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The Complete Guide to 13+ Common Entrance (+ Free Sample Paper)

Everything parents need to know about the 13+ Common Entrance examination: what it tests, how it's marked, when to prepare, and how to give your child the best chance of confirming their senior-school place at a top UK independent school.

60+

SCHOOLS USING 13+ CE

3–4 Days

Test Duration

12+

Test Sections

Year 8

Typical Age

What is 13+ Common Entrance?

The 13+ Common Entrance Examination is a suite of subject-based papers set by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) and taken by pupils in Year 8 as part of the admissions process for senior independent schools. First introduced in 1904, Common Entrance has long been the traditional gateway into senior schools such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby, Tonbridge, Sherborne, Marlborough, and Charterhouse.

The landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. Many senior schools now pre-test candidates at 10+ or 11+ using the ISEB Pre-Test and treat Common Entrance as a confirmation stage rather than the primary admissions hurdle. Some schools have replaced Common Entrance entirely with their own bespoke Year 8 assessments. Understanding exactly how your target schools use Common Entrance is therefore the first and most important step in planning preparation.

Who Takes It

Pupils in Year 8 (ages 12–13), typically attending UK prep schools, applying for Year 9 entry into senior independent schools. In the vast majority of cases, a conditional offer has already been secured through pre-testing at 11+, and Common Entrance confirms the place subject to minimum grade requirements.

When It's Taken

The main sitting is in June of Year 8, with an autumn sitting in November of Year 8 used by some scholarship candidates and late entrants. The exam is spread across three to four days, with multiple papers sat per day.

Test Format

Written, timed papers sat under formal exam conditions—usually at the pupil’s own prep school—and then sent to the receiving senior school for marking. Each receiving school applies its own pass thresholds, meaning the same paper can be graded differently depending on the destination.

Test Structure & Sections

The 13+ Common Entrance is subject-based rather than skills-based, testing actual curriculum knowledge across core and optional disciplines. The specific combination of subjects a pupil sits depends on what their target senior school requires.

English

Two papers covering reading comprehension and composition. Pupils analyse unseen literary passages, answer inference questions, and produce extended creative or discursive writing. Strong analytical reading and confident writing are equally weighted.

Mathematics

Sat at one of three levels (Level 1, 2, or 3) calibrated to the pupil’s ability, with Level 3 being the most challenging. Covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, ratio, statistics, and problem-solving. The level a pupil takes must match what target schools accept—scholarship-level schools typically require Level 3.

Science

Covers all three sciences—Biology, Chemistry, and Physics—in a single integrated paper, with separate tiers at Level 1 and Level 2. Examines both factual knowledge and experimental reasoning.

Optional Subjects

Pupils typically sit three to five additional papers depending on their prep school’s curriculum and the requirements of their senior school.

French (tiered, Levels 1–3) — written paper plus listening
Latin (tiered) — translation, comprehension, and grammatical analysis
Geography — physical and human geography, map skills
History — British and European topics, source analysis
Religious Studies — world religions and moral philosophy
Spanish, German, Classical Greek — where offered

How the 13+ is Scored

Unlike 11+ or cognitive assessments, Common Entrance does not produce a single standardised score. Each paper is marked individually by the receiving senior school, which applies its own grade boundaries and weights.

Papers are typically graded on a percentage or letter-grade scale (A*, A, B, C, D, E)
Most senior schools require a minimum average of 55–65% across papers for confirmation of offer
Selective senior schools (such as Eton, Winchester, and Tonbridge) typically require 65–70%+ across all subjects
Scholarship candidates are expected to achieve 75–85%+, often sitting additional scholarship papers alongside Common Entrance
There is no single national pass mark—each school publishes its own expectations, and these are usually communicated at the offer stage
Pupils sitting Maths or French at lower tiers have lower ceiling grades available, so tier selection carries strategic weight
Failure to meet a school's minimum grade can, in rare cases, result in an offer being withdrawn or deferred—Common Entrance is not purely a formality

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With a 98% success rate, our 13+ Common Entrance preparation programme is trusted by families confirming places at the UK's most prestigious senior independent schools. We guarantee results or we continue tutoring free.

Preparation Timeline

13+ Common Entrance is different in character from earlier assessments. Because pupils are typically already enrolled at a prep school whose entire Key Stage 3 curriculum is built around Common Entrance, much of the groundwork happens as part of normal schooling. The role of targeted preparation is to supplement prep-school teaching, address weaker subjects, and guarantee the grades that secure the place.

18–24 MONTHS BEFORE (Year 7)

Foundation Building

Focus on consolidating Key Stage 3 foundations in English, Maths, Science, and languages. Build disciplined study habits, extend reading beyond prep-school requirements, and begin introducing past-paper exposure towards the end of Year 7. The focus here is on genuine subject mastery rather than exam technique.

