10 key facts you need to know about the Common Entrance!

Posted on September 14, 2021

Eton College front 4 scaled

10 key facts you need to know about the Common Entrance exam!

With the Common Entrance just around the corner we bring you 10 key facts you need to know about it!

  1. The Common Entrance papers are set by teams of highly qualified and experienced teachers drawn from some of the best independent senior and prep schools in the UK.
  2. The majority of independent senior schools use the Common Entrance, however, a small number do not.
  3. Some schools choose to set their own entrance exams. It is recommended that you check with individual schools you are applying to whether they require the Common entrance.
  4. Pupils can take the Common Entrance either in year 6 or year 8.
  5. The papers are marked by teaching staff in the senior school for which a pupil is entered.
  6. Senior schools award candidates a grade for each subject, from A to E. Each senior school decides the range of marks represented by each grade, and this may vary from school to school.
  7. Pupils from overseas often sit Common Entrance, mainly for senior schools in the UK but also for independent schools in their own countries.
  8. The examinations can often be taken in candidates’ own schools and the Board regularly despatches papers to schools in Hong Kong, China, Kenya, Nigeria, the United States, Russia and a wide range of other countries.
  9. There are 3 examination sessions each year for the 13+ Common Entrance in November, January and May/June.
  10. The closing dates for entries are 1st October (autumn); 1 December (spring); 1 March (summer). 

Here are a selection of top independent schools that use the Common Entrance: Eton College, Oundle School, Wellington College, Marlborough College and many many more…

That’s it for our 10 key facts you need to know about the Common entrance! We hope you found this information useful. We have a vast amount of experience preparing our students for their Common Entrance exams. If you have any queries regarding the Common Entrance exams please call us on 020 7723 0506 and one of our Education Consultants will be happy to help! Head to our website to find out more.