Prepare Your Child for the 13+ Entrance Exam with Expert Guidance
Book a free trial session and begin a structured, personalized learning path tailored for 13+ entrance assessments. Our experienced tutors help students strengthen subject mastery, refine exam techniques, and build the confidence needed for admission into top independent schools.
- Comprehensive 13+ Preparation – From Foundations to Mastery
- Live Online Lessons | Small, Focused Batches
- English, Mathematics, Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Concept-Driven Teaching | School-Specific Exam Strategy
- Realistic Practice Papers & Timed Mock Exams
- Progress Monitoring with In-Depth Performance Feedback
Bullseye Focus Academy – 13+ Success Dashboard
A smart learning platform designed for 13+ entrance exam preparation, bringing lessons, assignments, mock tests, progress tracking, and expert feedback together in one place to help students stay focused, organized, and exam-ready.
Bullseye Focus Academy provides a centralized learning hub built to keep students organized, motivated, and on track. Our easy-to-use platform supports every stage of 13+ exam preparation, bringing lessons, resources, and progress insights together in one place.
- Enter live classes quickly with simple, secure access
- Review academic growth through regular progress summaries
- Explore learning materials matched to individual targets
- Stay updated with smart notifications and reminders
- Reach out to subject experts whenever support is needed
The 13+ entrance exam is an assessment used by many independent and selective schools to evaluate students applying for Year 9 admission. It measures academic readiness across core subjects and helps schools identify students who can thrive in a senior school environment.
Most candidates are assessed in English, Mathematics, and Science, while some schools also include Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Languages, and Humanities, depending on their admission criteria.
Often referred to as the Common Entrance at 13+, this exam is usually taken during Year 8, with school entry beginning in Year 9. The main examinations typically take place in the Spring or Summer term, although some schools offer practice or mock assessments earlier in the academic year.
Unlike national exams, the 13+ is school-specific, meaning exam content, structure, and difficulty may vary. Papers generally last between 40 and 90 minutes and focus on testing a student’s understanding, reasoning ability, and subject knowledge.
Some schools also include additional assessments in History, Geography, or Classical and Modern Languages to gain a broader view of a student’s academic strengths. Preparation usually starts in Year 7 or early Year 8, allowing students enough time to develop confidence and exam readiness.
At Bullseye Focus Academy, our experienced tutors provide structured guidance, targeted practice, and personalised support to help students perform at their best.
There is no universal pass mark for the 13+ Common Entrance exam. Each school sets its own benchmarks based on competitiveness and subject expectations.
As a general reference:
- 60%+ is commonly regarded as a pass
- 70% or above is often expected by highly selective schools
Many schools also consider overall performance, meaning strong results in Maths or Science may compensate for a lower score in another subject, depending on their admissions policy.
The number of questions depends on the exam board and how the papers are designed. For students sitting GL Assessment–style papers, exams are usually split into two or three papers, combining different subjects.
Typical subject question counts include:
- English – around 50 questions
- Maths – around 50 questions
- Verbal Reasoning - approximately 80 questions
- Non‑Verbal Reasoning – approximately 80 questions
Some papers combine multiple subjects, while others assess each subject separately.
Each 13+ exam paper generally lasts 45 to 60 minutes. Most papers begin with a short set of practice questions to help students settle into the format.
Students usually sit two or three papers, either on the same day with breaks in between or spread across multiple days, depending on the school’s examination schedule.
The 13+ Common Entrance Examination is usually taken in Year 8 by students seeking admission into independent secondary schools for Year 9 entry. The syllabus is designed to assess subject knowledge, reasoning ability, and academic maturity across a range of core and optional subjects.
Below is an outline of the subjects commonly included in the 13+ syllabus.
- Unseen fiction, non-fiction, and poetry texts
- Comprehension and interpretation of meaning
- Analysis of language, tone, and structure
- Use of inference, comparison, and evaluation skills
- Structured written tasks such as persuasive, descriptive, or discursive pieces
- Focus on vocabulary, clarity, grammar, and punctuation
- Development of ideas, coherence, and originality
- Cells and living organisms
- Nutrition, digestion, and respiration
- Reproduction, variation, and inheritance
- Photosynthesis, ecosystems, and human health
- States of matter
- Elements, compounds, and mixtures
- Physical and chemical changes
- Acids, alkalis, and basic chemical reactions
- Energy, forces, and motion
- Density, sound, and light
- Electricity and magnetism
- Introductory concepts in space science
- Arithmetic operations
- Fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios
- Sequences, expressions, and simple equations
- Angles and properties of shapes
- Area, volume, and perimeter
- Coordinates and transformations
- Graphs, charts, and averages
- Units of measurement
- Probability and problem-solving in real-life contexts
- Vocabulary-based questions
- Logical thinking using words and letters
- Code-breaking, analogies, and comprehension-style reasoning
- Pattern recognition and sequences
- Shape transformations and spatial awareness
- Visual logic using diagrams and images
- Humanities: History and Geography
- Languages: Latin, French, Spanish, or other modern/classical languages
- Important Note: The subjects and paper structure for the 13+ exam can vary between schools. Parents are advised to review individual school entrance requirements to ensure accurate and focused preparation.
Let’s Plan Your Child’s 13+ Exam Journey
Connect with our experienced academic advisors to learn how customised 13+ preparation, focused practice, and exam-aligned guidance can help your child strengthen key subjects, improve performance, and approach senior school entrance exams with confidence.