In this article
If your child is used to reaching for a calculator, the 11+ will feel different. Below is what each school says, quoted from its own admissions pages or published papers. Where a school doesn't mention calculators, we say so rather than guess.
What each school says
| School | Calculator in 11+ maths? | What the school says |
|---|---|---|
| City of London School | No | Calculators are among the materials candidates may not use |
| Dulwich College | No (11+) | "Dictionaries, calculators, mobile devices may not be used" |
| North London Collegiate School | No | Sample paper: "Calculators are not allowed" |
| St Albans School | No | Calculators are among the materials candidates may not use (the school's 2024 FAQs, which don't name an entry year) |
| Alleyn's School | Not needed | Syllabus: "Calculators are not needed" |
| City of London School for Girls | No | Sample paper (2021): "You are not allowed a calculator" |
| King's College School | No | Specimen paper: "Calculators must not be used" |
| St Paul's Girls' School | No | Sample paper: "No calculators, protractors or rulers are allowed" |
| St Paul's School | No | Syllabus: "one non-calculator paper (60 minutes)" |
| Haberdashers' Boys' School | Not stated for 11+ | The 13+ maths paper is "taken without the use of a calculator" |
| Hampton, Latymer Upper, Godolphin and Latymer, Guildford High, Highgate, James Allen's Girls', Royal Grammar School Guildford, Sevenoaks, Westminster, Wycombe Abbey | Not stated | The school's main 11+ admissions page doesn't mention calculators |
Some of these quotes come from older documents: sample papers from 2021 and 2023, and St Albans School's FAQs from 2024. Schools can change a paper's rules, so check the instructions the school sends before the test.
The 13+ exception
Dulwich College's summary of its 13+ mathematics paper describes a 1½ hour written paper and says "calculators are permitted for all questions". Haberdashers' Boys' School's 13+ maths paper, by contrast, is "taken without the use of a calculator". If your child is sitting 13+, read the school's own maths guidance rather than assuming the 11+ rule applies.
What this means at home
- Practise without a calculator. Written methods for multiplication and division, fractions and decimals need to be quick and reliable.
- Set out working clearly. Write each step down, so you and your child can see where a method went wrong.
- Check the other equipment rules too. St Paul's Girls' School's sample paper also rules out protractors and rulers, while Alleyn's asks candidates to bring a ruler.
If the school's page doesn't say, ask the admissions team before the test day.
Questions parents ask
Do any 11+ papers at these schools allow calculators?
Not at any school that says. Eight say calculators are not allowed, and Alleyn's School says they are not needed. The other eleven don't say on the pages we checked, so ask them directly.
Are rulers and protractors allowed?
It varies. City of London School and St Albans School list rulers among the materials candidates may not use, and St Paul's Girls' School's sample paper rules out protractors and rulers. Alleyn's School asks candidates to bring a ruler.
What if the school doesn't say?
Ask the school's admissions team before the test day, and read the instructions the school sends with the test details.
Sources
Each school's own admissions pages, syllabuses and sample papers, checked on 23 October 2026:
- City of London School: 11+ entry
- Dulwich College: Year 7 entry (11+)
- Dulwich College: 13+ mathematics summary (PDF)
- North London Collegiate School: 11+ maths sample paper (PDF, 2023)
- St Albans School: parent FAQs (PDF, 2024)
- Alleyn's School: 11+ entrance examination syllabus (PDF)
- City of London School for Girls: maths sample paper (PDF, 2021)
- King's College School: maths specimen paper A, 11+ 2027 (PDF)
- St Paul's Girls' School: 11+ mathematics sample paper (PDF)
- St Paul's School: 11+ entrance examination syllabus (PDF)
- Haberdashers' Boys' School: 13+ mathematics guidance (PDF)
- Hampton School: Join the Senior School
- Latymer Upper School: joining at 11+
- Godolphin and Latymer: 11+ entry
- Guildford High School: admissions process
- Highgate School: joining at 11+
- James Allen's Girls' School: joining JAGS (11+)
- Royal Grammar School Guildford: Senior (ages 11-18) admissions
- Sevenoaks School: Entry at 11+, assessment and preparation
- Westminster: 11+ entry
- Wycombe Abbey: admissions
- Haberdashers' Boys' School: admissions process (11+)
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