What are Common Entrance Exams? 7+, 11+ and 13+ explained
Every year we tutor many children who go on to enter some of the UK’s top senior and preparatory schools. To gain admission they must pass the 7+, 11+ or 13+ Entrance Exams that leave many parents (and students) confused and daunted. As a result, they seek out our consultancy services to help them make the right choices. This post sheds some light on Common Entrance Exams, so you can join the conversation at the school gates.
11+ and 13+ Entrance Exams
The 11+ and 13+ are set by examiners appointed by the Independent Schools Examinations Board. They are marked by the senior school the candidate hopes to enter, and typically offer candidates places based on their exam results. Although there is no official fail mark, most schools set a minimum grade. Schools that request +60% are usually considered very selective, and students admitted to the most selective schools average +70%.
The 11+ is overwhelmingly taken by girls in Year 6 who sit English, Maths and Science exams. Most girls sit the exam in January but they may also take them in November or January. Both boys and girls sit the 13+ in the core subjects – English, Maths and Science – in addition to papers from a wide range of humanities, languages and classical subjects. Students take the 13+ exams in November, January and May/June of Year 8.
Schools are likely to enter children attending an independent prep school, however, it is always good to double check. If your child attends a state school or an independent preparatory school that does not enter candidates for Common Entrance Exams, there is a registration form on the ISEB website. Both exams incur a fee of ÂŁ110.
Scholarship exams
Outstanding candidates may take Common Academic Scholarship Exams or the senior schools’ own scholarship exams instead of Common Entrance Exams. Teachers prepare students separately for scholarship exams, and do this very sensitively to avoid resentment in the classroom. Note that fee reductions may, in fact, be relatively small, however, many schools offer financial assistance.
7+ Entrance Exams
You may have also heard of the 7+ Entrance Exam. This is another exam that determines admission to some preparatory schools by assessing students’ ability to cope with the curriculum. For the 7+, it is best to check with each school to find out deadlines and registration processes. The content is not set by an independent body but varies from school to school. Nevertheless, exams typically focus on basic literacy and numeracy skills in addition to some verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
If your child passes the 7+, they may be invited for an interview, which typically includes a chat with the head teacher and several group tasks. Schools usually invite two candidates per place for an interview after which they rank each student based on their exam and interview.
Common Entrance Exam Tutoring
Many of the tuition enquiries we receive are about Common Entrance Exam tutoring for the 7+, 11+ or 13+ exams. Larisa, for example, contacted us with us three years ago about 11+ preparation for her daughter who was taking her exams in one year’s time. Having come well in advance, our super tutor was able to prepare Larisa’s daughter and equip her with the necessary skills to excel in her exams and gain admission into a top private girls’ schools in central London.
Tailoring tuition to each student
Larisa had done everything right. She contacted us one year in advance, giving us enough time to teach and revise the required 11+ content with her daughter. As with all our clients, we first offered Larisa a complimentary consultation to discuss her daughter’s individual needs, aptitude and personality to identify the best-matched tutor on our team. Over the years, we have learned that this is the most effective way to ensure tuition gives students the best chance at acceptance into their top schools of choice.
The learning programme agreed was similar to most of our Common Entrance Exam tutoring programmes: Larisa’s daughter would receive 1.5 hours each week and we tailored her tutoring to how she learns best. Additionally, we matched her with an expert 11+ tutor who could not only commit to a consistent schedule but also suited Larisa’s daughter’s personality, and the two got on like a house on fire.
Ensuring steady progress
Larisa’s daughter’s progress was evident after just 12 weeks. She had already been excelling in Maths and English before her tuition and her Common Entrance Exam tutoring built on her skills whilst teaching her the additional required content. As a result, Larisa’s daughter steadily improved and gained the all-important knowledge for English, Maths, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Most importantly, she learned proper exam taking techniques, which she had never learned in school before. These skills stay with students for life and prepare them for what lies ahead in their GCSEs, A-levels, university and beyond. In the last 2-3 months of her exams, her tuition increased to twice weekly to give her a last boost before her big tests.
Top results and admission
The very happy outcome of our bespoke Common Entrance Exam tutoring and mentoring service was that all of Larisa’s daughter’s top 4 schools accepted her. In the end, she chose her own favourite school, a top all girls’ secondary school in central London where she loves the student body and her teachers.
Since then, Larisa’s daughter has continued with our tutoring and Larisa has been a loyal and cherished parent client. We are tutoring her daughter weekly in subjects she already excels in, such as English and Maths, and she is constantly scoring A’s and A*s. Larisa’s daughter is now enjoying courses at GCSE level with our tutors’ support and we can’t wait to see how far she’ll go and what she’ll achieve.
Our top 10 strategies for Entrance Exam preparation
Both parents and children find Entrance Exam preparation daunting. Our simple key to success is early preparation by which we mean preparing at least nine months in advance. This is based on our observation that many children start by taking almost double the time to complete one test paper. So, knocking off one or two minutes every week will allow your child to develop the necessary skills and confidence at a comfortable pace. Read on to find out about our super tutors’ top 10 tips for Entrance Exam preparation to help you excel at home.
1. Don’t prepare too soon (or too late)
It’s important to allocate a set amount of time for Entrance Exam preparation and we usually recommend around nine months to a year before the actual exam takes place. Some parents contact us 2-3 years before, however, we always say that starting out too early will make both you and your child bored of preparing. Nevertheless, starting too late with Entrance Exam preparation will induce panic and a lack of assurance in skills. So, dear parents, ensure that you allow your child to progress at a comfortable pace that allows them to develop the skills they require in good time.
