King's Ely 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ Admissions: Online Tests, Interviews and Scholarships

King's Ely admissions run through an online assessment, a school report and an interview at 7+, 11+ and 13+, with entry at 16+ decided by GCSE grades and an interview. Prep applicants sit INCAS (Years 3 to 6) or QUEST (Years 7 and 8), and Year 9 applicants sit QUEST in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English, plus a short written task.

Places are awarded after a successful assessment in the order that registrations were received, so registering early matters as much as the result. The sections below set out each entry point, the format of each test, the sequence from registration to deposit, scholarships and bursaries, and fees.

Entry points and places

The school admits pupils into most year groups, subject to availability and assessment outcomes, and the most popular entry points are Nursery, Reception, Year 3, Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form. From age 7 upwards that means Year 3 (7+) and Year 7 (11+) in the Prep school, Year 9 (13+) in the Senior school and Year 12 (16+) in the Sixth Form.

No numbers of places or forms of entry are published for any year group. Demand often exceeds places at Year 9, Year 10 places are limited and usually reserved for boarders, and Year 11 entry is considered only in unusual circumstances.

• Prep: any year from Year 3 to Year 8, with Year 7 the busiest
• Senior: Year 9 is the most popular entry point
• Sixth Form: Year 12, subject to space and chosen A-level courses
• Mid-year starts are sometimes possible, subject to availability

How the 13+ assessment works

The Year 9 assessment is an online test on the QUEST platform covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English, followed by a short written task. It takes place on a Saturday Assessment Morning in the January before entry, and the same morning includes an interview with a member of the Senior School Leadership Team.

Candidates can use a laptop for the written task if this is arranged in advance, and they do not need to be fluent touch-typists. Extra time can be accommodated when written evidence from the current school is supplied. The school does not publish the length of each component.

Pupils moving up from Prep Year 8 to Senior Year 9 are assessed continually and do not sit a formal entry test.

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How the 7+ and 11+ assessments work

Every registered Prep applicant is invited to an Assessment Day in the Lent term before September entry, and the tests are online. Years 3 to 6 sit INCAS, while Years 7 and 8 sit QUEST, and both cover maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.

Years 3 to 6 and Year 8 are assessed during the school week, whereas Year 7 is assessed on a Saturday morning. Children registered by the autumn deadline are also invited to a Taster Session in the November before the January assessments, and further Assessment Days are scheduled through the year for late applicants.

Registration and the admissions timeline

Registration is by Registration Form and registration fee, and registering by the end of October in the autumn before entry places a child on the New Year assessment list. Registrations are accepted throughout the year, subject to space in each year group.

• Complete and return the Registration Form with the registration fee, stating at this point any need for bursary support
• The Admissions Team requests the current school's report and a reference after registration, so it helps to tell the school first
• Attend the Taster Session (Prep) and the Assessment Day or Assessment Morning in the January before entry
• Receive the offer letter by post a few weeks after the assessments; offers depend on the assessment result, the school report and interview feedback
• Return the signed Acceptance Form by the stated date, which the school says is not normally extended, together with the acceptance deposit within fourteen days of the offer letter
• Waiting-list candidates are emailed when a place opens, though their position is not disclosed

Interviews and references

Every route into the school includes an interview. Prep applicants meet the Headmaster on the Assessment Day, Year 9 applicants meet a member of the Senior School Leadership Team on the Assessment Morning, and Year 12 applicants meet the Head of King's Ely Senior, the Vice Principal Academic or the Principal.

The Admissions Team requests a report from the current school before the assessment, and a reference is requested after registration. Interview feedback is weighed alongside the test result and the report in the offer decision. Year 12 applicants also have predicted grades and a student reference requested from their current school.

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships are offered only for entry into Year 9 and Year 12, and none are available for Year 7 or below. Year 9 awards cover academic, STEM, music, art, dance, drama and sport, and Year 12 awards also include organ and choral. Each is worth up to 10% of the day tuition fee, the combined value cannot exceed that figure, and a candidate may apply for a maximum of two.

Applicants complete a separate form for each subject, countersigned by the current school, and attend a subject assessment, with guidance and exemplar papers published for each. Awards are reviewed yearly for satisfactory performance and behaviour.

Means-tested bursaries are considered by the Bursaries Committee, with applications accepted from Year 7 upwards in the Prep school and Year 9 upwards in the Senior school. Need must be stated at registration. Chorister and Choral Awards can reach 100% of the day or boarding fee.

Sixth form entry requirements

Entry to Year 12 requires six GCSEs at Grade 5 or above, with at least four at Grade 6 or above, and a Grade 7 is recommended as a minimum for Maths or Science A-levels. Students sitting British GCSEs take no formal assessment, and all registered applicants are invited to interview.

Offers follow the interview and depend on GCSE results and A-level course availability. Students who narrowly miss the criteria are invited to a discussion with the Head of the Senior School or the Vice Principal Academic. Non-British curriculum applicants sit English and Maths assessments that can be taken remotely.

Fees and what they include

Fees are published termly on the school's Fees and Charges page, which links a PDF for UK-domiciled pupils and a separate one for international pupils. Day fees include lunch, compulsory year-group trips, basic stationery and textbooks up to Year 11, and standard GCSE examination fees, while boarders also have breakfast and an evening meal.

Extras include A-level examination fees, elective trips, visiting music lessons, one-to-one Learning Support and home-school minibus use. A non-refundable registration fee is paid at registration and a deposit is held until the pupil leaves. Overseas families also pay an additional deposit equal to one term's fees, and a full term's written notice is required to withdraw.

How to prepare

Preparation is most useful when it matches the online format, so children benefit from practice on a screen with verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English questions pitched at their own year group. For Year 9, a short piece of typed writing under time helps with the written task, and candidates who plan to use a laptop should arrange it beforehand.

For the interview, children usually do well when they can talk about their interests and current school life in their own words. Contacting the current school early, before registering, means the report and reference are ready for the Admissions Team. Scholarship candidates can work through the published guidance and exemplar papers for their chosen subject.

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Preparing for the King's Ely 13+ with Taylor Tuition

The King's Ely 13+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.

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Read more about our 13+ Common Entrance tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.