Boarding school entry at 13+ and 16+ follows two distinct routes: 13+ candidates join Year 9, usually through ISEB Pre-Tests followed by Common Entrance or school-set papers, whilst 16+ candidates join the sixth form through school-set assessments, interviews and offers that depend on GCSE results. Many schools also take pupils at 11+ and keep occasional places in other years, so each school's own admissions page decides which entry points exist and which tests it asks for.
Families overseas usually follow the same routes, often adding an English and reasoning assessment such as UKiset where a school requests it. Registration timing varies by school, and Malvern College, for one, encourages families to register 12 to 18 months before the proposed entry term, so an early conversation with the admissions office tends to widen the choices available.
What are the main entry points to UK boarding schools?
The main entry points are Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and the sixth form (16+), with occasional places in other years where a school has a vacancy. ISEB describes Common Entrance as an assessment used at 11+ and at 13+, with pupils sitting English, Maths and Science in Year 6 at 11+ and a wider set of papers at 13+.
Radley College shows how one school describes this on its own pages: boys join in Year 9 at 13+, a smaller group joins the sixth form at 16+, and occasional places are offered in Year 10. Other schools list different combinations, so the entry points on the school's admissions page are the ones that apply to your application.
How does 13+ entry work?
Entry at 13+ is for Year 9 and usually combines ISEB Pre-Tests with either Common Entrance or school-set papers, depending on what the senior school asks for. The Pre-Tests are online, multiple-choice tests taken on a computer in English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, with results sent to the senior schools. Parents register their child through the ISEB Guardian Portal, and the tests are taken at an invigilation centre.
Common Entrance is a set of paper-based exams, and ISEB advises that a pupil should only be entered once a senior school has offered a place subject to passing them. English, Mathematics and Science are the core subjects, and schools may add languages, humanities or classics papers. Radley states that it does not require Common Entrance and asks every boy to sit an end-of-Year 8 assessment, which may be Common Entrance or the school's own papers.
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A child's current independent prep or junior school usually registers them for Common Entrance, according to ISEB. Families whose school does not offer the exam, or whose child attends a state school, may need to register directly through the ISEB website, agreeing an exam centre with the current school beforehand.
The scholarship papers are called CASE (Common Academic Scholarship Examination), and ISEB says candidates are typically registered by the senior school they are applying to. Sixth-form scholarships are covered in our separate sixth-form scholarships guide.
How does 16+ entry work?
Entry at 16+ is for the sixth form and is decided by each school's own assessments, interviews and references, with offers that depend on GCSE results. Malvern College asks applicants to take an online CAT4 test and an English test (the Oxford Placement Test), followed by an interview with a member of academic staff. Winchester College assesses applicants through references, school reports, a personal statement, a CV and General Ability Testing, then invites shortlisted candidates to interviews and further papers.
Both schools state that places are conditional on GCSE results, and Winchester confirms places once those results arrive. The subjects a student plans to study at A-Level often shape the conditions, so the school's admissions page gives the exact requirements for each subject. Students aiming for Oxbridge or other competitive UCAS courses may ask each school how its sixth form supports applications.
How do international applicants apply?
International applicants usually apply to the same entry points and take the assessments each school sets, and some schools ask for UKiset. UKiset is an adaptive online entry test in English that assesses vocabulary, mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and wider English skills, and it reports English level as a CEFR rating through the Cambridge English Linguaskill test. Its own site says some schools run further tests or interviews after reviewing the UKiset profile.
Schools also set their own conditions for overseas families. Radley, for example, asks that boys whose parents live outside the UK have an Educational Guardian who lives full time in the UK, and Malvern asks applicants who do not follow GCSEs to show academic proficiency in their chosen subjects. Visa questions belong with gov.uk, which explains that a Child Student visa application needs an unconditional offer from a licensed Child Student sponsor.
How can you find late or occasional places?
The most reliable way to find a late or occasional place is to contact the admissions office of each school you are considering and ask which year groups may have vacancies. Radley, for instance, states that it offers occasional places in Year 10 and asks families to contact its Admissions Office. Winchester tells applicants who miss its 16+ registration deadline to use its Registrar's Route or contact Admissions.
Waiting lists are worth asking about at the same time. Radley says it reviews its waiting lists regularly through Years 7 and 8, notes there is always movement, and encourages parents to stay in touch. Practice differs between schools, so the page of each school, and a direct reply from its admissions team, tells you how its list works.
When should you register?
Registering as early as the school allows is the usual advice, because schools set their own timetables. Malvern College encourages families to register 12 to 18 months before the proposed entry term at 16+, citing high demand. Radley places boys registered before their fourth birthday on its Radley List and treats later enquiries as Open Entry, which shows that some schools reward very early registration.
For 13+, the senior school tells parents which exam to take and when, and ISEB confirms that Pre-Tests registration runs through its Guardian Portal. Checking the registration steps on each school's admissions page, then contacting the admissions office if anything is unclear, keeps every deadline visible.
How do you compare entry points for a child?
Comparing entry points means weighing the child's current school, the shortlisted schools' routes and the stage at which a move suits the family. A child already at a prep school that registers pupils for Common Entrance may find 13+ the natural route, whilst a student finishing GCSEs may prefer a sixth-form move where the school offers the A-Level subjects they want. A tutor can help the student practise and prepare for the assessments a school sets.
Questions worth putting to each admissions office:
- Which entry points does the school offer, and does it accept occasional places in other years?
- Which assessments does it use at that stage, and does it require Pre-Tests, Common Entrance, UKiset or its own papers?
- Are offers conditional on exam results, and where are the conditions published?
- How does its waiting list work, and when should we register?
Related guides
- UKiset tutors
- 16+ entrance exam tutors
- 13+ Common Entrance tutors
- 13+ and Common Entrance explained
- Sixth form tutors
- Boarding schools in the UK
- Is boarding school right for your child?
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Frequently asked questions
- What age do children usually start at boarding school in the UK?
- Many UK boarding schools take pupils at 11+ into Year 7, at 13+ into Year 9 and at 16+ into the sixth form, with occasional places in other years where a vacancy arises. The entry points differ between schools, so the admissions page of each school you are considering lists the years it accepts and the process for each.
- How do you get into boarding school at 13+?
- Most 13+ routes start with registering with the senior school, followed by ISEB Pre-Tests and then Common Entrance or the school's own papers. ISEB says a pupil should only be entered for Common Entrance once a senior school has offered a place subject to passing it. The school's admissions team tells you which assessments it requires.
- What do boarding schools look for at 16+?
- Sixth-form entry at 16+ is based on each school's own assessments, which can include online tests, interviews, references, school reports and subject papers. Offers are usually conditional on GCSE results, and the conditions often depend on the A-Level subjects a student plans to take. Each school publishes its own conditions on its admissions page.
- Do international students need UKiset for UK boarding schools?
- Some schools ask international applicants for UKiset, an adaptive online English entry test that reports an English level as a CEFR rating, whilst other schools use their own assessments. The requirement is set by each school, so the school's admissions page decides. For visa questions, gov.uk is the official source.
- Can a child join a UK boarding school outside the usual entry years?
- Occasional places sometimes arise in other years, and the way to find them is to contact the school's admissions office and ask about vacancies and waiting lists. Radley, for example, offers occasional places in Year 10 and reviews its waiting lists regularly. Practice differs between schools, so ask each one directly.
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