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The Complete Guide to 8+ Entrance Exams (+ Free Sample Paper)

Everything parents need to know about 8+ entrance exams: what they test, how they're assessed, when to prepare, and how to give your child the best chance of securing a place at a top London prep school through the occasional-place entry point.

25+

PREP SCHOOLS OFFERING 8+

~2h 15m

ASSESSMENT TIME

CORE COMPONENTS

Year 3

TYPICAL YEAR GROUP

What is the 8+?

The 8+ is the entrance assessment sat by children in Year 3 (ages 7–8) to secure a place in Year 4 at selective London prep schools. It is offered by schools such as Dulwich College Junior, King’s College School Junior, Westminster Under, Haberdashers’ Prep, Caldicott, Sussex House, and Wetherby Prep—typically to fill the small number of places that become available when existing pupils leave after Year 3.

The 8+ differs from both 7+ and 11+ in an important structural way: it is an “occasional place” entry point. Most selective prep schools fill the majority of their Year 3 cohort through the 7+, and only a handful of places open up for 8+ entry each year. This makes the 8+ significantly more competitive per place than the 7+, despite being less widely publicised, with some schools receiving ten or more applications per available spot.

Who Takes It

Children in Year 3 applying for Year 4 entry. Candidates fall into two broad groups: families who did not sit the 7+ (often because they were abroad, in state education, or simply not ready a year earlier) and families whose children narrowly missed out at 7+ and are re-applying a year older and more developed.

When It's Taken

Assessments are sat in January of Year 3, with offers returned in February–March. Registration typically closes in the autumn term of Year 2. Because available places are limited, families should confirm that each target school is offering 8+ entry in the relevant year before committing preparation time—some schools run 8+ only when vacancies exist.

Test Format

A written assessment in English and Maths (sometimes with a short reasoning component) combined with an interview or group assessment. Format varies considerably between schools, and—more so than at 7+—expectations reflect an additional year of schooling. Papers are noticeably more demanding, with longer comprehension passages, extended writing, and more advanced mathematical problem-solving.

Test Structure & Sections

While every 8+ school has its own format, most assessments cover the same three core areas. The jump in demand between 7+ and 8+ is substantial, and preparation must account for the full Year 3 curriculum rather than assuming 7+-style material will suffice.

English

Candidates read longer and more challenging passages than at 7+, and answer questions testing literal understanding, inference, vocabulary in context, and simple literary analysis. A creative or discursive writing task of 20–30 minutes is standard. Schools assess handwriting, spelling, punctuation, grammar, paragraphing, and the ability to produce a structured piece of writing with a clear narrative arc.

Mathematics

Covers the Year 3 National Curriculum at a stretched level: place value to 1,000, formal written methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, time, money, measurement, and shape. Most 8+ papers include substantial multi-step word problems where careful reading, logical working, and clear presentation are weighted as heavily as computation itself.

Interview & Group Assessment

A more developed version of the 7+ interview. Children may be asked about books they have read independently, topics they enjoy at school, or asked to describe something they have made or created. Group activities often involve collaborative problem-solving or a short practical task. Schools observe confidence, curiosity, listening, articulacy, and the ability to engage thoughtfully with unfamiliar adults and peers.

How the 8+ is Assessed

Like the 7+, the 8+ uses holistic assessment rather than a single standardised score. Schools combine written-paper performance with interview impressions and—where available—a report from the child’s current pre-prep or prep school.

There is no national pass mark—each school sets its own thresholds and applies them alongside interview performance
Many 8+ schools receive 8–12 applications per available place, making it among the most competitive selective entry points in UK education
Written papers typically account for 60–70% of the overall assessment, with interviews and observations carrying the remainder
Age-standardisation is applied informally—a September-born child is not directly compared against an August-born one
Schools assess genuine ability, readiness, and fit, and are highly alert to over-coached candidates
Waiting lists are common and often active well into the summer term, as offers made at other schools ripple through the system
Handwriting quality, composure, and articulacy at interview consistently differentiate successful from unsuccessful candidates of similar academic ability

Worried Your Child Won't Secure a Place?

With a 98% success rate, our 8+ preparation programme is trusted by London families navigating one of the most competitive occasional-place entry points in UK education. We guarantee results or we continue tutoring free.

Preparation Timeline

The 8+ rewards steady, structured preparation that builds on an additional year of schooling—without tipping into the over-coaching that selective prep schools are experienced at spotting. The timeline below is designed to produce confident, genuinely able children who present their best selves on assessment day.

12–18 MONTHS BEFORE (early Year 2)

Foundation Building

Focus on consolidating core Year 2 learning while building enjoyment of reading, mental arithmetic, and creative expression. Daily shared reading, regular maths games, and short writing tasks—postcards, diary entries, story continuations—build the underlying skills that the 8+ genuinely measures. Formal test preparation is not appropriate at this stage.

