London-based 7 Plus (7+) Exam Tutors

What is the 7+?

The 7+ is the set of exams children take to gain admission to selective private prep schools. These schools start in Year 3 when the student is 7-8 years old (hence “7 plus” refers to the age of the students joining the new school), and go up to Year 6 or 8.

When does my child need to sit 7+ exams?

The exams are sat in Year 2, usually in Michaelmas term (September to December) or early Lent term (January to March), for entry into Year 3 of the new school the following September.

What does the assessment consist of?

The 7+ consists, usually, of English (comprehension and creative writing), Maths and sometimes Reasoning tests, followed by interviews and/or group assessments. Typically only children who perform well in the assessment papers get invited to the interview or group assessment stage.

The written papers include material from the top of the Key Stage 1 curriculum and and the some of Key Stage 2 material. They are normally taken at the target schools and take a friendly format (as is appropriate for the age group) with breaks for snacks, brief recreation and to use the toilet.

Group assessments also check children’s socialisation and inter-personal skills. Interviews are typically with a member of the senior admissions team and are a chance for them to get a feel for the child’s personality, hobbies and eloquence. Some schools conduct their interviews in a 1-1 setting, whereas others have group interviews.

As touched on above, the admissions pathways do vary from school to school so do make sure you have read the target schools’ websites and ideally also email them for any further information to give you the best understanding of what your child will face. Our specialist 7+ tutors are very knowledgeable regarding the nuances of the admissions processes and of the standard required by each school, so can provide valuable guidance.

How do I know if my child needs to sit a 7+ exam?

Below is a list of private schools currently using 7+ assessments:

To note: sitting 7+ examinations does not preclude a child’s ability to sit 8+ examinations a year later, should they not be successful at 7+ admission

How does our 7+ tuition work?

Our admissions tutors are interviewed, vetted and tracked, and so we aim to achieve high-quality tutor-student matches first time.

We offer support for the full range of elements:

Many of our tutors are full-time private tutors or have experience being a primary school teacher.

Tuition will involve a mixture of:

Content teaching – The focus of this is to ensure your child has all the academic raw materials needed to be able to answer all the exam questions.
Exam preparation – This is about being able to deploy the knowledge your child has accumulated to maximise the exam scores on the day. This involves familiarisation of the exam format, getting used to working under time pressure, and exposing your child to all the various question types. The goal is to minimise the chance your child is derailed by a curve-ball question on the day, and to have strategies in place so if there are unexpected questions, your child can take it in his/her stride!
Interview preparation – Most children aren’t used to an interview setting at this age, so getting them exposed to this scenario reduces the chance they feel out of their comfort zone on the day. The more relaxed they can feel, the more fluidly they’ll be able to converse. Please note, we don’t rehearse answers with students as this comes across as fake and assessors can very easily see through it. It is about practising the process.
Work scheduling and routine – our tutors can work with parents to devise an appropriate strategy and timetable. Please note:
- The more consistent the student is with his/her practice between classes, the faster the rate of progress will be.
- Having an active awareness of areas of weakness and bringing these up in the next class can enable these problem areas to be troubleshot before moving onto new areas, leaving no loose ends.
- Regular routine that is reliably stuck to can enable children to work more effectively.

In-Person and Online Tuition

Tutoring sessions are most commonly in person for 7+ prep school admissions, due to the age and maturity of the children, but we can provide online tuition, too.

We are available for the duration of the tuition in order to assist with any queries or concerns you may have.

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

Reports

We recommend discussing reports at the start of the collaboration to get everyone on the same page. Reports can be verbal or can be written and sent out after each lesson or monthly; whatever is preferred.

When should I start 7+ tutoring?

This depends on several factors, including:

The target school
Your child’s starting level
How consistent they are with practice between lessons
Session frequency
How engaged the parents/guardians are in the process

Commencing tuition 12–18 months before the school entrance exams are to be sat 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 things. Experienced tutors with the best track records are often busy and may not have lots of availability the moment you call, so getting in touch a few months ahead of when you are looking to commence can be the best way to guarantee sessions 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.

One of our experienced tutors:

Chloe

Chloe is a specialist admissions tutor, covering all components of 7+, 8+ and 11+. She is approaching a decade of experience and has successfully prepared many children for top London private and grammar schools.

Chloe is consistently well reviewed by our clients and is able to strike a good rapport with young children, inspiring them to work and engage in the lessons. She is a graduate from Cambridge and Warwick.

Resources

If you would like more information about the 8+ assessments, please click here.

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.