Entrance tests repay close examination

It is usually not enough merely to be able to afford to send a child to an independent school. Many fee-paying senior schools operate a form of selection, and admit pupils only upon the successful completion of the Common Entrance Examination, or an equivalent.

The exam is particularly popular among boarding schools, and is intended to test whether the child has the right level of ability to do well there. It can be taken for entry at ages 11, 12 and 13 years. Girls’ senior schools tend to admit pupils from 11, while boys will transfer to secondary schooling from 13. In most cases, a child will also be subject to an interview before gaining entry.

The exam is set by a central examination board, called the Independent Schools’ Examinations Board, but every school marks applicants individually. As a result, schools will also set their own ‘pass’ rates, meaning it may be harder to get into some schools than others.