The 13 Plus Exam: A Complete Guide

What is the 13 Plus Exam?

The 13 Plus is an entrance examination used by many British independent schools to select students for entry at age 13 (Year 9). It typically takes place in a student’s final year of prep (Year 8, when students are 12–13 years old) and assesses whether they have attained the academic level required by their chosen senior school.

While the 13 Plus can refer to any entrance test for Year 9, it is most commonly associated with the Common Entrance (CE) exam administered by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). The ISEB Common Entrance has been used by top independent schools for over a century as a standardised set of papers across multiple subjects. Some highly selective schools, however, design and administer their own 13 Plus exams.

Which Schools Require The 13 Plus?

Almost all private secondary schools in the UK that admit pupils at 13 Plus (Year 9) utilise a 13 Plus entrance exam as part of their admissions process. This includes the majority of well-known independent boarding schools and many prestigious day schools. Examples include elite boarding schools such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Charterhouse, and others, which have long used the 13 Plus exam (or their own equivalent exams) to select incoming students for Year 9.

When Will My Child Take It?

Timing is a crucial aspect of the 13 Plus entry process. Your child’s journey to the 13 Plus exam actually begins well before Year 8.

When to Register

Registration for 13 Plus entry usually happens years in advance. Most independent senior schools require you to register your child as a prospective candidate between 1 and 4 years before the entry date. In practice, this means you might be submitting registration forms (and often a registration fee) when your child is in Year 5 or Year 6 (aged 9-11).

Pre-Test

Many senior schools now use a Pre-Test when students are in Year 6 or Year 7 – a couple of years before the actual 13 Plus exam. The most widely used test is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, which is taken in the autumn/winter of Year 6.

The pre-test is designed to filter candidates early and decide who will be invited to continue through to the final 13 Plus exams. In other words, it’s a first hurdle in the admissions process, used especially by popular schools that have far more applicants than places.

After the pre-test, schools often conduct interviews or assessment days for those who passed, during Year 6 or 7. Successful candidates at this stage are usually given a conditional offer of a place for Year 9, conditional upon them later achieving a satisfactory result in the 13 Plus Common Entrance or final exam.

13 Plus / Common Entrance (Main Exam)

The main 13 Plus exam is taken when your child is in Year 8. In most cases, this exam happens in the summer term of Year 8 – often the first week of June for schools using the standard ISEB Common Entrance papers.

There are also some Common Entrance sittings in January or November of Year 8, though these are less commonly used; a few schools (especially London day schools) schedule their 13 Plus entrance exams in January of Year 8. Each independent school sets its own exam schedule, so dates can differ, but the majority align with the early June Common Entrance timetable.

When Do Results Come Out?

Results for the 13 Plus exams are typically released shortly after the exams are taken, usually within a few weeks. For Common Entrance taken in early June, the results are often known by mid to late June. In most cases, your child’s prep school (if they have one) will receive the Common Entrance scores and communicate them to you, and the senior school will confirm the place once the required grades are met.

The good news is that by the time your child sits the 13 Plus exam, they often already have a conditional offer – so the results are about confirming their place rather than winning it.

13 Plus Exam Structure

Pre-Test

The Pre-Test (for schools that use one) is quite different in format from the written subject exams that come later. Pre-tests are online, adaptive assessments that cover four areas: English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

They are multiple-choice tests, usually taken on a computer either at the child’s current school or an approved test centre. The content in English and Maths generally aligns with Key Stage 2 material (up to end of Year 5 or Year 6 standard), since these tests are often taken in Year 6. The Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning sections assess logic, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills rather than learned knowledge.

A typical pre-test (for example, the ISEB Common Pre-Test) takes about 2 to 2.5 hours in total if done in one go, though sections can be split across days. Questions adapt in difficulty based on the child’s answers, aiming to gauge potential as well as current attainment.

English

The English component of the 13 Plus exam tests a student’s reading comprehension, analysis, and writing skills. In the standard Common Entrance (ISEB) format, the English assessment is typically divided into two parts of equal weight: reading comprehension and composition.

Reading Comprehension

For comprehension, students will be given one or more passages (which could be fiction, non-fiction, or even poetry) to read, and then answer a series of questions. These questions may ask for explanations of the passage’s content, analysis of language and style, inference of implied meanings, and commentary on the author’s techniques.

