London-based 13 Plus (13+) Exam Tutors

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. 

Our experienced tutors are specialists in entrance exam preparation, offering support for the full range of elements that are found in the 13+ syllabus. Many of our tutors are qualified teachers or full-time private tutors, and can accommodate all learning styles to help children make progress towards tackling their assessments at the highest level.

We can provide both in-person and online tutoring.

Get in touch to speak to a 13+ Exam Tutor today.

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’.

Is 13+ the same as 11+?

There are similarities to 11+, such as an assessment of Maths and English skills, but at 13+, there is usually also a Science component. Private schools tend to host interviews as a later assessment stage at both the 11+ and 13+ levels. Some schools place an emphasis on elements like creative writing or critical thinking to gauge educational potential.

The precise admissions journey does vary based on the school, so we strongly recommend you double-check your target schools’ websites in order to be sure of the process 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%).

Some private schools do offer more atypical admissions pathways for a small number of places, such as 14+ admissions, which is for entry into Year 10.

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:  

• Eton College
• Tonbridge School
• Sevenoaks School
• St Paul’s School
• Harrow
• Westminster 

…and many more.

Tuition will involve:

1. 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!
2. 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. 
3. 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.
4. 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.

13+ tuition is most commonly in person, but we can provide online tutoring support, too.

Our team is available to talk throughout the tutoring process. Please get in touch if you have any queries.

Reports

Please speak to your tutor about the preferred method of reporting. Reports can be delivered weekly or monthly, depending on your requirements.

For more information about our process, please visit our How it Works page.

When should I start 13+ tutoring?

This depends on several factors, including:

• The target school
• Your child’s current level
• How consistent they are with their homework between lessons
• Tuition frequency
• How engaged the parents/guardians are in the process

13+ can be quite a long process when factoring in the ISEB Common pre-tests sat in Year 6, so commencing tuition in Year 5 is quite standard and allows for a less intensive approach. 

If in doubt, please err on the side of caution and get in touch sooner rather than later to discuss in-person or online tuition.

Top private tutors are often busy and so may not have lots of availability the moment you call. Getting in touch a few months ahead of when you are looking to commence is the best way to guarantee convenient session times with your first-choice tutor.

Please feel free to give us a call, and we can discuss recommendations for you based on the nuances of your situation. 

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

Past Paper Archive

13+ Science

13+ Mathematics

13+ English

If you’d like to learn more about the 11+, please read our 11+ Tutors page next.