6–9 MONTHS BEFORE (start of Year 3)

Structured Practice Begins

Gently introduce 8+-style questions through short, focused sessions. Begin working on timed writing tasks of 15–20 minutes and establish a regular pattern of handwriting practice. Sessions of 20–30 minutes, 3–4 times per week are appropriate at this age. Identify any significant gaps—particularly around the jump in maths content between Year 2 and Year 3.

3–6 MONTHS BEFORE (autumn of Year 3)

Intensive Preparation

Work with a specialist tutor to address weaker areas and build exam stamina. Introduce timed past papers in each subject. Begin light interview preparation through regular conversation at home—encouraging your child to talk about books, interests, and ideas. Focus on writing craft: structure, vocabulary range, paragraphing, and descriptive language.

1–3 MONTHS BEFORE

Exam Familiarisation & Confidence

Complete full 8+-style practice papers under timed conditions. Refine writing technique with detailed feedback. Visit the route to each target school. Practise informal interview conversations with an unfamiliar adult if possible—a family friend or tutor—so the experience of the real interview does not feel alien.

Final Week

Rest & Reassurance

Light review only—no new practice papers. Focus on sleep, healthy routines, and calm family atmosphere. Remind your child that they only need to try their best, and that schools are looking for genuine personality, not perfection. A rested, confident seven-year-old consistently outperforms an over-prepared, anxious one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The 8+ catches families out differently from the 7+, because the additional year of schooling creates both genuine expectation and the illusion that a child who “just missed” the 7+ will pass easily a year later. Here are the most common pitfalls we see and how to prevent them.

Assuming 7+ preparation is sufficient

The Solution

Some families who tried the 7+ assume their child is "nearly ready" and simply need to re-sit the same material a year later. In practice, 8+ papers are substantially more demanding—longer passages, more extended writing, more complex maths problems—and schools expect an additional year of academic growth. Prepare for the 8+ as a new, more rigorous exam.

Underestimating the writing demands

The Solution

The creative writing element at 8+ is noticeably more developed than at 7+, with longer tasks, more sophisticated expectations around structure, and clearer marking for vocabulary range and technical accuracy. Families who focus heavily on maths and comprehension often find their child loses the exam through an underdeveloped written piece. Treat writing as a core discipline from the start.

Over-coaching the interview

The Solution

Schools interviewing seven- and eight-year-olds are highly experienced at spotting rehearsed answers. Rather than scripting responses, develop your child's ability to talk naturally about books they have enjoyed, topics that interest them, and things they have made or built. The goal is a confident, curious conversationalist—not a memorised performer.

Applying only to schools where you missed out at 7+

The Solution

Families who unsuccessfully applied at 7+ sometimes focus exclusively on the same schools a year later, assuming familiarity will help. In practice, it rarely does—and limiting the application list to one or two schools narrows your options unnecessarily. Consider the full 8+ landscape: some schools offer more 8+ places than others, and fit may have shifted with your child's development.

Neglecting handwriting and presentation

The Solution

Eight-year-olds are expected to produce neat, legible, well-presented work. Papers marked down for presentation often belong to genuinely able children whose ideas were not read properly by the examiner. Daily handwriting practice of 10–15 minutes builds presentation quality that pays off across every paper sat.

98% of Our Students Secure an 8+ Place

Join hundreds of families who trusted our expert tutors. If your child completes our programme and does not pass, we continue tutoring free of charge.

How Elite British Admissions Can Help

Our specialist 8+ preparation programme is designed around the unique demands of this occasional-place entry point: rigorous enough to meet the raised expectations of Year 3 assessment, age-appropriate enough to preserve your child’s confidence and curiosity. With our place guarantee, you can be confident in their preparation.

Diagnostic Assessment

We identify your child’s specific strengths and weaknesses across English, Maths, and interview readiness—calibrated to the exact format of each 8+ school on your list.

Expert Tutors

Our tutors specialise in early-years selective entry and understand the fine line between genuine preparation and over-coaching. They know which schools favour which question styles, and how to build real capability in a way that reads authentically at interview.

Practice Materials

Access to age-appropriate 8+-style English and Maths questions, creative writing prompts with structured feedback, handwriting practice resources, and school-specific mock papers based on the real formats of leading London preps.

Progress Tracking

Regular reports on your child’s progress across each assessment area, with clear guidance on which schools on your list are showing the strongest fit and where to focus attention in the final weeks before exam day.

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

8+ Entrance Preparation

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98%

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“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.”

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James P.

ISEB Pre-Test, 2025

The Complete Guide to 8+ Entrance Exams (+ Free Sample Paper)

12–18 MONTHS BEFORE (early Year 2)

Foundation Building

6–9 MONTHS BEFORE (start of Year 3)

Structured Practice Begins

3–6 MONTHS BEFORE (autumn of Year 3)

Intensive Preparation

1–3 MONTHS BEFORE

Exam Familiarisation & Confidence

Final Week

Rest & Reassurance

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

The Solution

James P.

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