Free 11+ guide
How fast is Henrietta Barnett Round One?
The school does not publish Round One timings or question counts. Parents describe the time as very tight, and one parent advised practising at about 30 to 40 seconds a question, and about 25 seconds for non-verbal reasoning. Treat that as a practice target, not a school rule, and teach your daughter what to do when time runs short.
Source: HBS admissions and current test notice (accessed 2026-09-24) · Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett practice papers (2023) (accessed 2026-09-24) · Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett Round 2 invite updates (September 2026) (accessed 2026-09-24)
What the school tells families
Source: HBS admissions and current test notice (accessed 2026-09-24) · GL free familiarisation materials (accessed 2026-09-24)
Round 1 tests English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The school points families to GL familiarisation materials, which show the style of instructions and answers. Those booklets are not HBS papers, and their timings are not HBS timings.
What parents report about the pace
Source: Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett Round 2 invite updates (September 2026) (accessed 2026-09-24) · Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett practice papers (2023) (accessed 2026-09-24)
- A parent this September said the time for verbal and non-verbal reasoning was extremely tight, and that her daughter had to guess.
- A parent in 2023 advised practising at about 30 to 40 seconds a question, and about 25 seconds for non-verbal reasoning.
- The same parent warned that verbal reasoning can include a new question type each year.
These are individual reports, not a survey. We use 40 seconds only as a practice target.
Build pace in three steps
- Accuracy first. Untimed, she should explain why each answer is right. Speed built on guessing does not last.
- Then short timed sets. Six to ten questions against a target, looking at the time each one took, not just the score.
- Then the last-minute plan. Answer the quick ones, flag the slow ones, come back if there is time, and cross out two wrong options before guessing.
The school has not said whether a wrong answer loses marks in Round 1. Follow the instructions on the day. In practice where a wrong answer costs nothing, a best guess always beats a blank.
A question that rewards a plan
Worked example Code it quickly
Original teaching example. In a code, PEN is written as RGP. How is FROG written?
Why this works: Each letter moves two places forward: P to R, E to G, N to P. So FROG becomes HTQI. Checking the rule on one letter pair first takes seconds and prevents a slip.
Why the tempting route fails: Guessing a pattern from the last letter alone can suggest the wrong jump. Test the rule on every letter of the example.
Sources and independence
Sources
HBS admissions and current test notice. Official guidance. Accessed 2026-09-24. Read the official sourcehttps://www.hbschool.org.uk/admissions/
Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett practice papers (2023). Parent forum thread, not school guidance. Accessed 2026-09-24. Read the threadhttps://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4838214-henrietta-barnett-practice-papers
Mumsnet: Henrietta Barnett Round 2 invite updates (September 2026). Parent forum thread, not school guidance. Accessed 2026-09-24. Read the threadhttps://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5581173-henrietta-barnett-round-2-invite-updates-for-28-september
GL free familiarisation materials. Official guidance. Accessed 2026-09-24. Read the official sourcehttps://11plus.gl-assessment.co.uk/pages/free-materials
Accessed 2026-09-24. Independent preparation, not affiliated with or endorsed by the school or test provider. Activities and routines are our suggestions, not official questions, marking schemes or promises of admission. Check the entry year before using a policy.