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Admissions at 13+ for September 2027

KEY DATES FOR 13+ ENTRY SEPTEMBER 2027

Monday 4th November 2024

Wednesday 20th November 2024

Saturday 7th December 2024

Monday 13th January 2025

Thursday 16th January 2025

Friday 17th January 2025

Saturday 18th January 2025

Monday 20th January 2025

Friday 14th February 2025

Monday 3rd March 2025

By 1st February 2026

Registration deadline

Bursary application deadline

Pre-test for entry at 13+ (am)

Interview invitations emailed

Interviews for selected candidates

Results emailed

Deadline for accepting conditional offers

Deposit to confirm acceptance of conditional place

May 2027 King’s Academic Scholarship examinations

September 2027

Join the fourth form (year 9) at King’s College School

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I register my child for the pre-test?

Go to the 13+ admissions pages on the King's website and select the ‘How to register’ section. As part of the registration process you will be asked to upload scans of the photo page of your child’s passport, a passport-style photo of him, the end of year 5 school report (when available) and for brief outlines of his academic and co-curricular interests and achievements (maximum 100 words per section).

What is the registration fee?

£175 which can be paid by debit card as part of the online registration process. If you feel that you may have difficulty in meeting the registration payment, please advise the admissions team who may be able to help.

My child stayed down a year as he was born in July. Can I still register him?

I am afraid not. We are unable to accept registrations for pupils who are old for their year group unless there is a compelling, usually medical, reason.

If my child is offered a place at 13+ can he exchange it for a place at 11+ instead?

I am afraid that is not possible. We test pupils for places in year 7 (entry at 11+) and in year 9 (entry at 13+) when they are in year 6. When we make year 9 conditional offers to some pupils for September 2027, we will also make offers to other pupils for entry to year 7 in 2025, so there would be no places available.

My child has been registered to take tests at other schools around the same time as King’s tests. Can I choose a different day?

I am afraid we do not have an alternative date. Our test day is Saturday 7 th December.

How many places do you have available at 13+ and how many pupils normally take the pre-test each year?

We have about 20-25 places available for candidates from outside schools to join year 9. Last year we had about 260 pre-test candidates.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many pupils from year 8 will join year 9 each year?

Approximately 140 pupils from our year 8 will join year 9 to make a year group of about 160-165.

Do overseas residents have to travel to Wimbledon to take your tests and interviews?

Candidates who are currently living overseas and applying for entry in September 2027 will need to travel to King's for the tests. In order to avoid unnecessary travel, overseas candidates will be interviewed at King's on Friday 6th December, in advance of the tests on Saturday 7th December.

As a family we do not have British passports. May I still register my child?

As part of the registration process you will be asked whether your child is a British or Irish citizen. If not, you will be asked for your visa status since we require each child to have the right to live and study in the United Kingdom for the duration of their study at the school. The School does not sponsor pupils under the Child Student Visa Scheme.

My child skipped a year and is in a year group ahead of his age. Can he still be registered?

In the case of a child who is young for his year it is usually possible to register him but he cannot take the tests again the following year if unsuccessful at his first attempt. The admissions office should be contacted in the first instance.

My child gets extra time for his exams at his current school. Can he have extra time for the King’s entry test?

At King’s, the concessions available to entrance test candidates are in line with the guidance outlined by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Click here . If your child has a learning need you will be asked to upload a specialist report,

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

at registration, which must be less than two years old. You will also be asked to supply a letter from your child's school to confirm their normal way of working, for example whether they have use of a word processor or extra time. Our head of learning enrichment (SENCO) will use the information supplied to make a decision about any exam concessions or access arrangements available to your child.

What does the pre-test consist of?

There are three sections to the pre-test: English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning.

How is the pre-test different from the 11+ test?

It is not different – it is exactly the same test.

Do you have past papers of these tests?

We don’t have past papers, but we do post a specimen on our website of the English and Maths papers each year, as soon as we can in the Autumn term.The specimen papers are intended to be a guide to the form of that year’s tests.

How do I apply for my child to win a 13+ academic scholarship?

Since candidates taking the pre-test will only be joining us 2.5 years later,

scholarships are not awarded at the entrance test stage. Academic, Music, Sport, Art and Drama scholarship assessments and auditions are held in the Spring and Summer terms of year 8.

I do not think I can afford the fees. Do you provide support for families on lower incomes?

As part of the registration process you will be asked if you wish to apply for a bursary for your child. We have a a good deal of information about bursaries at King’s which you may find helpful. The deadline for applying for a bursary is 11th November 2024.

Can I see if my child is offered a place before applying for a bursary?

I am afraid that is not possible. You can only apply for a bursary at the time of registration. We cannot consider applications at a later stage.

What is the pass mark for your entrance test?

