Dulwich 11+ Complete Admissions Guide
Dulwich Admissions Guide
Dulwich College, founded in 1619, is a prestigious academic institution that prides itself on both its academic rigour and co-curricular opportunities. The school aims to cultivate well-rounded, socially responsible individuals, preparing them to be global citizens and offers more than 50 clubs and societies, including coding, debating, and engineering. Students are encouraged to explore knowledge beyond the classroom, exemplified by its “Free Learning” programme which promotes education for its own sake, beyond the confines of the syllabus.
In addition to A-levels and the Advanced Elective courses, Dulwich's curriculum includes two Liberal Studies courses in both Year 12 and 13, designed to encourage curiosity and broaden academic perspectives. These unexamined courses allow students to explore new areas of knowledge, cultivating intellectual flexibility and critical thinking.
This blog will guide you through the ins and outs of applying to Dulwich College, including an admissions timeline and tips for the Dulwich entrance exam and interview.
Blog Contents:
Dulwich 11+ Admissions Timeline
Year 7 is a popular time for Dulwich admissions: 70 pupils join the school at the 11+ entry point, with a further 55 boys joining from Dulwich Junior School.
For students applying for Dulwich 11+, here’s a full breakdown of the key dates:
Visit Dulwich College for an open day: Throughout the year, families can attend open mornings for Dulwich admissions and receive tour of the school from current students. They will also learn about the academic subjects and co-curricular opportunities on offer.
Registration Deadline: Registration opens in late April and closes late October the year before entry.
Entrance Exam: All Dulwich 11+ applicants will sit the entrance exam in early December of Year 6. The exam lasts around 3 hours, with Maths, English Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning taken online, alongside a creative comprehension section. Students will also have 20 minutes to complete a handwritten piece of creative writing.
See our Dulwich Entrance Exam section for further information on the entrance exam and how to excel.
Interview offers sent out: 160 boys are invited to interview in late January.
Interviews: Successful candidates at this point will visit Dulwich and be interviewed by a member of the school staff to gain a sense of their interests and enthusiasm.
Offers of places made: In mid-February, Dulwich College will inform students whether they have a place.
Deadline to accept place: Students wishing to attend the school must accept their place by early March.
The Dulwich Entrance Exam
In December of Year 6, all students applying for an 11+ place must sit the Dulwich entrance exam. The exam has three parts:
Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Creative Comprehension and Problem Solving
Creative Writing
The first two parts of the exam are adaptive, online tests. This means the questions increase in difficulty according to the student’s performance.
The final section of the Dulwich Entrance Exam, creative writing, is handwritten. Students only have 20 minutes to complete a piece of creative/descriptive writing in response to a prompt.
Tips for the Dulwich Entrance Exam
Part 1:
The first part of the exam tests typical 11+ questions, just in an online format. Students can prepare well with 11+ practice papers for these topics.
While the format has changed, these Dulwich past papers for Maths and English are still great practice for the kinds of content your child might be asked!
For Maths, it’s important your child is confident in the KS2 National curriculum. The most challenging maths questions will push slightly beyond this level, expecting students to be able to understand multi-step problems. You could try practising some easy 13+ questions to boost their confidence with trickier types of problems.
For English, and verbal reasoning, boosting vocabulary is key. These questions test your child’s ability to interpret vocabulary in context and understand nuances of meaning. Reading lots is crucial to performing well in this section.
See our guide to mastering 11+ reading comprehension to develop your child’s skills.
Part 2:
The creative comprehension and problem solving sections of the Dulwich entrance exam are a trickier new, online format.
Often these questions require students to complete gap fill exercises or move elements around on the screen to complete interactive questions.
Fundamentally, it’s important to remember that the exam is still testing the same comprehension skills. Students should look for what a question is asking and compare it to a similar task they have already completed in their preparation.
To really excel in this section, students should make sure they’re confident with completing logical sequences, codebreaking and spatial reasoning (e.g. finding paths, manipulating shapes). You could practise these for the Dulwich entrance exam by using games that give the same interactive, hands-on question style, or coming up with exercises within your daily routine that test these skills.
Part 3:
The creative writing section of the Dulwich entrance exam is looking to see students’ imaginative skills. The top answers will:
have an original, imaginative voice
use a range of ambitious and appropriate vocabulary
incorporate imagery such as metaphors and similes
have correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
This means leaving time at the end for students to check their work is key to scoring top marks!
You can get your child to practise creative writing by setting them different prompts, e.g. a photograph prompt to describe or asking them to finish a story in the same style as the writer.
Here’s the Dulwich past paper for creative writing for further practice.
You could also see our 11+ creative writing guide for more tips to help your child build skills for the Dulwich entrance exam.
