In recent years the 7+ exams have become increasingly popular (or competitive, depending on your point of view). The idea for most parents is to circumvent the entrance exams sat in year 6, which are generally considered more competitive and more fraught for students.
We’re going to answer some of the questions we hear the most about the 7+ exams to give you all a better idea of what they’re about.
What are the 7+ exams?
Sat between October and January of year 2, these entrance exams are for entrance into junior schools in September of year 3.
Why should I put my child up for the 7+?
The reason the 7+ has become such a popular choice is that by gaining entry into the junior school, students are all but guaranteed entrance into the senior school, thereby sidestepping the madness of the 11+. Your child’s academic performance would have to drop dramatically for a school to not offer you a place from junior to senior school. We have seen it only rarely.
Which schools have the 7+ admission test?
There are a whole host schools that have 7+ exams and they can be found here. However, Clarendon would recommend parents consider only those schools that are fiendishly competitive at 11+ (or spectacularly convenient geographically for parents!).
Below is our list. It is not exhaustive.
- St Paul’s Junior
- Westminster Under
- King’s College School Wimbledon Junior
- City Junior
- Latymer Prep
- Lady Eleanor Holles
- Highgate
- Dulwich College Junior
- Ibstock Place
- Alleyn’s Junior
Are the 7+ exams less competitive than the 11+?
Yes, but this has become more marginal in recent years.
For Latymer, for instance, you might have around 150 sitting the 7+ for 44 places. Whereas, at 11+ last year there were 1300 sitting for 170 places.
It is clearly less competitive at 7+, but this definitely varies school to school and it is worth remembering that so many students are sitting for as many as 5 schools at 7+ (and more at 11+).
Can my child sit the 8+ if they are unsuccessful at 7+?
Yes, for those schools that do 8+ as well – which typically tends to be the all boys schools (St Paul’s, Westminster, KCS Wimbledon, Dulwich), students are allowed to sit the 8+ as well.
What will my child be tested on?
The 7+ exams always consist of a test in English and Maths. Schools say that the content being tested is KS1, but don’t be fooled – some of the problem solving and comprehension questions are well beyond the level of year 2 students nationwide. For a comprehensive Clarendon syllabus checklist, do get in touch.
The most common elements of the 7+ are:
- Maths – papers usually start by testing knowledge of place value, number operations and calculations, before developing to more difficult problem solving.
- Comprehension – a passage followed by questions involving information retrieval, inference / deduction and understanding of vocabulary.
- Composition – a short piece of descriptive or narrative writing, often this might follow on from the passage of the comprehension.
Additional elements vary school to school, but can include: reasoning, dictation, spelling etc.
Get in touch with Clarendon to make sure.
How do I know if my child is ready?
There are two main factors that we consider here – is your child advanced enough in their academic development and do they have the maturity to prepare for and sit the exam. Organise a Clarendon assessment, and we can tell you honestly whether we think your child is ready and what it will take for them to be successful.
If you’d like any more info or just some friendly advice, please get in touch with the team.