KGS 11 Plus sample paper
Here’s a sample paper from Kingston Grammar School. Note KGS is one of those ex-grammar schools such as Reigate which is now private.
Anyway, I like this paper. It uses a funny extract in which a boy takes tuition from an eccentric French tutor, also the Belgian consul in Corfu, who owns an air rifle.
It contains 3 sections:
Section A: multiple choice comprehension based on an early 20th century passage
Section B: a mini-essay question based on the passage
Section C: a creative writing section with a letter writing task also based on the passage
This post will contain the solutions to section A along with guidance on how to help your child identify the correct answers just like for the GL paper.
If you missed my 11 Plus GL posts, here are the links:
Kingston Grammar School (KGS) Section A
As always, I advise you attempt the paper first and then self mark using the answers below.
Solutions
A– ‘The consul’s home was situated [located] in...the old quarter of the town.’
B– The purpose of Gerry’s visits are to improve his French.
C– Note descriptions such as ‘cobbled streets crammed with stalls’ and, ‘It was a rich and colourful part of the town, full of noise and bustle.’
D– It’s suggested that a great variety of goods are sold in the market (‘gaily-coloured bales of cloth, mountains of shining sweetmeats, ornaments of beaten silver, fruit and vegetables’). Further, there are no references to supermarkets. Top tip: remember to always base your answer on the evidence in the passage.
A– The second paragraph emphasises the consul’s pride in his appearance. Further, there isn’t strong evidence for any of the other options.
D– You want to select the option which best reflects the description ‘to test the extent of my knowledge of French’. D is the closest approximation.
E– The consul goes to shoot a cat outside of his window.
D
C– ‘The consul was a great cat-lover’ (33–34)
C– ‘The consul was a great cat-lover’ and he has a ‘sensitive nature’. He only kills the cats to end their suffering as they are sick.
B– ‘It was a week before I found out the reason for the consul’s incessant fusillade’.
E– The cats are ‘starving, sore-ridden animals’ who ‘belonged to no one and were uncared for’.
D– All we are told is the cats were ‘allowed to breed unchecked’ and ‘were uncared for’. So we can infer the people of the town thought they weren’t worth bothering with and they just left them to suffer.
A– The consul always ‘sighs tragically’ after he sneezes which suggest he is upset.
C– ‘the consul leapt to the window to send yet another cat to a happier hunting ground’ suggests the consul would kill each cat so they can live a happier life in the afterlife. This presents the consul as humane.
A
E– Note that it is ‘suppressed’ as in said quietly and an ‘exclamation’ is a general cry of surprise.
A
B– ‘incessant’ means without stopping and ‘fusillade’ means rapid fire.
E
If you have any questions, you can leave a comment on my Substack. Simply click on the heading of this email to read my post online.
I will post a model response to section B later this week.
Did you know that I’m an 11 Plus English tutor and I’ve helped students get into KGS and many of the best independent schools in the country?
I’m available over the summer for 1-2-1 support. Learn more about the support I offer here or simply reply to this email.
Best,
Morgan