Historically boys would sit for the 8+ and girls for the 7+. This was based around the fact that it was traditionally accepted that boys mature a little later than girls at this age. Assessing them later meant that they had more time to develop and show their true potential. However, nowadays many schools offer both 7+ and 8+ entry and as such parents have the option to consider which might be most suitable.
Which schools sit entrance at 7 plus and which schools sit entrance at 8 plus?
Schools with 7 plus entry
- Dulwich College, Junior School
- Alleyns
- City Junior School
- Eltham College
- St Benedict's School
- Highgate
- King’s College Junior School
- Latymer Prep
- Wetherby Preparatory School
- Westminster School
- Westminster Cathedral Choir School
- James Allen’s Girls' School
- Lady Eleanor Holles School
- St Paul's Juniors
- St Margaret's School, Hampstead
- UCS Hampstead
Schools with 8 plus entry
- Dulwich College, Junior School
- Eaton House The Manor
- Harrodian
- King’s College Junior School
- St Paul's Juniors
- Westminster Cathedral Choir School
- Westminster School
- Wetherby Preparatory School
Should my child take the 7 plus exam?
The first thing to say is that if you go in for the 7+ and do not get accepted you are able to apply again to the school for the 8+. Some parents worry if that if they apply more than once to the same school it can affect their chances, but this is simply not the case. Clearly a lot can change in a year, especially at this age, and as such your child will be reviewed fairly and quite separately from their efforts a year earlier. However, this is not say that students should be entered for the 7+ in the knowledge that they can always sit the 8+ if they fail.
Deciding whether your child is suitable for the 7+ exam can be a daunting task. As a parent, you want the best for your child, academically and emotionally. Below are a few key areas to consider to help you make an informed decision, considering your child's personality, maturity, and overall well-being.
1. Personality and Maturity:
- Consider your child's ability to cope with exam pressure. Some children thrive in structured testing environments, while others might find it stressful. Assess how your child responds to mock tests or similar situations.
- Reflect on your child's response to challenges and mistakes. Resilience is key; a child who learns from setbacks and perseveres tends to adapt well to new challenges.
- Evaluate your child's emotional resilience and whether they have adopted a growth mindset. Children with a growth mindset believe in their ability to learn and improve, which can significantly impact their attitude toward exams and challenges.
- Consider if this is the right time for your child to change schools. Would your child benefit from a more structured and academic learning environment, or would a change at this point in their education disrupt their progress?
2. Preparation Time:
- Understand that preparing for the 7+ exam takes time and commitment. Assess whether your child is willing to put in the effort required for preparation.
- Consider your child's current knowledge base and skills. Assess if there is enough time to bridge the gap between their current level and the expected level for the exam.
3. Academic Ability:
- Examine your child's academic performance within their current classroom and, if your school takes part in this, within national testing. School reports and teacher feedback can provide valuable insights into your child's strengths and areas needing improvement.
- Discuss your concerns and queries with your child's current teachers and educational experts. They can offer valuable perspectives on your child's readiness for the 7+ exam.
In conclusion, determining your child's suitability for the 7+ exam involves a holistic evaluation of their personality, emotional resilience, maturity and academic readiness. It's essential to strike a balance between challenging them to reach their full potential and ensuring they thrive in their learning environment. Open communication with educators and a deep understanding of your child's needs will guide you in making the best choice for their future.
How do I know if my child is ready to sit the 7 Plus?
If your child has a solid foundation in the KS1 curriculum then they should be at the appropriate level to sit a 7+ paper. There are variations in the difficulty of the papers and so if you are aiming for more competitive schools then you would need to make sure that this curriculum coverage had been enriched and extended appropriately.
Academic Ability: clearly, you need to determine whether or not your child is able to access the 7+ curriculum and perform well in examinations on it. We would always recommend that they sit an assessment to determine their strengths and areas for development. This could be done professionally via a Keystone Assessment or simply by downloading a sample 7+ paper and asking your child to complete it. The combination of the results and timeframe until the 7+ should help you to determine how ready your child might be.
Exam Readiness: alongside their understanding of the content, is a child’s ability to perform well in a testing environment. For many children the 7+ is the first formal examination they will ever have taken and as such their exam skills are likely to still be in their infancy. It is important that they are able to:
- Read and understand questions quickly
- Write in full sentences
- Write an extended piece
- Be comfortable showing their working
- Perform under time conditions
Again, a review of these skills will help to determine a child’s level of readiness.
Emotional Readiness: sitting at exams at such a young age can have a profound impact on a child, and as such it is important to consider whether they are emotionally ready to be examined. Will they cope with the experience? Will they be able to be interviewed? Clearly, if you think they will find the experience too much it is likely they would not perform well or give an accurate account of themselves were they to be entered.
Keystone Tutor Steph gives her top tips for 7+ and 8+ exam preparation
"To prepare for the 7+ and 8+ I would recommend that parents work on fundamental learning skills like times tables, number bonds, spellings etc. incorporating this into everyday life wherever possible. It is also important to have a good routine for story reading or listening to audio books to make sure that children are immersed in good quality literature."
What is the difference between the 7 plus and 8 plus Maths exams?
Both the 7+ and 8+ Maths exams share a common structure. They assess students’ mathematical abilities through a series of questions designed to gauge their understanding of number and their proficiency in the four fundamental operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. However, there are some differences. The transition from the 7+ to the 8+ Maths exam represents a natural progression in a child’s educational journey.
The 8+ Maths exam is pitched at a higher level compared to the 7+ exam. The key difference is in the depth of the curriculum covered. By the time students reach the 8+ level, they have not only progressed further into the Maths curriculum but have also delved a bit deeper into the subject. Thus the 8+ exam could test students on any topic within the Year 3 Maths curriculum. This expansion means that children preparing for the 8+ exam need to have a comprehensive understanding of various topics, making their preparation more all-encompassing. Additionally, being a year older, they have had more time to grasp complex mathematical concepts, making the 8+ exam more challenging.
What is the difference between the 7 plus and 8 plus English exam?
Like the Maths, both the 7+ and 8+ English exams share a familiar structure. Children will be asked to complete both a reading comprehension and a composition task. Some schools may also incorporate a dictation into their testing to assess spelling, grammar and punctuation.
The 8+ English exam is pitched at a higher level due to the advanced curriculum and the age of the students. As children progress into the 8+ category, they have not only covered more ground in the English curriculum but have also matured intellectually, allowing for a deeper understanding of language. Being a year older, they can bring a more sophisticated perspective to their reading and writing tasks, making the 8+ exam inherently more challenging.
One notable difference lies in the expectations of language proficiency. In the 8+ exam, students are required to demonstrate a broader vocabulary range, adept use of punctuation and to showcase a wider variety of grammar structures. Moreover, students are expected to be able to spell words from the Key Stage 2 Year 3 and, often, the Year 4 word lists. The 8+ English assessment will also expect children to write at greater length with a well thought-out and clearly structured piece of extended writing.
7 Plus and 8 Plus Tuition
Keystone Tutors have a number of highly experienced 7 plus and 8 plus tutors who can help with exam and interview preparation, wherever you are in the world.
For more details on how Keystone can help prepare your child for the 7+ or 8+, please call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.