Composition

For composition, students are usually asked to produce a piece of extended writing. This could be a creative story, a descriptive or narrative piece related to a prompt, or sometimes a discursive essay.

English papers at 13 Plus are set at a high standard – for instance, students might be expected to analyse literary techniques or poem excerpts, skills that overlap with early GCSE-level work.

Maths

The Mathematics 13 Plus exam covers a broad range of topics, essentially the entirety of Key Stage 3 up to Year 8, with some more advanced topics included for higher levels. In the Common Entrance structure, Maths can be quite involved: there are usually three papers – a non-calculator paper, a calculator-allowed paper, and a mental arithmetic or short answer paper. Not all schools will require all three components, but many do follow the full ISEB format especially for Common Entrance.

Science

The Science exam in the 13 Plus typically assesses a student’s knowledge of basic Biology, Chemistry, and Physics topics learned up to Year 8. Under the Common Entrance framework, there are options for schools to require either three separate science papers (one each for Biology, Chemistry, Physics) or one combined Core Science paper that covers elements of all three. The majority of academically strong schools ask for the three separate sciences, especially if they expect students to continue with separate sciences at GCSE.

Other Subjects

Beyond English, Maths, and Science, the 13 Plus exam process can include a variety of additional subjects, largely depending on the particular school’s requirements. Common additional subjects include:

• Humanities: History, Geography, and Religious Studies (often now termed Theology, Philosophy & Religion – TPR)
• Languages: Most students will offer at least one foreign language. French is the most frequently required modern language at 13 Plus, with many schools also accepting or offering Spanish, German, or Mandarin as alternatives.
• Classics: Latin is a common subject in prep schools and thus in Common Entrance. Some students may also take Classical Greek if offered; typically it is only required by certain schools or for scholarship candidates.
• Others: Depending on the school, there might be papers in Art, Music theory, or other electives, though these are less common.

A given student will not sit every possible subject; instead, they will take a set of exams determined by their destination school’s entry requirements. Only the core subjects (English, Maths, Science) are universally compulsory. Most schools then expect a selection of the above additional subjects.

Interview

In addition to written exams, nearly all independent schools include an interview as part of the 13 Plus admissions process. The interview might occur at different stages: some schools conduct interviews around the time of the pre-test (Year 6 or 7), while others do it closer to the actual 13 Plus exam or after the exams.

A 13 Plus interview is typically a one-on-one conversation lasting about 15–30 minutes. The atmosphere can range from quite relaxed to more formal, depending on the school. Common elements include:

• Personal questions: Expect the interviewer to ask about the child’s favorite subjects, hobbies, books they’ve enjoyed, or achievements they’re proud of.
• Academic or intellectual questions: Some interviewers may pose a hypothetical problem or a question about current events to see how the child thinks. They might also cover motivation for joining the school: “Why do you want to come here?” or “What can you contribute to our school?”

For many students, this might be their first significant interview experience, so practicing beforehand is helpful. However, schools aren’t looking for rehearsed speeches – rather, they want to see authentic enthusiasm, good manners, and the ability to converse and think independently

Scholarship Exams

For academically exceptional students, many senior schools offer the opportunity to sit scholarship exams instead of the standard 13 Plus Common Entrance. These may have specific names (for example, “King’s Scholarship” at Eton, “Election” at Winchester, etc., which are that school’s own scholarship tests).

Scholarship exams are more advanced and challenging than the regular 13 Plus papers. They usually cover the same subjects as the standard papers, though more subjects may be required for scholarship candidates than Common Entrance ones.

How to Prepare for the 13 Plus Exam

Preparation is key to feeling confident and performing well in the 13 Plus exam. The breadth of subjects and the long timeline (spanning a couple of years from pre-test to final exam) means families should approach 13 Plus prep as a marathon, not a sprint.

When Should My Child Start?

It’s advisable to start preparing well in advance for the 13 Plus – but in a balanced, sustainable way that builds skills over time.