9–12 MONTHS BEFORE (start of Year 8)

Structured Practice Begins

Begin systematic past-paper work in each subject. Confirm tier selection for Maths and French with the prep school and target senior school. Identify weaker subjects early and introduce targeted tutoring support. Establish a weekly revision routine alongside prep-school work—45–60 minutes per subject per week is typically ample at this stage.

3–6 MONTHS BEFORE (spring of Year 8)

Intensive Preparation

Move into full past-paper practice under timed conditions. Focus tutoring time on weakest subjects and highest-stakes papers (particularly English composition and Maths Level 3). Begin sustained essay practice in History and Religious Studies if these are being sat.

1–3 MONTHS BEFORE

Exam Technique & Confidence

Simulate the full sitting experience: several papers across consecutive days. Build the stamina required for a three-to-four-day exam schedule. Refine revision notes into condensed summaries. Prioritise sleep, nutrition, and measured pacing—overloading in the final weeks is counter-productive.

Final Week

Rest & Review

Light revision only, focused on summary notes rather than new material. Ensure your child enters the first paper rested, calm, and familiar with the exam schedule. Cramming in the final week is consistently associated with poorer performance, not better—trust the preparation already done.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even capable pupils underperform on 13+ Common Entrance due to avoidable errors. Here are the most common pitfalls we see and how to prevent them.

Treating Common Entrance as a formality

The Solution

Because most pupils have already secured a conditional offer through pre-testing at 11+, families sometimes assume Common Entrance is automatic. It is not. Minimum grade requirements are real, and offers can be deferred or reconsidered if papers fall well short. Prepare as though the place depends on the result—because, technically, it does.

Choosing the wrong tier in Maths or French

The Solution

Entering a pupil at a tier that caps their achievable grade below the senior school's requirement is a surprisingly common error. Confirm with both the prep school and the senior school's admissions office exactly which tier is expected, and make the decision early enough to prepare accordingly.

Neglecting optional subjects

The Solution

Families often focus all revision time on English, Maths, and Science, leaving History, Geography, Religious Studies, and languages until the final weeks. In practice, these papers carry equal weight at most senior schools—a weak History paper can pull the overall average below threshold just as easily as a weak Maths paper

Under-preparing for extended writing

The Solution

Common Entrance rewards sustained, structured writing in English, History, Religious Studies, and comprehension papers. Pupils who are competent analytically but underdeveloped as writers consistently lose marks. Regular timed writing practice—with real feedback on planning, paragraphing, vocabulary, and technical accuracy—is one of the highest-leverage interventions available.

Not practising across multiple days

The Solution

Common Entrance is physically and mentally demanding in a way single-sitting exams are not. Pupils sit several papers across three or four consecutive days, often with overnight boarding arrangements. Practising each paper in isolation does not build the stamina needed for the real sitting. Replicate multi-day timetables at least once before the exam.

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How Elite British Admissions Can Help

Our specialist 13+ Common Entrance preparation programme is designed to complement prep-school teaching and guarantee the grades your child’s senior school requires. With our grade guarantee, you can be confident in their success.

Diagnostic Assessment

We identify your child’s specific strengths and weaknesses across every subject being sat, matched against the exact grade requirements of their offer-holding senior school.

Expert Tutors

Our tutors specialise in 13+ Common Entrance and know the nuances of each subject paper, the tier-selection decisions involved, and the specific expectations of leading senior schools.

Practice Materials

Access to past Common Entrance papers for every subject and tier, extended writing prompts with detailed feedback, Latin and French translation drills, and structured revision resources for History, Geography, and Religious Studies.

Progress Tracking

Weekly reports so you can see your child’s improvement across every paper, projected grade outcomes for each subject, and clear identification of where further attention is needed in the final weeks before the exam.

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The Complete Guide to the ISEB Pre-Test 2026

Get a head start on your preparation with our comprehensive free sample paper.

13+ Common Entrance Preparation

Our students achieve a 98% pass rate. If your child does not pass after completing our programme, we will continue tutoring free of charge until they do.

98%

Pass Rate

500+

Students Helped

100% money-back if not satisfied after first session

Personalised study plan based on diagnostic assessment
Weekly 1-to-1 tutoring with exam specialists
Full access to 500+ practice questions
Unlimited mock tests with detailed feedback
Free continuation until your child passes

“My daughter was struggling with the verbal reasoning section. After just 8 weeks with Elite British Admissions, she scored in the top 10% nationally. The guarantee gave us peace of mind throughout.”

J.P

James P.

ISEB Pre-Test, 2025

The Complete Guide to 13+ Common Entrance (+ Free Sample Paper)

18–24 MONTHS BEFORE (Year 7)

Foundation Building

9–12 MONTHS BEFORE (start of Year 8)

Structured Practice Begins

3–6 MONTHS BEFORE (spring of Year 8)

Intensive Preparation

1–3 MONTHS BEFORE

Exam Technique & Confidence

Final Week

Rest & Review

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

James P.

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