London-based 13 Plus (13+) Exam Tutors
At Athena Tuition, we work with top-end 13 Plus (13+) Exam Tutors who have a brilliant track record supporting children with their 13+ assessment preparation.
What is the 13+ assessment?
13+ assessments are secondary school admissions examinations used by mostly private boys’ schools in order to determine their Year 9 intake the following year. Private secondary entrance exams are often called ‘Common Entrance’. These assessments are in stages, usually sat between Year 6 (ages 10-11) and Year 8 (ages 12-13). The exams are pitched at Key Stage 3 level.
On top of the standard 13+ admissions route, many private schools offer academic scholarship examinations, which are more stretching assessments used to separate out the most able applicants. Students ranking highly in these exams will gain scholarships which usually involves some financial award or school fee discount, and they may have slightly different duties / expectations within the school. More information can be found here.
Is the 13+ the same as the 11+?
There are similarities to 11+, such as an assessment of Maths and English skills, and an interview stage, but the 13+ exams can be more broad, often assessing subjects like Science and Humanities. Some schools place an emphasis on elements like creative writing or critical thinking to gauge educational potential.
Unlike with 11+, 13+ isn’t a typical admissions route for grammar schools, so 13+ is exclusively a private school admissions pathway.
The precise admissions journey does vary based on the school, so we strongly recommend you double-check your target schools’ websites and ideally speak to admissions to have as detailed an idea of what hurdles your child will face.
Our private tutors can provide information with respect to the different processes of schools, too.
What is the process?
Most secondary schools will have an ISEB Pre-test as the first round, to be sat in Year 6. Candidates successful here may then be invited to sit another, more specific school entrance exam. At this stage, unconditional or provisional/conditional offers can be issued, the latter of which would require a 13+ assessment round in Year 8.
Many schools will offer the opportunity to opt into additional papers, such as scholarship assessments, which are typically sat in Year 8. These scholarships can be academic or extracurricular. Scholarships are awarded according to merit, and ‘bursary scholarships’ are means-tested, offering more significant fee discounts (up to 100%).
How can we help?
At Athena Tuition, we interview, vet, and track each of our experienced tutors, so we can find the most ideal match for your child. Our tutors are able to help with the admissions process to all top schools, including:
- Content teaching – Our 13+ tutors cover the full range of subjects required, ensuring that even the most complex concepts on the syllabus are understood. Typically, one tutor covers all components, however, it is possible to have English tuition, Maths tuition, and Science tuition separated between more than one tutor, if a multi-tutor package is preferred. There are pros and cons to both strategies here. Feel free to discuss with us!
- Exam technique – This is about being able to deploy the content knowledge your child has in order to get the best scores possible on the day. This will involve high resolution study and practice of exam papers for your child’s first-choice school as well as those of other schools of a similar standard; more practice is better!. Our tutors will share details on exam conditions and format, and expose students to the wide range of possible question types.
- Interview preparation – A key part of the assessment is the entrance interview, and so our tutors ensure that interview practice is built into tutoring sessions as the interview approaches. Building academic confidence and familiarity with the interview environment is the key here.
- Work scheduling and routine – Time management is vital. Our professional tutors work with parents to ensure tutoring sessions and personal learning are well-planned out. By sticking to these strategies, students will progress at the optimum rate, putting themselves in the best position to see success in their exams.
One of our experienced tutors:
Ameet
Reports
For more information about our process, please visit our How it Works page.
When should I start 13+ tutoring?
Get in touch!
Please fill out the contact form below to make an enquiry or call us on 0208 133 6284 to speak to our friendly team, who can arrange your tutoring or answer any questions.
Resources
If you’d like to learn more about the 11+, please read our 11+ Tutors page next.
- Preparation is key. Start thinking about the exams at least 12 months in advice.
- Complete practice papers to get in the mindset for the true assessment.
- Consider reading and writing exercises. A good comprehension of the English language is vital for the final assessment.
- Look into publications for your target school. These provide insight into the type of school it is, and may also provide useful insights for the exam.
- Lean on your tutor for support. Athena only works with the most accomplished tutors with adaptable teaching styles to help with 13 plus assessment revision and planning.