There is no specific pass mark. Once we have looked at the test results and considered the supporting information we have for each candidate, we invite around 40% for an interview.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My child can be rather quiet and shy. How should I prepare him for the interview if he is asked to have one?

We really prefer pupils not to be prepared for the interviews as we want them to relax and just be themselves. We have a very kind and experienced team of interviewers who know how to put the candidates at their ease and to get the best out of them.

Do most of the candidates in year 9 live in the Wimbledon area?

Pupils join us from many areas of South West London and beyond. Our network of coaches currently has pick-ups from as far afield as Banstead to the South, and St John’s Wood to the North, although many pupils of course do live in the wider Wimbledon area

Is rugby compulsory in year 9?

The school provides a ‘free-choice’ games programme in all three terms, with a wide variety of activities available. However, we would normally expect a pupil to choose his strongest sport in each term in order to ensure maximum participation in our core sports (rugby, football, hockey, tennis). We also offer non-contact rugby as an option for pupils who want to stay with the core sport in the Autumn term.

Do you have many clubs?

Pupils are offered a wide range of cocurricular activities each term with an enormous and varied choice of clubs and societies.

What languages are taught in Year 9?

All pupils in Year 9 learn French, which is a compulsory GCSE subject. They also start a second language from a choice of Spanish, German and Mandarin. This language may be taken forward as a GCSE option.

Is it essential to study Latin?

All pupils study Latin in Year 9 and many take it on to GCSE.

ADDITIONAL 13+ ASSESSMENTS, YEAR 8

Why are you introducing an additional 13+ assessment inYear 8?

We are keen to offer additional opportunities for pupils to join King’s rather than closing the door after the 13+ pre-test in Year 6.

Who will be eligible to sit the Year 8 assessment?

• Pupils not offered a place after the 13+ pre-test, who have made exceptional progress by the end of Year 7, with their head’s support

• Pupils who did not sit the 13+ pre-test, whose head feels they would be a strong candidate for King’s, and supports their application

• All pupils who have been placed on the waiting list following the 13+ pre-test in Year 6

Can a pupil sit the Year 8 assessment if they previously sat the 11+ entry tests at King’s?

I am afraid not. The Year 8 assessment will not be available to a pupil who has already taken the King’s 11+ entry test.

When will the Year 8 assessment take place?

In the Autumn term of Year 8. The written tests will take place towards the end of September, and the interviews, if offered, will be in October.

What will the Year 8 assessment entail?

Pupils registered to take the new Year 8 assessment will sit three age-appropriate written papers: English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. Selected candidates will then be invited back to King’s for interview with an experience member of staff.

Will any offers be made to pupils on the waiting list before the Year 8 assessment?

We do not plan to make offers from the waiting list before this time.

Will my child still need to sit the 13+ pre-test in Year 6?

Sitting the 13+ pre-test in Year 6 would still be the usual starting point for 13+ entry to Year 9 and the time at which we will have the most places to offer. Seeking your son’s head’s advice about the suitability of an application at this stage will be an important first step.

When will these offers be made?

We will write to all candidates in October to confirm the outcomes. For those offered a place, a non-refundable deposit would need to be paid to secure the place by a given date in November of Year 8.

ADDITIONAL 13+ ASSESSMENTS, YEAR 8

How many places will be available following the Year 8 assessment?

We do not have a set number of places available. We will be able to give a clearer indication of this prior to the Year 8 assessment.

Will I still be able to apply for my child to win a 13+ Academic scholarship, if offered a place following the Year 8 assessment?

Yes, if your child is offered a place, we will be in touch with you and your school with further information on our Academic scholarship process in the December of Year 8. The Academic scholarship exams will take place in the summer term of Year 8 and the outcomes will be communicated shortly thereafter. Any scholarships awarded would be in addition to your child’s offer.

Will my child be able to apply for one of your Scholarships (Art, Drama, Music and/or Sport) if offered a place following the Year 8 assessment?

Yes, our Scholarship assessments take place in the spring term of Year 8, therefore all pupils holding offers at that stage will be able to apply, if they wish to do so.

When do I need to register my child for the Year 8 assessment?

There will be a registration window which will open in the spring term of Year 7 and will close towards the end of the summer term. Exact dates will be published on the Entry Process tab on the 13+ admissions page.

Will I need to re-register my child if they have previously sat the 13+ pre-test?

All candidates for the Year 8 assessment will need to register, except for those holding a waiting list place following the pre-test in Year 6.

When will the first Year 8 assessment take place?

The first group to benefit from the opportunity to be assessed in Year 8 will be those who sat the 13+ pre-test in December 2023, for entry in September 2026. All pupils whose names have been put on the 2026 waiting list will automatically be eligible to sit the test as well as others who fit the eligibility criteria set out above.