the next.
If two boys are still level inside a category, the school looks at three things in order.
- The higher score on the Discovery paper.
- The shorter straight-line distance from home to the school.
- A random draw, supervised by the local council.
Around 75 state primary schools are named as feeders. The school publishes the list on its admissions pages, so check that your son's school is on it and that he is enrolled there both on the July test day and on National Offer Day.
Which postcodes are in the Reading School catchment?
The catchment is a list of postcode areas, and the postcode overrides any map. The 13 priority postcode areas are RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40 and RG41.
- RG1
- RG2
- RG30
- RG31
- RG4
- RG5
- RG6
- RG7
- RG8
- RG9
- RG10
- RG40
- RG41
The wider catchment, used for category 5, adds these areas to the 13 above.
- RG12
- RG14
- RG18
- RG19
- RG26
- RG27
- RG42
- RG45
- GU15
- GU17
- GU19
- GU46
- GU47
- OX10
- SL4
- SL5
The school checks your main address on the July test day and again on National Offer Day. Check your full postcode on the school's catchment page before you register. If you are new to catchment rules, our guide on living in a grammar school catchment area explains the basics.
Can a boy from outside the catchment get into Reading School?
Yes, in principle, but it is hard. A boy from outside the catchment can register, sit the test and, if he reaches the eligible score, join category 6. The school says its day places are normally taken by boys who live in the catchment.
Last year, day applicants from outside the catchment sat an online test in September of Year 6 (Friday 25 September 2026). For them, the creativity paper was only marked if places were still free after National Offer Day.
Boarding has no catchment, which is the other route in. Families who move house should read the rules carefully, because the school checks the address twice.
What about boarding and the sporting route?
Reading School offers weekly boarding only, with 12 Year 7 places and no catchment area. Boarders must also be judged suitable for boarding, through an informal meeting or interview without a parent in the room. Families need to arrange weekend accommodation, because the school can't help find a guardian.
Boarding boys sit the same July test as day boys. A deposit is needed after a conditional offer, and you can't convert a boarding offer into a day place after National Offer Day.
The sporting route is category 2, with up to 15 places across day and boarding for boys who reach the eligible score and pass the sports threshold. You apply for it on the registration form, and last year the assessment was on Sunday 12 July 2026.
What happens after the test?
Last year, results went out online or by email in mid-October, before the CAF deadline. If the pattern holds for a boy sitting in 2027, here is how his Year 6 autumn and spring would run.
- Read the result. It tells you whether your son reached the eligible score. It doesn't tell you whether he has a place.
- Complete your CAF. Name Reading School by 31 October 2027. All councils treat preferences equally, but the school's FAQ advises making it your first preference.
- National Offer Day. Offers come on 1 March 2028. Last year the school gave families until 12 March to accept.
- Check the waiting list. Last year the school re-ranked it on 1 April, after offer day.
What do we know about Reading School 2028 and 2029 entry?
Not much yet. As of 15 October 2026, Reading School's Year 7 page and policies page list only 2027 entry documents, with no dates, policy or test details for September 2028 entry.
Here's what's safe to say, and what's only our reading.
| Question | Answer | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Who sits for 2028 entry? | Boys born 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017, who are in Year 5 now (2026 to 2027). | Our reading of the age rule |
| Who sits for 2029 entry? | Boys born 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018, who are in Year 4 now. | Our reading of the age rule |
| When will the 2027 test be? | Not announced. Last year it was 16 July, in Year 5. | Not published |
| When will registration open and close? | Not announced. Last year it ran from 27 March to 17 May. | Not published |
| Will it still be FSCE? | Not stated for 2028. | Not published |
| What happened last year? | Registration from late March to mid-May, a July test in Year 5 and a September sitting for out-of-catchment day applicants. | School-stated, for 2027 entry only |
A pattern isn't a promise, and tutor sites that print 2028 dates are guessing. Under the School Admissions Code, admission arrangements for a year must be settled by 28 February of the year before, so the 2028 entry policy should be out by the end of February 2027.
