Charterhouse Interview: Tips and Common Questions

At Charterhouse the interview is part of the assessment day, sitting alongside an observed seminar and a written exercise. It is a friendly, one-to-one conversation rather than a formal panel, but it carries real weight, because Charterhouse uses the whole day to judge not just academic potential but a child's all-round contribution to the school. This guide explains what the interview involves, what Charterhouse looks for, and how to help your child prepare without turning them into a rehearsed performer.

What the Charterhouse interview involves

Charterhouse's 13+ interview is a friendly, one-to-one conversation with a member of staff, held as part of the assessment day rather than as a separate formal panel. It sits alongside the observed seminar and the short written exercise that make up the day, together with a guided tour and conversational activities. Because the whole day is designed to be welcoming rather than intimidating, the interview feels more like a genuine conversation than an examination, and its purpose is to see how a child thinks, what engages them, and how they will contribute to the school. A child who is comfortable talking about their interests, and honest when they are unsure, comes across far better than one delivering answers learned by heart.

What Charterhouse is looking for

The interview, like the rest of the assessment day, helps Charterhouse evaluate a child's diverse talents and their potential all-round contribution, not just their academic attainment. Within a relaxed conversation, the interviewer is forming a picture of whether a child is genuinely curious, what they care about, and whether they will throw themselves into the wide life of the school.

The interview is about who a child is and what engages them, not how many facts they can recite.

This shapes how you prepare. A child who can talk warmly about a book they love, a hobby they pursue, or an idea they find genuinely interesting, and explain why, will impress far more than one who arrives with polished, pre-packaged answers.

Common interview themes

No two Charterhouse interviews are identical, but they tend to explore familiar ground. Your child may be asked about the subjects and activities they enjoy and why, about a book they have read or an interest they pursue, and about what attracts them to Charterhouse in particular. The conversation may touch on their current school, what they do outside lessons, and, for a boarding applicant, how they feel about living away from home. Because the school values curiosity and contribution, the interviewer may also invite them to think aloud about an idea, so questions without a single right answer are common. None of this needs a scripted response. What helps is a child who has thought a little about why they want to go to Charterhouse and can speak honestly and warmly about themselves.

How to prepare your child

The aim is a confident, genuine child, not a rehearsed one, so the best preparation looks very little like exam practice. The single most useful thing you can do is have real conversations at home, so your child is used to expressing and explaining their opinions. Encourage them to think about what they enjoy and why, and to come up with a question or two they would genuinely like to ask about Charterhouse. Reading with reflection helps, since a child who reads widely has more to say and thinks more readily, and any experience of being away from home makes the prospect of boarding feel familiar rather than daunting. A single, relaxed practice conversation can settle nerves, but more than that risks making them sound coached. For the academic side that runs alongside the interview, our guide to the Charterhouse assessment covers the seminar and the written exercise.

On the day

A few practical things help your child give their best account. A good night's sleep matters more than last-minute preparation, and arriving in good time means they are relaxed rather than flustered. They should know that the staff they meet want them to do well, and that it is completely fine to pause and think before answering, or to say they are not sure. Encourage them to join in the seminar and the activities, share their ideas, and be themselves in the interview. Because Charterhouse looks at all-round contribution across the day, a child who treats it as a chance to show who they are, rather than a test to pass, tends to come across exactly as the school hopes.

A note for parents

It is natural to want to prepare your child thoroughly, but Charterhouse's staff are experienced at telling a genuinely curious child from a heavily coached one, and they consistently favour the former. Your most valuable contribution is not drilling answers. It is giving your child a home where ideas are discussed, opinions are welcomed, and reading and real interests are part of daily life. That preparation lasts well beyond a single day, and it happens to be exactly what the school is trying to find.