7 plus entrance exam preparation
“What is this 7 plus entrance exam?” If you’re like most parents, when you sent your child to their first ‘real school’ the idea of them taking exams would probably have felt many years away – something they’ll be doing ‘when they’re older’.
Not so, however, if your plans include having them stay in the private school system, since access to their next school(s) will be conditional on their passing key entrance exams.
What is the 7 plus entrance exam?
The 7+ examination is a selection of tests which are used by top private (fee paying) prep schools to select students for admission into Year 3 entry.
The actual tests are taken whilst your child is in year two, usually in January of Year 2 ahead of entry into a selective preparatory school in Year 3 (aged 7-8 years old).
Whilst you’ll find these schools scattered throughout the UK the majority are located within London.
Over time quite a few of the schools which had previously taken in children at 7 have expanded to include provision for earlier years (a pre-prep school).
In these schools this means that there will be fewer spaces available at age 7 since many of those younger pupils will stay at the school until 11 or 13.
If you’re considering more than one possible school for your child it’s worth noting that not all schools will require students to take 7+ tests and those who do may each set different tests.
That being so it’s important to contact each school to confirm their specific requirements as early as possible.
The easiest way to do this is to check the school’s website for further information and contact the Admissions Registrar as well.
Why is it so competitive?
Just like its older sibling, the eleven-plus entrance exam, the seven-plus exam is very competitive.
This is because there are limited places available at all private prep schools (especially in London).
In most areas, there will be only a few independent schools and of those, only a small sub-set will have spaces in their year 7 intake for candidates from other schools.
Within those schools, there will be some schools that are only prep schools, meaning that they are primary schools. An even fewer number of independent schools in your area will be secondary schools.
This means that on average, for every 1 place available in an all-through school, there are anything between 7 and 15 applications.
This issue is compounded further by the reputations various schools have as ‘feeder schools’.
Those who have a stronger reputation for succeeding in getting their boys and girls into top senior schools will, understandably, be in greater demand.
Why is 7 plus entrance exam preparation so difficult?
It’s simply one of timing.
Your child will have only recently begun their educational journey and may still be developing their academic skills alongside their social skills and so might find the routines around exam prep difficult to cope with.
That’s not to say preparation for them will be impossible, but they might need to overcome some challenges along the way.
At this young age every few months adds a significant amount to their learning experience and so if your child is five and perhaps born in the summer then they’ll be the youngest in their class.
They’ve only recently had their fifth birthday and so have only been alive for just over sixty months.
Asking someone so young to focus deliberately on anything for more than a short time, let alone study it, is going to be an uphill task.
At this age, their attention span is just a few minutes, before distractions or disturbances take their thoughts off the task at hand.
So you can see why the importance of preparation for 7 plus entrance exams is balanced by its difficulty too.
Two-step entrance procedure
Many schools operate a two-step entrance procedure where those children who score highly in the entrance tests will each be asked back for a full or part day where they will ‘sit in’ with existing students.
This is when they may well also be interviewed by a senior member of the school too.
These steps are included in the process so the school can gain a better understanding of how each of the prospective students might fit in with the school’s ethos.
Remember, however, that they may well have invited twice as many children back for those assessment days than they have spaces available.
So it’s important your child does well – they’re not ‘in’ yet.
A relaxed child is a happier learner
However much planning parents put into their child’s 7+ exam preparation it’s the little’un who’s going to be taking the tests and taking part in the ‘be part of the class’ day.
With that in mind, it’s those parents who can keep both their child and themselves as relaxed as possible during the 7+ preparation programme that stand the best chance of success.
Focusing too much on what’s not working or what your child’s not yet grasped can have a detrimental effect and can be demotivating to them – not something you want to do if you can avoid it.
When do I start preparing my child for the seven + tests?
Since the 7+ tests are taken whilst your child is in Year 2 this means that you’ll need to introduce them to some semblance of exam subject preparation before then.
In practical terms, this means during year 1 or year 2 they will need to put in the necessary work to pass the tests.
The tests consist of what they would generally be taught in school, by the end of year 3, and so with the correct preparation, they can learn much of what is required.
