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.
For example, where a school has set a pass mark of 65% or over, it is selecting pupils of a higher academic ability. Where the pass mark is 50% or lower, then it can reasonably be assumed that the school is seeking to select a wider range of abilities and may be better able to allow for differences in the child’s earlier schooling.
The exam is broadly in line with the national curriculum, and comprises tests in English, mathematics and science. English as an additional language may also be taken as an option, and for entry at 13 candidates may also opt to sit tests in history, geography and religious studies, as well as a number of languages, including French, German, Spanish, Latin and Greek.
Pupils who attend fee-paying prep schools are at an advantage when it comes to Common Entrance because they are coached to pass, usually over the two years preceding the test.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in