Cointreau DD1 was not tutored - I bought a pack of 4 practise test papers and that was all she did. I WAS UNBELIEVABLY NIAVE!
When I look back I feel incredibly guilty and think thank goodness she got in - not through any help from me that's for sure.
Having said that, it was a different exam then - 5 years ago - a maths test, which covered everything they'd done at school in year 5 and a verbal reasoning test. Both DDs are avid readers and always have a book on the go and that definitely helps with verbal reasoning. (DD1 still thought the VR test was extremely hard).
This time round it was a verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning test and they were both extremely hard, by all accounts.
I bought some books that teach non-verbal reasoning and I tutored her myself, plus she did practise papers over the course of about 6 months. Her peers were doing FAR more than that and I must say only a few failed the test!
Overall 1400 girls sat the test and 661 passed; as there are only 180 places we don't hold out much hope.
Your DD is obviously Nonsuch material but if you don't tutor her she will be greatly disadvantaged. There was a time when intellect alone would get you a place - it's a different ball-game now, unfortunately.
Yes, the test is in September for your DD, but Nonsuch are changing it again; they are introducing an English test, as well as the VR and Non-VR, so I'm guessing it will be harder still! 