Last year's 2027 entry dates were already up by the March open day, so watch the Year 7 entry page and policies page from early 2027. Other areas join FSCE for 2028 entry too, and our FSCE schools list covers the Gloucestershire and Trafford changes.
Our free FSCE 2027 Info Pack is for children sitting in 2027. It sets out the four papers and the key facts in one free PDF.
Year 5 now? Pip is a full English and maths study companion, pitched to what your child can already do.
How should my child prepare for the Reading School test?
Reading School says no additional preparation is necessary, and it doesn't authorise any past or practice papers. The one official resource is its free familiarisation guide for parents and children. The content changes every year, so the best help is strong Year 5 English and maths.
Start with the school's guide, so your son knows the paper types and the separate answer sheet. After that, keep skills fresh with short, calm sessions. Our FSCE practice papers and practice questions and writing prompts are written by us in the same style, and aren't past papers. For a wider plan, see our 11+ planner.
- Check your feeder school and postcode first. Categories 3 and 4 fill most of the places, so your address and primary school can matter as much as the score.
- Diary sign-up for spring of Year 5. Last year registration closed on 17 May, two months before the test. A late registration is tested only after National Offer Day.
- Don't chase scores from forums. The eligible score changes each year and is never published, so unofficial numbers can mislead you.
- Write down your dates. Registration, the test, results, the CAF and acceptance each have their own deadline, and a missed one can't be repeated.
English and maths practice
Pip sets Year 5 English and maths questions at your child's level, with vocabulary and comprehension built in. Wrong answers come with a short explanation, so your child learns the method.
Frequently asked questions
Does Reading School use the 11 plus?+
Yes. Reading School is a boys-only grammar school in Berkshire, and it picks its Year 7 boys with the FSCE entrance test. The test is written by Future Stories Community Enterprise, a trading company of Reading School. It has four papers, called Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery.
When is the Reading School entrance exam for 2028 entry?+
Reading School hasn't published it yet, but last year the main test was on Thursday 16 July 2026, in Year 5, after registration from 27 March to 17 May 2026. If the pattern holds, a boy in Year 5 now would sit in July 2027, so check the school's admissions page from early 2027.
Is there a pass mark for Reading School?+
No fixed pass mark is published. The school's governors set an eligible score each year after they see how the whole group did. Reaching it does not guarantee a place, and a score from a past year does not guarantee one either.
How many boys apply for Reading School?+
The school says over 1,100 boys typically register for the test each year. It has 150 Year 7 places: 138 day places and 12 weekly boarding places. Reading School does not publish how many boys reach the eligible score.
Can a boy outside the catchment get into Reading School?+
Yes, in principle. Boys from outside the catchment can sit the test and, if they reach the eligible score, they fall in the last category. The school says day places are normally taken by boys who live in the catchment, so treat it as a long shot.
Is there a Reading School past paper?+
No. FSCE does not authorise past or practice papers, and the content changes every year. The school's free familiarisation guide is the only official resource, and the school says no extra preparation is needed.
Do I need to put Reading School first on the CAF?+
You must name Reading School on your Common Application Form by 31 October of Year 6, or the offer cannot be made. For 2028 entry that's 31 October 2027, and the school's FAQ advises making it your first preference.
When will the 2028 entry dates be announced?+
Reading School has not published them yet. The 2028 entry policy should be settled by the end of February 2027, and last year the dates were up before the March open day, so check its Year 7 entry page from early 2027.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and school admissions documents.
Sources: Reading School Year 7 Day Admissions Policy 2027, Boarding Admissions Policy 2027, FSCE Familiarisation Guide for parents, and the school's Year 7 entry, admissions policies, catchment area and FAQ pages at reading-school.co.uk. Checked 15 October 2026, when nothing for 2028 entry was published, and we are not affiliated with Reading School or FSCE, so confirm every date with the school.