2. Children, please read!
We can’t emphasise this enough: It’s absolutely crucial for children to read during their Entrance Exam preparation. It is, therefore, important for parents to encourage children to read from an early age. Vocabulary is a big part of Entrance Exams and what better way to learn new words (verbal reasoning), how they are used in context (comprehension) and their spelling (writing) than devouring lots of books? If your child is a reluctant reader, start reading with them every day in small amounts. Also, ask for suggestions at your local library or bookshop, or try making it more fun by acting out the different characters in the books together.
3. Revise in different places
Alternating between different rooms in the house or even the library will help your child get used to settling into a new space. Additionally, see what time the exam takes place and do practice papers at that exact time, so your child adjusts to performing at peak.
4. Revise using practice papers
You can’t expect your child to do well if they’ve never seen a practice paper. Even though different schools have different variations of Entrance Exams, it is important that you set your child a variety of sample tests. Completing exam papers under exam conditions will help your child get used to speedy writing and paying attention to detail. Catching even the silliest mistake by carefully checking their answers is important as every mark counts. So, see this extensive list of practice papers by different schools for all Entrance Exam levels.
5. Allocate time to weaker subjects
To prevent last-minute cramming, identify subjects your child finds difficult and allocate these more time. Also, make sure you do an overall assessment of the four areas first to test your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
6. Remember to let your child rest
The brain, like all muscles, has to rest after exercise. Allow your child time to recover and talk about things that are not exam-related as well as enjoy fun time with friends and family. This is particularly important because parents often feel more exam pressure than their children and unhelpfully tend to project this onto the child. Therefore, remembering that all will be well with enough Entrance Exam preparation is the absolute key! Additionally, remember to allow your child to take breaks in between studying to help them absorb the learned material.
7. Expect this to be difficult
It’s important to mention that Entrance Exam preparation is often difficult and, at times, your child will struggle. To build your child’s confidence, encourage and hug them, and challenge their self-defeating thoughts. Make sure you assure them that you’re proud of their efforts – whatever the outcome is. As tutors, we always do this and make sure our students remember our encouraging voice in their exam – it does magical wonders!
8. Be strict about bedtimes
Preparing for such a big test can be very exhausting and a well-rested child will cope much better with the pressure. If your child has trouble sleeping, try a mug of hot chocolate or warm milk, baths or a short walk to help them relax and sleep better.
9. Eat well
It will come as no surprise that nutritious food and exercise will help your child’s brain to work at its best. Stay away from sugary rewards weeks in advance, and have your child eat energy-fuelled breakfasts to start their days well. When we tutor for Entrance Exams, we often ask parents to make sure the children have had a good meal a couple of hours before the lesson, and then some healthy snacks during the lesson, so they can feel energetic and attentive. We recommend doing the same on the exam day.
10. Make lots of time for fun
Don’t let Entrance Exam preparation be all-consuming, especially as the test inches closer. Remember this won’t go on forever and slip in times to relax and have fun!
Common Entrance Exam practice papers
So far we’ve written about what Common Entrance Exams entail and our tutors’ top 10 strategies to prepare. We are now pleased to offer an extensive list of free Entrance Exam practice papers to help students familiarise themselves with the exam formats of 7+, 11+, 13+ and other Common Entrance Exams. Paired with our unique and caring tutoring/mentoring approach that sees 85% of our students placed in London’s top grammar and private schools, we are offering a recipe for true success. To find out more about our Common Entrance Exam tutoring/mentoring, contact us now at 02030867311 or info@ubertutors.co.uk – we’re always happy to help!
7+ practice papers
Bancroft’s School
Haberdasher’s Aske’s Boys’ School
King’s College School
Solihull School
Westminster Cathedral Choir School
8+ practice papers
King’s College School
Solihull School
Westminster Cathedral Choir School
9+ practice papers
King’s College School
Solihull School
10+ practice papers
City of London School
Emanuel School
King’s College School
Solihull School
11+ practice papers
Alleyn’s School
Bancroft’s School
City of London School
City of London Freemen’s School
Dulwich College
Emanuel School
Haberdasher’s Aske’s Boys’ School
Kent College
King’s College School
Magdalen College School
Merchant Taylors’ School
Notting Hill & Ealing High School
Solihull School
St George’s College
St Olave’s Grammar School
St Paul’s Girls’ School
The King’s School Chester
The Manchester Grammar School
The Perse School
12+ practice papers
City of London Freemen’s School
Solihull School
13+ practice papers
Alleyn’s School
Bancroft’s School
Bromsgrove School
City of London Freemen’s School
Dulwich College
Haberdasher’s Aske’s Boys’ School
Kent College
King’s College School
Merchant Taylors’ School
Solihull School
St Edward’s Oxford
St George’s College
The Perse School
13+ practice papers for scholarships
Eton College
Oundle School
Radley College
Sevenoaks School
St Edward’s Oxford
St George’s College
St Paul’s School
14+ practice papers
City of London Freemen’s School
Solihull School
St Edward’s Oxford
16+ practice papers
Dulwich College
St Edward’s Oxford
16+ practice papers for scholarships
Need help with Entrance Exam preparation?
At Ăśber Tutors we offer quality tuition for any of the Entrance Exams. Our tutors are not only experts in teaching the required material but also great role models who care deeply about your child’s progress. We meet with you and your child first for a free consultation to recommend a suitable home-tutoring programme. Next, we custom-match your child with one of our exceptional, DBS-checked and trained tutors to follow the recommended programme. The result? Our bespoke, organised and professional approach and 85% success rate have earned students places in London’s top grammar and private schools including St. Paul’s, Bancroft, Forest, Latymer, UCS, City School for Girls, and many more.
Contact us now at 02030867311 or info@ubertutors.co.uk to book your free consultation.
