Your school guide
Dover College
Dover College admits Senior School pupils without a selective 11+ examination; it uses reports, an interview and a taster to consider Year 7 applications.
Independent school · Dover, Kent
Prepare with confidence.
Use Plusling to prepare for 11+ entry to Dover College. Build skills with original questions, understand the answers and turn tricky topics into your next step forward.
Try five free questions. See the feedback for yourself.
Meet the school
At a glance
Facts checked
Effingham Crescent, Dover, Kent, CT17 9RH
Plan your approach
Entry information
Dover College is a non-academically selective independent school. For ordinary Senior School Shell (Year 7) entry, its Admissions Policy 2026–27 says external pupils sit short Maths and English exams for academic placement, alongside school reports, a meeting and a day with the prospective year group. Scholarship exams are separate and competitive.
Entry stage: Senior School Year 7 entry
What the assessment covers
- Mathematics
- English
The admissions process
- Register and provide the pupil’s two most recent school reports
- External Shell (Year 7) applicants sit short Maths and English exams for academic placement
- Meet the Head or a senior leader and spend a day with the prospective year group; an informal interview is part of the process
- Scholarship examinations are separate and competitive
Read the official details: Admissions information from Dover College
Go to the source
Official links for your shortlist
Use the school’s current admissions information to check which sample papers or familiarisation materials apply to your child’s entry year.
Know what to expect
Follow the school’s assessment guidance.
Dover’s current policy says external Shell (Year 7) applicants sit short Maths and English exams for academic placement, while admission is not academically selective. Normal current-school learning is appropriate; the policy does not set an entrance threshold. Competitive scholarship exams are separate.
Read the official guidance: Dover College · Dover College
Maths
A useful place to start
Ask your child to explain their method, estimate the answer and check the final calculation. Notice which step needs more practice.
Build on it with Plusling
Use Plusling’s original maths questions and worked explanations to make those next practice sessions count.
Start the 5-question maths quizEnglish
A useful place to start
Read a short passage together. Ask your child to find evidence for an answer and explain unfamiliar words in context.
Build on it with Plusling
Build on that reading with Plusling’s English questions and explanations, then choose a topic to practise again.
Start the 5-question English quizPrint, practise, build confidence
Printable practice for these subjects
Original Plusling papers with space to work and separate answers and explanations.
Maths papers
Explore the papers
English papers
Explore the papersThese are Plusling skills practice, not official school or test papers.
Keep the practical steps clear
Your application starting points
Use the official links on this page to answer these questions for your child’s entry year.
Check the entry point and eligibility
Confirm the year group, age requirements and any conditions that apply to your child.
Put the right dates in your diary
Note any published registration, assessment, application and offer-response dates that apply to your child’s route. They may be separate steps.
Follow the assessment guidance
Check what the school asks your child to do and whether it recommends any preparation. Use its own instructions and the assessment provider’s advice.
Check fees and financial support
Look at fees, bursaries and scholarships, including any separate forms, evidence and deadlines.
Picture your child’s everyday life here.
An open day is a chance to look beyond the exam. Useful questions to take with you:
- How do you help new pupils settle in and make friends?
- Who can a child turn to when they feel worried or stuck?
- How do you help pupils recover from a setback and discover their strengths?
Know where to focus
Give their preparation a clear direction.
See the topics your child has practised, revisit questions that need another look and choose a focus for the next session. Plusling helps you put your time where it can be useful.
- Topic summaries and practice history
- Choose topics in Focus Practice
- Progress to discuss with the adults helping them
Their next step starts here
Give their 11+ preparation a confident start.
Try Plusling together. Five free questions, useful feedback and a first look at a friendlier way to practise.
Planning your application
- Ask Admissions about the timing for your intended entry year and whether a separate scholarship assessment applies.
Plusling’s guide to Dover College is independently written. The school and its admissions authority publish the official arrangements.
Contains government school-register data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Primary sources
- Dover College: school details Department for Education
- Admissions Dover College
- Short Stay Places - Dover College Dover College
- Admissions Policy 2026–27 (approved August 2026) Dover College