Ask any parent navigating UK independent school admissions and you’ll hear the same question: is my child doing the 11+ or the 13+ Common Entrance? The two routes look similar from the outside — both are entrance exams, both lead to a senior school place — but they differ in timing, content and the kind of preparation that actually helps.
What is the 11+?
The 11+ is sat in Year 6, usually in the autumn or winter before a September entry at age 11. It’s the main route for children moving from a state primary or a junior school straight into senior school, and it’s also used by many independent day schools and grammar schools. Formats vary by region and consortium, but most 11+ papers test verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and Maths, often under the GL Assessment or ISEB pre-test styles.
What is 13+ Common Entrance?
13+ Common Entrance is sat in Year 8, typically after two or three years at a preparatory school, for entry into senior school at 13. It’s set by ISEB and covers a broader spread of subjects — English, Maths and Science are compulsory, with options like French, Latin, Geography, History or Religious Studies depending on what the receiving school asks for. This is the traditional route for children already on a prep-school pathway toward HMC independent schools.
Which route is right for your child?
The honest answer is that it usually isn’t a choice you make in isolation — it follows from where your child is already at school and which senior schools you have in mind. A child at a state primary heading toward a day school will almost always sit the 11+. A child at a traditional prep school aiming for a boarding or HMC senior school will usually be on the 13+ Common Entrance track. Where there’s genuine flexibility, it’s worth thinking about your child’s temperament too: some children do better with the shorter run-up of the 11+, while others benefit from the extra two years of maturity and subject depth that the 13+ route allows.
How tutoring helps either way
- Tailored preparation for the specific exam board and format your child’s target schools actually use
- Filling gaps left by a compressed prep timetable, especially in verbal and non-verbal reasoning for the 11+
- Practice papers and past questions under timed, exam-realistic conditions
- Interview preparation and confidence-building, which matters just as much as the written papers
Whichever route your child is on, starting preparation early and focusing on the right exam format makes a real difference. Our Common Entrance and 11+ tutors work with families throughout the process — meet the team or get in touch to talk through which route fits your child.
