Independent Schools With Their Own Entrance Exams

While the ISEB Common Pre-Test has become widely used across independent education because it saves schools and families from repeating near-identical tests, a considerable number of independent (private) senior schools still choose to write and administer their own entrance exams. Reasons vary: some schools want questions tailored closely to their own curriculum emphasis or academic style, some want to assess subjects or skills the Common Pre-Test doesn't cover in the depth they'd like, and some simply have a long-standing tradition of their own exam that they've kept.

It's also common for a school to use the Common Pre-Test as one part of its process and then add its own additional paper, interview or task on top, rather than choosing one approach exclusively. Because there's no single standard format across these schools, the only reliable way to know exactly what a specific school's exam involves is to check that school's own admissions materials directly, ideally including any sample papers or past papers they publish.

Bespoke entrance papers typically still test English and Maths at a level appropriate to the child's age and the school's academic standards, but the exact style, question types, and difficulty can vary considerably from school to school. Some schools favour more traditional, comprehension-and-essay style English papers; others include creative writing tasks specifically, asking children to write an imaginative or descriptive piece within a time limit. Maths papers similarly range from fairly standard curriculum-based questions to papers that include some more demanding problem-solving designed to stretch academically selective candidates.

Many independent schools, particularly those that are more academically selective, pitch their own papers somewhat above the standard Key Stage 2 national curriculum, on the assumption that children applying have often had some additional enrichment or tutoring. This isn't universal, but it's a pattern worth being aware of — a paper that looks unexpectedly hard compared with typical grammar school practice materials isn't necessarily a sign something has gone wrong; it may simply reflect that school's pitch.

Some schools also test additional subjects beyond English and Maths, particularly at the more academically selective end — general knowledge, reasoning, or in some cases a taster of a foreign language — so it's worth checking the specific subject list for each school individually.

A defining feature of many independent school admissions processes, more so than most state grammar schools, is the interview. Schools that set their own papers very often pair the written exam with a one-to-one or small-group interview, sometimes with the head teacher or head of admissions, aimed at getting a sense of the child beyond their exam performance — their interests, how they communicate, how they think on their feet, and whether they seem likely to be happy and thrive at that particular school.

Interviews are rarely about catching a child out with trick questions. They tend to cover fairly natural ground: books the child enjoys, hobbies, what they're proud of, how they'd solve a simple problem, or their thoughts on something age-appropriate and current. Preparation here is less about rehearsed answers, which can come across as stilted, and more about giving your child plenty of relaxed practice talking about their interests and opinions out loud, and making sure they're comfortable making eye contact and speaking clearly to an adult they don't know well.

Some schools also ask for a reference from the child's current school, or set a supervised creative writing task on the day in addition to the main exam, so it's worth checking the full admissions process for each school rather than assuming the written exam is the only hurdle.

Because there's no single fixed format shared across every school, preparing for a bespoke independent school paper benefits from a broader academic foundation rather than narrow drilling on one specific test style. Strong comprehension skills, a wide vocabulary, confident core maths, and the ability to write clearly and imaginatively under time pressure will serve a child well across most schools' own papers, even without knowing the exact question types in advance.

Where possible, working through the specific school's own past papers or sample questions, if they publish any, is genuinely valuable, since it's the closest thing to a reliable preview of style and difficulty for that particular school. Beyond that, general 11+ style practice across English, Maths and reasoning still builds transferable skills, since the underlying academic demands overlap significantly even where the exact paper format differs.

Don't neglect the interview and any creative writing element in favour of exam practice alone — for many independent schools, these carry real weight in the final decision, and a child who is a strong writer or an articulate, engaged interviewee can offset a merely solid (rather than outstanding) exam performance.

Skylark 11+ is built around the core English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning skills that underpin most independent school entrance exams, even where a specific school's paper has its own particular flavour. The free diagnostic identifies where your child's foundations need the most work, and the personalised plan — a full year-long plan, or an 8-week emergency option for later starters — adapts practice difficulty as your child improves.

For schools with a creative writing element, building strong general writing skills through varied comprehension and vocabulary work, which Skylark's English practice and downloadable worksheet PDFs support, gives a solid foundation, even though Skylark can't replace practising with a specific school's own past papers where those are available. Mock exams under timed conditions also help build the exam-day stamina and composure that matters just as much for a bespoke school paper as for any standardised test. All of this is available for £199 a year.