They are very academically challenging for those youngsters, and they will be required to understand subjects at a level at least one year above their age, by the time they take the tests.
As an alternative, it’s always worth considering whether there are any schools your child could enter at year 1 that would enable them to stay until 11 or 13.
Some schools do offer this, however, competition for places means they are hard to get into, so it’s not an easy alternative.
If you are considering moving your child at 7+ to a more academic school, you should start identifying how your child is performing whilst they are in Year 1.
This provides you with the time and opportunity to identify if there are any areas they need to boost to give them the best chance of success for their 7+ in Year 2.
Do only children attending state schools need to prepare?
Absolutely not!
A state school child might require more support because their school won’t be used to preparing children for private school entrance exams.
And any child attending a private school will benefit from at least a modicum of tutoring so as to ensure they show up in the best possible light on exam day.
Plus, when one factors in the high oversubscription levels for private schools at age seven, it’s reasonable to assume that nearly every child will have benefitted from at least some preparation.
So in essence, unless your child is guaranteed a place at age seven (because of the size of the school and how many years it covers), it’s important that they prepare for the tests.
What does the exam cover?
Rather like how the eleven plus exam is actually a suite of component papers that schools can pick and choose from, the seven plus is similarly inconsistent.
Another similarity is that both test children on areas of study that they will not have covered in their general schooling.
Which is another way of saying that without preparation they will find it very hard to score high enough to secure a place at your target school.
But that’s not all. Whilst many grammar schools and independent schools set broadly similar papers, the situation with 7 plus entrance exams is rather different.
Because of the fickle nature of children at that age, many schools have settled upon their own preferred package of questions, along with the method of setting them, which means it’s important to identify which schools you’re considering as soon as possible.
These tests will usually take around 3 hours and parents may well be asked to attend an interview too.
That’s actually a good thing since it will provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions and get a better feel for the school.
- Maths
- English
- Creative writing
- Verbal reasoning
- Non-Verbal reasoning
- Handwriting
- General knowledge
- An interview
What preparation should I do?
One of the most important things a child can do to prepare for their 7 plus entrance exams is to read, both regularly and widely. That’s quite a big task for a small person, but it’s important that they develop a wide and useable vocabulary and that they have an opinion on some of their recently read books.
That time spent reading will help them with their creative writing and their comprehension tests too.
It’s fair to say that if you want your child to do well you will need to put in the time to support them or incorporate the services of a tutor to do this instead.
Don’t rush the preparation
Just like too little preparation will leave your child unready for the tests, too much preparation will have a deleterious effect too.
Unless you want to end up with a very stressed-out and upset family (yes, everyone) then we don’t recommend rushing your child’s 7+ prep. Little and often will invariably be much more effective than forced sessions that turn into a battle of wills.
Do I need to register with each school I’m considering?
Rather like parents considering 11+ entrance or 13+ common entrance you will need to register with each school.
Bearing in mind the oversubscription levels seen at many schools it’s important to register early otherwise you might find their register is closed.
Nothing is guaranteed
Despite near-perfect preparation and even if your child aces their interviews, they still might not be offered a place.
This could simply be due to the school having so few places available that your child was ranked just one or two places below their cut-off level.
With this in mind, it’s important to ensure you have a Plan B in the background so that you don’t have any last-minute panics over not securing a place for them at the end of their year 2.
Can I prepare my child or should I employ a tutor?
There is no absolute ‘right way’ to prepare your child for the 7 plus entrance exam.
There are, however, various ‘wrong ways’ and so it’s worth speaking to a tutor to assess your plans to see whether they will fully prepare your child for the specific schools you’re considering.
Many parents will use a tutor, but there are also parents who work with their children at home.
There are plenty of materials available on the market, should you decide to work with your child, however, you’ll need to keep to a strict agenda and timetable to ensure you’ve covered all the necessary components by the time they take their entrance exams.
Contact us
If you would like a free and without obligation discussion as regards your concerns about your child’s preparation for entrance exams please complete our enquiry form and we’ll call you back.
Alternatively, if you’d like to book a call with one of us you can do so here.