Scholarship Exam Tutors for 11+, 13+ and 16+

Scholarship exam tutors for 11+, 13+ and 16+ prepare a candidate for the academic papers and interviews that independent schools set alongside or after entrance assessment. Each school runs its own process, so one candidate may sit English, mathematics and science, whilst another adds languages, humanities and two interviews. A tutor can work from the papers the target schools actually use, and the school's admissions page settles which those are.

The route changes with age. At 11+ the ISEB Common Pre Tests are the usual online gateway, at 13+ the ISEB CASE series and school papers such as Winchester's Election apply, and at 16+ schools set their own sixth form arrangements. Knowing which of these a target school uses is the first step, and it shapes every later decision about subjects, timing and practice material.

How academic scholarship exams differ between schools

Each school sets its own scholarship process, so the first step is its admissions page. Rugby School describes a Scholarship Examination at 13+, whilst Winchester College calls its 13+ academic scholarship examination Election. Papers, subjects and interview formats vary, so a candidate sitting more than one school's papers needs to check each separately.

The ISEB, which runs Common Entrance, describes CASE as extra to Common Entrance, taken in all or only some subjects and designed to help schools award scholarships on academic ability and potential. Many schools also offer music, drama and sport awards beside the academic route. A tutor can turn these differences into one plan.

What ISEB CASE covers for 13+ scholarship candidates

CASE at 13+ comprises scholarship assessments in English, mathematics, science, history, geography, theology philosophy and religion, French and Latin, as listed in ISEB's CASE information for schools. The questions are based on the ISEB Common Entrance at 13+ specifications, and the mathematics papers reuse some question styles from the Common Entrance papers.

Senior schools enter candidates for the papers they choose, mark them, and usually host the sittings. Past papers and a mathematics specimen paper with mark scheme are available, which gives a tutor concrete material for practice. For the wider route, see 13+ Common Entrance tutors and the guide to 13+ academic scholarships.

How Winchester College Election is structured

Election is the 13+ academic scholarship examination, and it combines written papers with interviews, as Winchester's academic scholarships page explains. The compulsory papers are English, Mathematics 1, Science and General Paper 1, the last a multiple choice logical reasoning test.

Candidates then choose optional papers from Latin, French, Greek, History, Geography, Mathematics 2 and General Paper 2, and those taught French, Greek or Latin are expected to sit at least one language. The French assessment includes a spoken component. Each candidate has two separate interviews, one with the Master in College and one with a member of the Academic Senior Leadership Team.

Specimen papers aligned with KS3 are published, so a tutor can work from the style of question.

How St Paul's scholarship papers work at 13+

External 13+ candidates sit the scholarship examinations after accepting an unconditional Main List offer, so scholarship follows entry assessment, as St Paul's academic scholarships page sets out. The papers are English, History, Geography, Latin, French, Theology and Philosophy, Mathematics and Science, with Greek optional.

Pupils at St Paul's Prep School receive 13+ scholarships on Year 8 end of year exams in place of a separate sitting, and no new academic scholarships are awarded at 16+. The school's admissions overview lists entry at 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ together with separate pages for art, music and sports awards. Preparation for this route usually puts the entry assessment first and the scholarship papers second.

Scholarship preparation at 11+ and the ISEB Common Pre Tests

The Common Pre Tests are four online multiple choice adaptive tests covering English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and nonverbal reasoning, with age standardised results, according to ISEB's Common Pre Tests page for families. Most pupils sit them in Year 6 for 11+ entry, and one sitting can be shared with every senior school that requires it. Some schools, such as Eton and Harrow, use them for delayed Year 9 entry.

Common Entrance at 11+ covers English, mathematics and science, and tends to be used more often by girls' schools. Scholarship preparation at this age usually builds on 11+ entrance exam tutors and the guide to 11+ academic scholarships, with a tutor setting timed reasoning and reading practice.

Scholarship exams at 16+ for sixth form entry

Winchester's admissions page lists entry at 11+ through The Pilgrims' School, at 13+ in Year 9 and at 16+ into the Sixth Form, alongside separate academic, music and sport awards. Founder's Scholarships are offered at both 13+ and 16+, whilst Scholars and Exhibitioners join at 13+.

Because St Paul's awards no new academic scholarships at 16+, the picture varies by school, and each target school's published criteria decide which papers matter. A tutor can prepare subject papers and interview discussion once those are known. See 16+ entrance exam tutors and the guide to sixth form scholarships and bursaries.

Skills that scholarship exam preparation builds

Scholarship papers often ask for deeper mathematical reasoning, extended writing in English and, in languages, spoken ability, so a tutor starts by diagnosing from the candidate's own work. A short set of past questions shows whether a mistake comes from missing knowledge, a misread question or pacing, and sessions then target that cause with practice in the same question style.

Where a school interviews candidates, sessions rehearse discussing reading, interests and ideas, as the guide to scholarship interviews at 11+ and 13+ describes. Timed answers then receive feedback, so the candidate sees how to tighten an argument or show working more clearly.

How scholarship exam preparation is sequenced

Preparation usually works backwards from the date each target school sets, so the first task is confirming which papers, subjects and interview formats the school uses. A diagnostic across those subjects gives a starting point, and topic teaching follows for the gaps it shows.

Practice in the question styles comes next, then timed papers that test whether methods hold under exam conditions. Candidates who also sit entrance papers often prepare for both together, since scholarship papers draw on the same core subjects. The scholarship exam preparation guide covers this sequence in more detail.

Before starting, check with the school which papers are optional and which specimen papers are published.

Booking a scholarship exam tutor for 11+, 13+ or 16+

Placement begins with an introductory session, after which a re-match is free if the tutor does not suit the candidate. Lessons are delivered online to families anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London, and the family receives progress reports once lessons are under way, plus a named contact for questions.

Prices start at £50 per 50-minute session, depending on the subject and the tutor's level, and the tuition fees and pricing information lists current arrangements. Every tutor working with children holds an enhanced DBS check, and the majority are also registered with the DBS Update Service. Families book by submitting the enquiry form with the candidate's age and target schools, and Taylor Tuition then responds with recommendations of suitable tutors.

Related guides

Related reading: scholarships and bursaries at leading independent schools.

Related reading: King’s Scholarships and the Election at Eton, Westminster and Winchester.

To discuss a match, find a scholarship exam tutor and include the candidate’s age and target schools in your enquiry.