Looking for support with Dulwich 11+?
Support your child’s preparation for the Dulwich entrance exam with expert tutoring from U2 Tuition.
Our Oxbridge-educated tutors, many of whom are former Dulwich students, offer tailored study plans and resources focused on key exam components, including the challenging Creative Comprehension and Problem Solving sections. We also provide structured interview preparation to help your child feel confident and ready to showcase their strengths.
Our Dulwich 11+ tutors are here to help your child excel.
Dulwich 11+ Interview
The Dulwich 11+ interview is designed to assess a candidate’s academic abilities, potential for growth, and alignment with the school's welcoming ethos. At the interview, the school aims to create a friendly atmosphere to allow students to feel at ease to demonstrate their academic interests alongside other talents and skills that could enrich school life.
During the Dulwich 11+ interview, students should answer questions in a way that showcases their intellectual curiosity, confidence, and a readiness to explore new ideas. Dulwich interviewers are looking for students who are really passionate about learning and reflect the values the values embodied by the school’s Free Learning programme. They also want to see students who are comfortable discussing their achievements and interests, and who demonstrate a sense of responsibility towards others—reflecting the school's values of inclusivity and social engagement.
Preparing for the Dulwich 11+ interview with a tutor is a great way to build confidence and help your child naturally mirror the school’s values. U2 Tuition’s team of Dulwich 11+ tutors know the ins and outs of the Dulwich admissions process. Our tutors want to take the stress out of the interview preparation process and leave your son feeling as prepared as possible. Learn more about how we can support you on your Dulwich admissions journey.
Dulwich College is also committed to providing great co-curricular and extracurricular activities to allow students to thrive beyond the syllabus. A great way for applicants to showcase their enthusiasm for learning outside the classroom and their eagerness to get stuck into the range of co-curricular activities at Dulwich College, is by taking part in co-curricular clubs. Our co-curricular division, Minds Underground, hosts a range of engaging, online co-curricular clubs, such as our Young STEM Minds or Young Debate Minds clubs (amongst countless others!), designed for younger students to boost their skills and apply their learning in interesting ways. Bringing up their involvement in a co-curricular club is a great way for students to provide evidence for their love of learning in the Dulwich 11+ interview.
For further support with the Dulwich 11+ interview, take a look at our 11 plus interview guide, as well as our pack of 11+ interview questions that are highly applicable to the Dulwich interview.
Three Final Tips to Excel in the Dulwich Admissions Process
Develop a love of learning outside the classroom
You should encourage your son to develop a love of learning that isn’t just contained to the classroom environment. Take him out on educational trips to galleries and museums, build 11+ practice questions into daily life. Or, better still, enrol him in an engaging club like the ones run by our co-curricular division, Minds Underground, where he can explore an area that interests him and develop critical thinking skills.
Hone the Dulwich Entrance Exam Technique
Get used to the Dulwich entrance exam (and especially the online!) format. Practice lots of 11+ and Dulwich past papers to get used to the kinds of questions asked.
If you’d like to work with one of U2 Tuition’s Dulwich 11+ tutors, they can create bespoke practice resources for your child designed to match the real entrance exam and identify and improve their weakest areas.
Strengthen Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills
Encourage your son to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which are essential for success in the Dulwich entrance exam. Get him to engage in activities that challenge his thinking, such as puzzles, logic games, or debating. These exercises will help sharpen his ability to approach complex problems with confidence.
Looking for a Dulwich 11+ Tutor to Support Your Child?
A dedicated tutor is the best way to support your child’s preparation for the Dulwich entrance exam and admissions process. U2 Tuition offers tailored study plans and resources that focus on the key components of the Dulwich entrance exam, emphasising both academic content and essential exam strategies to maximise your child’s performance.
Our team of Dulwich 11+ tutors includes Oxbridge graduates, many of whom attended Dulwich College themselves. With first-hand insights, they are equipped to answer all your child’s questions and provide personalised support. Our tutors create additional resources in the style of the Dulwich entrance exam, including the challenging Creative Comprehension and Problem Solving sections, helping students gain confidence. Additionally, our tutors provide structured interview preparation to ensure your child feels able to talk confidently about themselves and their interests in the Dulwich interview.
If you’re interested in Dulwich 11+ support, we begin with a free consultation to discuss your child’s goals, identify focus areas, and match them with a tutor who specialises in Dulwich admissions. Starting early allows us to offer comprehensive support, but we also provide an intensive program leading up to the Dulwich entrance exam or interview. Our flexible tutoring options are available both online and in-person to suit your needs.
Book a free initial consultation now to find out more about how our tutors can support you and your child through the Dulwich admissions process.