If your child is aiming for Year 9 entry to an independent school, you are already navigating one of the most academically demanding assessments students face at that age. The 13+ process asks a great deal — not just of your child, but of your whole family. The timeline is long, the expectations are high, and the stakes feel very real. If you are feeling uncertain about where to start or whether your child is on track, that is entirely understandable. This page is here to help you make sense of the process and feel more confident about the road ahead.
13+ entry is used by many leading independent schools for Year 9 entry, making it a key gateway to some of the most sought-after senior schools in the country. Unlike GCSEs or SATs, however, 13+ assessment is not standardised nationally — requirements vary significantly by school, and this is one of the most important things families need to understand early on.
What catches many parents off guard is that the process often begins much earlier than they expect. Pre-testing frequently happens at age 11 or 12, when schools assess candidates and issue conditional offers well ahead of the actual 13+ examinations. This means your child may sit an initial assessment in Year 7, receive a conditional place, and then spend the following two years working towards the final entry requirements. The conditional offer is not a guarantee — it depends on your child meeting the academic standard when the time comes.
Understanding this timeline is essential. Families who assume preparation begins in Year 8 are often already behind.
The most widely used route into independent senior schools at 13+ is Common Entrance (CE), which is set by ISEB — the Independent Schools Examinations Board. CE at 13+ covers a broad range of subjects including English, Mathematics, the Sciences, History, Geography, Religious Studies, and Modern Languages, among others. It is a rigorous, curriculum-based examination designed to assess whether a student is ready for the demands of senior school.
However, many highly selective schools — including Eton, Winchester, and Westminster — set their own papers in addition to or instead of Common Entrance. These school-specific papers are often harder, more conceptual, and designed to stretch the most able candidates. They may test reasoning and problem-solving in ways that go well beyond standard curriculum knowledge, and they require targeted preparation that is quite different from CE revision.
Here is something that surprises many families: CE pass marks are set by the receiving school, not by ISEB. This means a mark that earns entry to one school may not be sufficient at another. Two students sitting identical papers could achieve the same score — and one receives a place while the other does not, simply because they applied to schools with different thresholds. Knowing your target school's expectations is not just helpful; it is essential to preparing effectively.
The breadth of 13+ CE is one of its defining features. Students are examined across a wide range of subjects, and the standard expected — particularly in English and Mathematics — is genuinely demanding for a 13-year-old. CE Mathematics, for example, covers topics including algebra, geometry, number theory, and data handling at a level that requires consistent, structured preparation over time.
For students sitting scholarship examinations, the bar is higher still. Scholarship papers typically take place in Year 8, between January and March, and are considerably harder than standard CE papers. They are designed to identify exceptional ability, and they reward students who can think independently, construct extended arguments, and apply knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. A student aiming for a scholarship needs a preparation strategy that goes beyond content coverage and develops genuine intellectual confidence.
Key things to know about subject requirements at 13+ include:
Effective 13+ preparation is not simply a matter of working through past papers in the months before the exam. Given the breadth of subjects, the length of the timeline, and the variation between schools, preparation needs to be structured, personalised, and started early.
The first step is understanding exactly what your child's target school requires. This means looking carefully at whether the school uses CE, its own papers, or a combination of both — and finding out the pass mark or scholarship threshold that applies. A tutor who knows the specific demands of your target school is far more valuable than one offering generic 13+ support.
From there, preparation should address both knowledge gaps and exam technique. Many able students underperform not because they lack understanding, but because they are unfamiliar with the style and timing of the papers. Regular, low-pressure practice builds the fluency and confidence that makes a real difference on the day.
For students sitting scholarship examinations, preparation should begin no later than the start of Year 7, and ideally earlier. The depth of thinking required at scholarship level takes time to develop — it cannot be rushed in the final term before the papers.
Working with a tutor who understands the 13+ landscape, knows the schools, and can adapt their approach to your child's individual strengths and gaps makes the process significantly less stressful for everyone involved.
What does Common Entrance at 13+ actually cover?
Common Entrance at 13+ is set by ISEB and covers a wide range of subjects: English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography, Religious Studies, and Modern Languages. The papers are designed to test curriculum knowledge at a level appropriate for Year 8 students, and the standard is genuinely demanding. It is worth noting that the pass mark is set by the receiving school rather than by ISEB, so the threshold your child needs to meet will depend on which school they are applying to.
How do scholarship exams differ from standard CE papers?
Scholarship examinations are significantly harder than CE papers and are aimed at identifying the most academically able candidates. They typically take place in Year 8, between January and March, ahead of the main CE sitting. Rather than testing curriculum knowledge alone, scholarship papers often require extended writing, independent reasoning, and the ability to engage with unfamiliar material. Students aiming for scholarships need a preparation approach that builds genuine depth of understanding, not just exam technique.
When should we start preparing for 13+ entry?
Earlier than most families expect. Because pre-testing often occurs at age 11 or 12 — with conditional offers made well before the final examinations — the groundwork needs to be in place from Year 6 or early Year 7 at the latest. For scholarship candidates, preparation ideally begins at the start of Year 7 or earlier. Even for standard CE entry, leaving preparation until Year 8 creates unnecessary pressure given the breadth of subjects involved.
What should we do if our target school sets its own papers rather than CE?
School-specific papers require targeted preparation that is distinct from standard CE revision. The first step is to obtain past papers or specimen papers from the school directly — most schools make these available. From there, it is important to work with a tutor who is familiar with that school's style and expectations. Schools like Eton, Winchester, and Westminster set papers that reward a particular kind of thinking, and understanding what each school is looking for makes a significant difference to how your child prepares.
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