Sat in Year 8, for entry into Year 9 — but screened in Year 6.

13+ tutoring

The 13+ is the main intake at most boarding schools, sat in Year 8 for entry into Year 9. The part families miss is that the decision is usually made two years earlier: most senior schools screen candidates with an ISEB pre-test in Year 6 or Year 7, and Common Entrance in Year 8 confirms a place that was effectively settled long before.

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First, the thing that costs people a year

The number in 7+, 11+ or 13+ names the assessment, not the year group your child joins. The assessment is always sat the academic year before entry, so a child sitting the 11+ is in Year 6 at the time and joins in Year 7.

So the 13+ is sat in Year 8, at age 12–13, for entry into Year 9. The main intake at most boarding schools, sat as Common Entrance or a school's own papers, but usually preceded by an ISEB pre-test taken two years earlier, in Year 6.

Who runs a 13+, and what they set

8 of the 14 schools we cover run a 13+ round

There is no national 13+ paper. Each school sets its own, and the differences are large enough that preparing for the wrong one is preparing for a different exam. Every assessment below is taken from that school's own admissions pages.

The schools we prepare 13+ candidates for, and the assessment each sets
SchoolWhereWhat they set at 13+
The Perse SchoolCambridgeQuest, a 70-minute computer-based test (maths 20 minutes, English 30, non-verbal reasoning 10, verbal reasoning 10), plus a 30-minute handwritten creative writing task, a group activity and a short informal interview. Prep entry at 7+ to 10+ is a half-day of English, maths and reasoning.
Westminster SchoolLondon11+: ISEB Common Pre-Tests in November of Year 6 (English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning), then 40-minute maths and English papers in January and an interview with two senior members of staff in February. 13+: the same ISEB pre-tests in Year 6, further 40-minute maths and English papers in early January, then an interview. 16+: a 45-minute paper in each of four chosen subjects, four subject interviews, a general interview and a 45-minute Interview Day Assessment.
St Paul's SchoolLondon13+: the ISEB online pre-test in Year 6, then a 75-minute maths paper and a 45-minute English paper in early January, followed by an interview. 7+ entry to St Paul's Prep is a written exam and half-day group assessments.
King's College SchoolWimbledon, LondonKing's sets its own tests rather than the ISEB pre-test: English, mathematics and verbal reasoning, sat in December of Year 6, with interviews in January and offers in mid-February. Both 11+ and 13+ are assessed in Year 6 and a boy may apply for one or the other, not both.
Brighton CollegeBrighton, East Sussex11+: an Academic Assessment Day in early December of Year 6 covering maths, English and verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then an Interview and Activities Day in January with two short interviews. 13+: ISEB Common Pre-Tests in Year 6, then an Orientation Day in February with interviews and written assessments in English and maths, with places offered in early March.
Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks, Kent13+: the ISEB pre-test in the autumn, then competitive English and maths examinations, a group discussion activity and a reference from the candidate's school.
Magdalen College SchoolOxford11+: a test day of two online sessions and one written — 115 minutes online across mathematics, non-verbal reasoning, verbal reasoning, English, puzzles and problem solving, and creative comprehension, three of which adapt to the candidate's answers, plus a 45-minute handwritten creative writing task. Candidates invited back sit a 30-minute interview.
Dulwich CollegeDulwich, London11+: about three hours of online tests (maths, English, non-verbal and verbal reasoning, puzzles and problem solving, creative comprehension) plus a 20-minute handwritten creative writing task, with interviews in January. Years 3 to 5: digital assessments, creative writing and a short written maths paper, then a one-to-one assessment and group activities.

8 of these 8 assessment descriptions are checked against the school's own admissions pages, and each school page carries the date it was last verified and a link to the source. We prepare candidates at every entry point these schools run, from 7+ through to 16+ sixth-form entry.

The 13+ mistake: planning around the Year 8 date

By the time a child sits Common Entrance in Year 8, most schools have already decided. The filter is the ISEB pre-test in Year 6 or Year 7. King's goes further, assessing 13+ candidates in Year 6 alongside its 11+ cohort. A family working to the Year 8 calendar can be two years late without knowing it.

When to start

Work backwards from the pre-test, not from Common Entrance. That usually means starting in Year 5, because several schools close registration before the assessment year even begins.

What we have actually done

25 of the 35 candidates we prepared for 2026 entry received offers. That is every candidate we prepared across every school and every entry point, not a figure for this round alone. 84 students prepared for entrance assessments since 2024.

Pricing

13+ tutoring prices

Two levels, both charged per tutoring hour. Your first lesson is no commitment, there are no contracts, and you can stop any time.

Most chosen

Everything your child needs for assessment day.

Core

£60/hr

Papers, marking and mocks included.

Full preparation for every part of the assessment, taught by a tutor who sat the same exam your child is preparing for.

In person in the city around your target school, or online nationwide. You travel to your tutor, and locations are confirmed after the consultation.

  • Weekly 1:1 lessons
  • Every tutor is an alumnus of your target school, with first-hand experience sitting your child's exam and typically 0–1 years of admissions experience
  • Lesson plans built around your target school's own exam format
  • Unlimited practice papers, mocks and marking
  • Interview and group-activity practice
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    Signature

    £95/hr

    Papers, marking and mocks included.

    Led by one of the five most experienced tutors for your target school. Each takes five students at a time, and runs the whole process from first lesson to offer day.

    Five Signature tutors for each school, five students each — 25 places a school, and no more.

    Online only. Our most experienced tutors teach remotely, wherever you are.

    • Everything in Core
    • One of our top five tutors for your target school, with at least a year of admissions experience, taking five students at a time
    • Mock papers written for your child, not pulled from a bank
    • Unlimited mock interviews, not a set number of sessions
    • The application handled end to end: shortlisting, personal statement, forms and deadlines
    • The same lead tutor from first lesson to offer day
    • A revision timeline mapped to your child's exam date
    • Scholarship and bursary application support
    • Your tutor reachable between lessons for short questions

    Capped at 5 students per tutor

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    Full refund if you're not satisfied.

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