King's Scholarships and the Election: Eton, Westminster and Winchester at 13+

Eton's King's Scholarship, Westminster's King's Scholarships and Winchester's Election are the three historic 13+ academic scholarships, and none of them is a fee discount in itself: Eton's and Winchester's carry no automatic fee remission, and Westminster sets its scholars' fee at the day fee. Eton calls its award the King's Scholarship, Westminster awards scholarships through its examination, The Challenge, and Winchester's academic scholarship examination at 13+ is called Election. Means-tested bursaries can be applied for alongside each.

Westminster also awards King's Scholarships at 16+. Each school sets its own written papers, and Eton and Westminster publish past or specimen papers that a pupil at a prep or a state primary can use for practice across Year 7 and Year 8. Other schools use ISEB's CASE papers, which follow a separate route through the senior school.

What are the three historic academic scholarships at 13+?

The three are Eton's King's Scholarship, Westminster's King's Scholarships awarded through The Challenge, and Winchester's Election to College. Eton's scholarships are usually tenable for five years. Westminster awards its scholarships on academic merit, they are not means-tested, and at 13+ they come through The Challenge, the school's scholarship examination. Winchester's academic scholarship examination at 13+ is called Election; it involves written examinations and interviews and is taken instead of the Winchester entrance exam. Pupils who succeed become Scholars or Exhibitioners.

Who can apply, and how do you apply?

At Eton a candidate must be aged 13 on 1 September of the year of entry, with an exception for August-born boys whose deferral Eton has agreed, and a Westminster 13+ candidate must be under 14 on that date. Those two age rules show whether a Year 6 or Year 7 pupil is aiming at the right entry year, so the date of birth is the first thing to check.

Applications to Eton go to Admissions by the date in the current Prospectus, and the Prospectus is the place to note that date. Westminster's application form is returned in Year 8 and must be countersigned by the child's current head teacher, which makes an early conversation with the school a practical step. For Winchester, take the Election entry steps directly from the school's scholarship page.

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What are the papers at each school?

Each school combines compulsory subject papers with a General paper, and each adds its own choices on top. Eton's examinations are held in late April or early May of Year 8, for entry that September, which sets the timetable for everything a family does in Year 7. The papers at each school are these:

Eton describes its examination as intentionally very demanding, and its General papers allow candidates who may have received limited tuition to demonstrate their potential. Winchester's General Paper I is a multiple-choice logical reasoning test, a format worth practising early. Westminster's specialism choices decide which written, practical or oral elements a candidate meets, so the choice shapes the preparation as well as the result.

• Eton: compulsory English A, English B, Mathematics A, Science and General I, plus at least three optional papers from French, Latin, Greek, Mathematics B, General II and History-Geography-Divinity; candidates are assessed on the compulsory papers and their best three optional papers.
• Westminster: seven core papers in English, French, General, Geography and History, Latin, Mathematics and Science, with a Linguistics and Language paper for candidates who have no French and/or Latin, plus no more than two chosen specialism subjects such as two drama monologues, an art or science practical, a French oral, a Greek paper, an inter-disciplinary humanities paper, or supplementary maths and English papers.
• Winchester: English, Mathematics I, Science and General Paper I for every candidate, with independent-school candidates also taking at least three alternative papers from Latin, French, Greek, History, Geography and Mathematics II.

How do means-tested bursaries combine with each scholarship?

At all three schools a family can apply for a means-tested bursary alongside the scholarship. Eton's bursaries are means-tested and range up to full fees; Eton does not publish income guidance and assesses each case individually, so a family wanting an indication needs to ask the school directly. At Westminster, a means-tested bursary of up to 100% of fees may supplement the scholarship. At Winchester, families of Scholars or Exhibitioners may apply for a means-tested bursary, so a family needing fee support has a second application to plan alongside the papers.

Do scholars have to board in College?

Yes, scholars at Eton, Westminster and Winchester board in College, which at Eton is College House, a house of their own. Westminster's scholars are required to board and all belong to College, one of the school's six boarding houses, and Winchester's Scholars hold the award only in College, where they board and wear gowns. Winchester's Exhibitioners join a boarding house other than College, which is the one Election outcome that does not involve College. A family should confirm that boarding suits the pupil before committing to the papers.

How does this route compare with Common Entrance and ISEB CASE papers?

Eton, Westminster and Winchester each set their own scholarship papers, whereas ISEB, the Independent Schools Examinations Board, provides Common Academic Scholarship Examination (CASE) papers at 13+ for other schools. CASE assessments are available in English, mathematics, science, history, geography, theology philosophy and religion, French and Latin, and that list names no General paper, which each of the three schools above includes.

Pupils sitting CASE are entered by the senior schools they have applied to and usually sit the exam at the senior school. Common Entrance appears in the Eton route as a safeguard: a boy holding a conditional place who does not win a place in College is guaranteed entry with a satisfactory performance, and one who performs poorly may be required to take Common Entrance.

How should a Year 7 or Year 8 pupil prepare?

A pupil prepares by working through the papers each school publishes and by choosing optional papers early. Eton publishes past papers on its scholarship page, and Westminster publishes syllabus guidance and specimen papers for The Challenge on its website. Prep and state-school pupils can use the same published papers across Year 7 and Year 8, and for Winchester the family should check the school's scholarship page for what is published.

• Early in Year 7, read Westminster's syllabus guidance or Eton's past papers to see what each subject covers.
• Choose optional papers or specialism subjects from the lists above by matching them to subjects the pupil already studies, such as Latin, French or Greek.
• Work through one past or specimen paper at a time and ask a teacher to mark it.
• Practise any practical or oral specialism, such as the art or science practical, the French oral or the drama monologues, in the format the paper uses.
• Through Year 8, repeat past or specimen papers in the chosen subjects, building towards the examination.

For one-to-one preparation built around the published past and specimen papers, read about our scholarship exam preparation, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.

How do you decide whether to attempt a 13+ academic scholarship?

The decision rests on whether the pupil is ready for the papers, whether the family accepts boarding in College, and what follows at Eton if a scholarship is not won. A boy at Eton without a conditional place who does not win a scholarship is not offered a place, whereas a boy holding a conditional place has the safeguard described above. Westminster advises parents considering The Challenge to discuss it with the child's current head teacher, and that conversation is a sensible first step for the other two schools as well.

• Ask the current head teacher whether the pupil's work in English, mathematics, science and languages suits the papers.
• Read the past or specimen papers together and note which optional papers fit.
• Ask each school about a means-tested bursary before the application is made.
• Confirm with the pupil that boarding in College is acceptable.

Related guides

• 13+ Common Entrance tutors
• scholarship exam preparation
• 13+ academic scholarships
• Scholarship interviews at 11+ and 13+
• Scholarships and bursaries at leading independent schools
• Eton College 13+ admissions
• Westminster School 13+ admissions
• Winchester College admissions
• 13+ pre-tests and Common Entrance explained

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