The 13 Plus Common Entrance (or CE) Exam is crucial in securing a place for your child at your chosen independent school. A good set of exam results will confirm school places – most CE candidates will have been offered a space at their choice of senior school already (by pre-test in year 7 or even year 6) – but subject to them achieving a pass in the 13 Plus exams - and be the final piece in the sometimes complex and nerve-wracking process!
In the article, Keystone's 13 Plus tutors have gathered together a range of helpful information and strategies for passing the 13 Plus Common Entrance Exam, based on their experience of successfully guiding hundreds of students through this demanding exam.
How Difficult is the 13 Plus Common Entrance?
The ISEB 13 Plus Common Entrance is a rigorous pre-GCSE/IGCSE assessment designed to evaluate candidates across multiple difficulty levels (1-3), with most students sitting papers at Level 2. The core subjects - English, Maths, and Science - require strong performance in at least two areas. Additionally, students may be tested in up to five more subjects, including modern foreign languages, history, classics, geography, and religious studies, though some schools allow exemptions from one of these.
The academic expectations are high, with Level 2 and Level 3 Common Entrance closely aligning with the standards of Year 10 students in UK state schools - particularly in English and Maths, where topics such as poetry analysis and advanced algebra demand a strong grasp of complex concepts.
For students demonstrating exceptional ability, the Common Academic Scholarship Exam (CASE) offers an additional challenge. Success in CASE can lead to scholarship awards, which may include reduced school fees, recognising outstanding proficiency in specific subjects.
What is the 13 Plus Common Entrance Pass Mark?
There is no official pass mark and schools set their own minimum attainment levels, though a pass mark of 60% and upwards is considered competitive - with +70% being very competitive.
Schools may accept some specialisation, so lower scores in certain subjects as long as higher scores are seen elsewhere in a student’s results. (For example, a lower score in English might be acceptable if attainment across Maths and Science is, on average, higher than the school’s own pass mark.)
How does the 13 Plus Process Work?
Students typically take the ISEB Common Entrance exams at their current school, which handles registration and administration. However, those coming from the state sector must register independently through the ISEB website. In such cases, exams can be taken at an approved test centre, which may include the student's current school, provided suitable supervision arrangements are in place.
When are the 13 Plus Exams Held?
The exams are held in Year 8, often in November but more normally in the June before moving schools. Do be aware that schools that have their own entrance test (e.g. Winchester College) have different examination dates to the ISEB, though most run at some point between Spring and Summer.
How do I Prepare Effectively for a 13 Plus Exam?
A good set of general guidelines for effective preparation are as follows:
- Start early
- Include both independent work and ‘guided’ work (i.e. with parent/guardian, teacher or tutor)
- Begin practice papers in the Christmas break in Year 8
- No new learning in Easter, just revision
- Ensure plenty of diagnostic work to assess gaps in knowledge (either with online facilities like ATOM Learning or via external assessment)
How to Prepare for the 13 Plus English Paper
A detailed exploration of the 13 Plus English paper can be found here, but in short the assessment is split evenly across comprehension and composition. The following points are what are most acutely assessed, so mastery of these is vital:
- Comprehension skills (practice using a range of different texts, including poetry)
- Exam technique: answers should be governed by the number of marks available in a question
- Structure of longer comprehension answers; use P-E-E (Point-Evidence-Explain)
- Vocabulary/word recognition: keep a record of unknown words and phrases encountered in reading and check these either with dictionaries or adults
Composition
- Maintain logical progression of ideas
- Solid structure (e.g. story mountain)
- Confident use of paragraphs
- Balance of setting, character, description, action an dialogue
- Powerful first and last line
- Range of literary devices (e.g. similes, metaphors, alliteration, pathetic fallacy, onomatopoeia, rhetorical questions)
- Broad vocabulary
- Consistent spelling, punctuation and grammar
- Clear handwriting
Keystone Tutor Cameron gives his top tip for preparing for the 13 Plus English paper
"For the 13 Plus, read lots with an adult, and at the end of each page, talk about the book. What do you think of the characters? Any new words? What will happen next? Any great writer's tools? Independent reading is great, but discussion is the best."
How to Prepare for the 13 Plus Maths Paper
Maths success at 13+ requires more than just procedural fluency. Students should aim for a deep understanding of concepts and confident problem-solving under timed conditions.
Core Topics to Master:
Number
- Powers and roots
- Percentages
- Four operations with decimals
- Negative numbers
- Order of operations
- Fractions
- Properties of number
- Probability
Algebra
- Expansion and factorisation
- Solving equations
- Inequalities
- Straight line graphs
- Sequences
Geometry and Measures
- Transformations
- Coordinates
- Statistics
- Averages
Exam Tips for the Maths paper:
- Read Questions Carefully: Do not rush to answer, misreading a question is a common cause of error.
- Highlight Keywords: Underline or circle important terms in questions.
- Show All Working: Many marks are awarded for method so make sure the working out is clear and easy to follow.
- Attempt Every Question: Even partial answers can gain marks.
- Check Work Thoroughly: Build in time at the end to double-check calculations.
Keystone Tutor Olly gives his top tip for 13 Plus Maths
"Make sure your child practices writing their working clearly and neatly, especially under time pressure; most senior schools will allocate marks for working alongside the answer so it's a really useful skill to develop"
Where Can I Find 13 Plus Common Entrance Past Papers?
Common Entrance past/sample papers are available on the ISEB website.
Schools who conduct their own Common Entrance equivalent will often publish specimen or past papers on the Admissions sections of their websites.
13 Plus Common Entrance Tuition
Each year Keystone supports many students preparing for the 13 Plus Common Entrance. The 13+ tutors we represent are experienced in the intricacies of the 13 Plus exams and how they differ between schools' assessments. We would normally recommend that preparation begins around 12 – 18 months before the exams. Tutors will devise a programme tailored to the specific circumstances of the student.
For more details on how Keystone can help with 13 Plus preparation, please call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.