The Common Entrance Examinations (A bit more info)
The Common Entrance examinations are used for assessing boys and girls who transfer to senior schools at the ages of 11+ and 13+. The syllabuses are devised and regularly monitored by the Independent Schools Examinations Board, comprising of representatives from the Headmasters' Conference, the Girls' Schools Association and the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools.
The papers are set by examiners appointed by the Board, but the answers are marked by the senior school for which a candidate is entered. Candidates may normally be entered only if:
• they have been offered a place at a senior school subject to their passing the examination, or
• they are entered for a trial run, in which case the papers are corrected by the junior school concerned
Where candidates are at schools in membership of the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools and at certain other schools and tutorial centres regularly entering candidates, they are entered by their school for the examination on a form provided automatically by the Administrator.
Candidates are entered for the examinations according to age at entry to senior school. Examination papers are set for entry at the ages of 11+ or 13+ and candidates should take the papers for their correct age group unless otherwise arranged with the senior school.
A candidate may be registered at a second senior school. It is important that the parents have previously obtained the agreement of that school to be second choice. If a candidate fails to gain entry to the first-choice senior school, the scripts will be forwarded by that senior school to the second-choice senior school.
Subjects
All candidates take English, Mathematics and Science.
At 13+ they may offer any of the following:
French, Geography, German, Greek, History, Latin, Religious Studies and Spanish.
Queries about options should be addressed to the senior school for which the candidate is registered.
Examination dates
Papers must be taken on the dates fixed by the Board.
Head's Report
A Head's report is required; it should be sent to the senior school two weeks before the first day of the relevant examination.
Candidates with specific learning difficulties
Candidates with dyslexia or any other specific learning difficulty are allowed extra time to complete Common Entrance papers. The amount of extra time should be agreed with the senior school concerned. In addition, an appropriately qualified psychologist’s report should be sent to the senior school, updated where necessary by the school SENCO, together with the candidate’s latest IEP and the ISEB special needs report. Word processors and laptop computers may be used by candidates certified as having specific learning difficulties. In exceptional cases, a reader or an amanuensis may be used. Again, all this should be discussed with the relevant senior school. For visually-impaired candidates, the Board will arrange for enlarged or Braille copies of the examination papers to be printed; a year’s notice is required.
Further information can be obtained from The Independent Schools Examination Board