We recommend beginning at least a year in advance of the first exam your child will face. If they are taking a Pre-Test in Year 6, that would mean beginning their preparation in Year 5. If they won’t take any exams before the 13 Plus itself, preparation might begin in Year 7 – or potentially Year 6, if they will be examined in lots of subjects.

Preparing for Pre-Test

This might involve working through practice questions in verbal and non-verbal reasoning, brushing up on mental maths and reading comprehension skills, and taking some mock pre-tests (many online platforms offer practice tests that simulate the ISEB pre-test format).

Your child’s focus should be split between content and familiarity with the test format and exam technique – for example, learning how to approach multiple-choice questions and manage time.

11 Plus resources and practice questions are relevant as the content and question types are very similar.

Preparing for the 13 Plus / Common Entrance Exam

Preparation should ramp up in Year 7 and especially the beginning of Year 8. At this stage, it’s important to cover the entire syllabus for each subject they will be examined in.

Many prep schools start Common Entrance syllabuses in Year 7. If your child is not in a school that does this systematically, you’ll want to obtain the syllabus or topic lists for 13 Plus subjects (ISEB publishes specifications for each subject) and plan out learning those topics. Throughout Year 7, steady work on areas like extending vocabulary, practicing essay writing, and mastering new maths concepts will pay off.

The first term or two of Year 8 (Autumn and Spring) should be when your child starts doing practice papers under timed conditions for each subject. A common strategy is to begin serious practice around the Christmas break of Year 8. By this point, most teaching of new material is complete, so practice papers help identify any weak spots and build exam technique.

Mark these papers (either self-mark, with help from teachers/tutors, or using marking schemes) to help your child learn from their mistakes. As the exam approaches (especially during the Easter holiday in Year 8), the emphasis should shift to revision and consolidation rather than learning new topics.

Throughout their preparation, your child should maintain a healthy routine: consistent short study sessions often work better than last-minute cramming. A well-rested, well-rounded student will ultimately perform better than one who is overscheduled or stressed. By starting early and pacing the work, you give your child the best chance to excel without burning out.

Do We Need a Tutor?

One common question parents ask is whether to use a 13 Plus tutor or if they can guide their child themselves. The answer depends on your individual situation, but here are some considerations to help you decide:

School Support

If your child is at a prep school that thoroughly prepares students for 13 Plus, you might find that the school’s support is sufficient for most subjects. Many parents use a tutor to boost their child’s performance in one or two problem subjects, to ensure they are not dragged down by their weaker areas.

On the other hand, if your child is in a state primary or an international school, or a school that doesn’t normally feed into 13 Plus admissions, you may find that outside help is very useful. A specialised 13 Plus tutor can help cover content that your child’s current school might not teach (for example, Latin or certain advanced maths topics).

They can also familiarise your child with the style of questions to expect, especially since state school curricula won’t directly prepare for Common Entrance. Tutors experienced in 13 Plus know the typical pitfalls and can tailor their approach to your child’s needs, which can be a big confidence booster.

Pre-Test

The pre-test is a unique challenge, likely to be unfamiliar in its format (computerised and adaptive) and content (verbal and non-verbal reasoning) to many children.

As the first, and arguably most important, stage of the 13 Plus process (especially for top schools), many parents find tutoring for the pre-test makes a big difference to their child’s chances of overall success.

Targeting top schools or scholarships

If your targets include highly competitive admissions processes (like scholarship papers or very selective schools that have their own tough entrance tests), a tutor or professional guidance is often a worthwhile investment.

The level of challenge in those exams might exceed what is covered in standard prep school classes. A tutor can introduce more complex material and guide a talented student to reach their full potential, as well as provide structured practice and feedback.

Interview and exam technique

Tutors with experience in school admissions can also offer support in areas like interview coaching, time management in exams, and dealing with exam stress. Sometimes it’s these skills, rather than raw knowledge, that make a significant difference in performance.

13 Plus Tutoring with Dukes Plus

Dukes Plus’s 13 Plus tutors are highly experienced at preparing students for admission to all the leading schools at 13 Plus. Whether you are looking for preparation for the pre-test or subject-specific tutoring in 13 Plus English, Maths, Science, and beyond, we can help.

We personally match each child with the tutor who best suits their personal and academic profile. To learn more about our 13 Plus tuition, book a free consultation with our friendly team.