Admissions Requirements for UK Boarding Schools

UK boarding schools boast a long tradition of excellence in education. There are a number of options for boarding including:

• Weekly boarding: Students will live at school Monday to Friday and spend weekends withtheir parents.
• Flexi boarding: Parents can choose how many nights a student spends at school or at home.
• Full boarding: Students live at school all the time apart from exeat weekends (designated weekends each term where students can leave) and school holidays. This is the most common choice for international families as it allows parents to live outside the UK.

There are many schools that will have both day and boarding options.

We have compiled details of entry requirements and admissions procedures to UK boarding schools plus links any free past papers. Test practice and honing of exam technique through the use of past papers is an important part of the preparation process for entrance to a UK boarding school. We hope you find the article useful!

Benenden School

11+ Entry at Benenden consist of 2 stages:

1. A residential weekend at Benenden during which candidate’s English and Maths will be assessed and interview completed.
2. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Bradfield College

13+ Entry at Bradfield consist of 3 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. Admissions Interview and a second interview with Housemistress or Housemaster
3. Online Problem-Solving Challenge - This challenge, which will be similar to those found in the TV show ‘The Crystal Maze’, will allows the school assess the applicants more broadly whilst providing a fun and engaging environment.

 ISEB Familiarisation Test

Brighton College

13+ Entry to Brighton College:

Candidates must sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Bromsgrove School

13+ Entry to Bromsgrove consists of 3 stages:

1.  Online CAT4 (Cognitive Ability Testing)
2.  Creative Writing test (45 minutes)
3.  Video presentation – applicants should submit a three minute video presentation. The title/subject of the presentation will be given to candidates a week before the entrance examination date.

GL Assessment Familiarisation Materials

Charterhouse

13+ Entry consists of 2 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. Interview & Activity Afternoon - involves an informal interview and a selection of activities.

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Cheltenham Ladies College

11+ Entry to Cheltenham Ladies College consists of 2 stages:

1. Registered candidates will be required to attend two Assessment Sessions.The 1st session will involve online reasoning tests, group activities and team challenges.
2. Successful candidates will then be invited to sit the entrance exams in Maths and English.

Downe House School

11+ Entry to Downe consists of 2 stages:

1. Assessment Day where candidates will have an Interview with the Headmistress
2. Completion of a challenging academic test  including papers in English, Mathematics and Science

Eton College

13+ Entry to Eton College consists of 2 stages:

1. ISEB Common Pre-Tests
2. Candidate must pass King’s Scholarship, Common Entrance or Eton Entrance examinations

Read more about admissions to Eton in our article on the Eton List Test

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Haileybury

13+ Entry to Haileybury:

All registered candidates will be invited to sit Hailyebury’s entrance examination tests and have an interview

Harrow School

13+ Entry at Harrow consist of 2 stages:

1. ISEB Common Pre-Tests
2. The Harrow Test - comprises two 15-minute interviews (one with a House Master and another with a Senior Beak), a computerised English and Maths assessment (one hour in total) and a short-written essay (20 minutes).

Read more about admissions to Harrow in our detailed article on The Harrow Test

ISEB Familiarisation Test

 

King's School Canterbury

13+ Entry to King's School Canterbury:

Students are required to sit the King’s entry exam (KEE). This consists of an online assessment and an English Paper. The exam is then followed by an interview.

King's School Canterbury English Sample Past Paper

Marlborough College

13+ Entry at Marlborough consist of 2 stages:

1. Admissions Day - there are two short writing tasks (no preparation required), an interview with a housemaster or housemistress, an interview with a boarding house tutor and some informal group activities.
2. ISEB Common Pre-Test

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Oundle School

13+ Entry to Oundle School:

If you are joining Oundle from a Prep school you must sit the common entrance exam.

If you are joining from a school which is not a Prep, you must sit Oundle’s own entrance test. This assessment consists of papers in Mathematics, English, Science and normally a Modern Foreign Language as well as an informal interview.

Oundle English Non-Common Entrance Sample Paper

Oundle Maths-Non Common Entrance Sample Paper

Oundle Science Non-Common Entrance Sample Paper

Oundle English Junior EntranceEexam Sample Paper

Oundle Maths Junior Entrance Exam Sample Paper

Oundle Science Junior Entrance Exam Sample Paper

Radley College

13+ Entry at Radley consist of 2 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. An Assessment Day which includes an interview and a tour.

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Rugby School

13+ Entry at Rugby consists of 2 stages:

1. Students are required to sit the Common Entrance or meet the schools entrance requirements in English and maths for children whose schools do not prepare for Common Entrance.
2. Interviews are then offered to successful candidates.

Sevenoaks School

13+ Entry at Sevenoaks consist of 2 stages:

1. All candidates take an English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning test
2. All canddates take part in a 40 min group interview

Sample Sevenoaks English Past Paper 2019
Sample Sevenoaks English Past Paper 2018
Sample Sevenoaks English Past Paper 2017
Sample Sevenoaks Maths Past Paper 2019
Sample Sevenoaks Maths Past Paper 2018
Sample Sevenoaks Maths Past Paper 2017

Sherborne Girls School

11+ Entry to Sherborne Girls School:

Candidates will attend an Assessment Day. They will also sit the Common Entrance Exam and be asked to attend an interview.

Sherborne School

13+ Entry to Sherborne School:

Candidates must sit an assessment test and interview.

Shrewsbury School

13+ Entry to Shrewsbury School:

Common Entrance examinations in English, Maths and French

Candidates can request past papers from the school

St Edward's Oxford

13+ Entry to St Edward’s consist of 3 stages.

1. ISEB Common Pre-Tests
2. Candidate’s will be invited to visit St Edward’s for an interview and a report will be sought from their school.
3. Places are then offered to registered children subject to entrance exams - either Common Entrance, the Prep School Baccalaureate, or the 13+ online Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Assessment.

ISEB Familiarisation Test

St Mary's Ascot

11+ Entry to St Mary's Ascot:

Candidates will sit English, Mathematics and a general paper (which could include: graded spelling; non-verbal puzzles; listening skills).

Candidates will also have an interview with the head.

St Mary's School, Calne

11+ Entry to St Mary's School:

Common Entrance exam and candidates will be asked to attend an Entrance Day.

St Swithun's School

11+ Entry to St Swithun's School:
Candidates are required to sit the Cognitive Ability Test (CAT4)

GL Assessment Familiarisation Materials

Stowe School

13+ Entry at Stowe consist of 2 stages:

1. The ISEB Common Pre-Tests
2. Common Entrance, PSB, or Stowe's Entrance Tests which include papers in Maths, English and Science

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Tonbridge School

13+ Entry at Tonbridge consist of 2 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. Candidate will attend an assessment afternoon at Tonbridge where they will sit a Maths and English exam.

Tonbridge School Maths Sample Paper

Tonbridge School English Sample Paper

Applying to Tonbridge School Further Guidance

Uppingham School

13+ Entry at Uppingham consist of 3 stages:

1. Pre-Tests - thirty minutes each of verbal and non-verbal reasoning, thirty-five minutes of maths and twenty-five minutes of English.
2. Candidates also undertake a twenty minute interview with a member of Uppingham staff.
3. Pupils also need to complete a thirty minute extended writing task, either at Uppingham School when attending for interview.

Uppingham School's Familiarisation Test

Wellington College

13+ Entry at Wellington College consist of 2 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. Selected pupils attend an Assessment Day, consisting of a series of collaborative, problem-solving activities and also an interview with a senior member of staff.

ISEB Familiarisation Test

Winchester College

13+ Entry at Winchester College consists of 3 stages:

1. Completion of the ISEB Common Pre-Test
2. If successful, the child will be invited to an Interview
3. All candidates sit Entrance Exam papers in English and Maths. Candidates from prep schools must also sit papers in Science, Geography and History. Where a candidate has studied Latin and/or French in prep school they must also undertake that exam. If a candidate has studied Spanish or German in place of French, then they may choose to sit an alternative paper in that language. Candidates may also choose to sit the Greek paper.

Winchester College Sample Maths Paper

Winchester College Sample English Paper

Winchester College Sample French Writing Paper

Winchester College Sample French Reading Paper

Winchester College Sample French Listening Paper

Winchester College Sample Geography Paper 

Winchester College Sample Greek Paper

Winchester College Sample History Paper

Winchester College Sample Latin Paper

Winchester College Sample Science Paper  

Wycombe Abbey

11+ Entry at Wycombe Abbey consist of 3 stages:

1. The first stage is the CAT4 exam
2. The second stage is an Assessment Day. Candidates will have an individual interview with a senior member of staff and will take part in a small group activity.
3. Candidates will also sit entrance examinations in English (1 hour) and Mathematics (1 hour). Specimen papers are not available for these examinations and no preparation is necessary

GL Assessment Familiarisation Materials

You can also request papers from the Admissions team

Tutors for the 11 Plus, Pre-tests and 13 Plus exams for UK Boarding Schools

Each year Keystone supports many students preparing for the 11 Plus and 13 Plus for top UK boarding schools. The 11 Plus and 13 Plus tutors we represent are experienced in the intricacies of the exams and how they differ between schools' assessments. We would normally recommend that preparation begins around 12 – 18 months before the exams.

For more details on how Keystone can help with 11 Plus, Pre-tests and 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. 

Further reading

11 Plus Interview Questions
11 Plus Past Papers and Sample Tests
Keystone Webinar: Preparing for the 11+ and Computerised Pre-tests
Guide to the CAT4 Test
What are the ISEB Common Pre-Tests and how can you prepare?