11+ & 13+ Assessment

Please see our step-by-step process for Admissions into our Senior Entry and of course do please contact Admissions on 01483 227909 at any point to discuss your enquiry further or complete this enquiry form here.  

Key Admissions Dates 

STEP 1

Registration for 11+ and 13+ entry and Scholarships

All girls and boys must be registered to sit our entrance examination. To register your child, please complete our online registration form, along with the non-returnable registration fee of £120 including VAT. 

The deadline for 11+ and 13+ registrations is Friday 1 November 2024 for entry into Year 7 in September 2025 or Year 9 in September 2025 and 2026.

Register Online (hoebridgeschool.co.uk)

Scholarships are available in Academics, Sport, Art & DT, Music and Performing Arts as well as an All Rounder Headmaster Award. The deadline for scholarships is Friday 18 October 2024. Please click on the link below for further information about our scholarships and how to apply.

11+ Scholarships (hoebridgeschool.co.uk)

STEP 2

Assessments for 11+

Children are assessed for their suitability via the assessments outlined below and a confidential reference from their current headteacher.

All children sit the online ISEB Common Pre-Tests during the first term of Year 6. Candidates will either sit the assessments at Hoe Bridge School on Saturday 23 November 2024, or at their current Prep School that uses ISEB as their assessment tool.

Candidates will be contacted as to whether they will be invited to our shortlisted interview/activity day on Monday 16 December 2024.

Further Information on ISEB Common Pre-Tests
ISEB Common Pre-Tests are widely-used, age-standardised assessment for children applying for selective independent senior schools which are adaptive and age-standardised. Assessing English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning; they are in a multiple-choice format and take approximately two-and-a-half hours to complete. No special preparation is required for the Common Pre-Tests, which are designed to identify potential as well as attainment. Please see a breakdown of the different areas below:

• English (40 minutes) – assessing comprehension, sentence completion, spelling and punctuation.
• Maths (40 minutes) – assessing mathematical ability across the curriculum, including arithmetic and problem solving.
• Verbal Reasoning (30 minutes) – assessing thinking and problem solving with words.
• Non-Verbal Reasoning (25 minutes) - assessing thinking with shapes, space, diagrams and pictures.

STEP 3

Interview and Activity Day for Shortlisted Candidates

Invited children will join us on Tuesday 28 January 2025. Children are interviewed individually by current members of the senior leadership team. The aim of the interview is, within a relaxed atmosphere, to get an insight into each child’s interests and to see how they think and how they react to questions which they will not have prepared for. We look for children with an inquisitive mind, who will challenge and question, who are flexible in their thought process and who are able to develop their answers. In addition, a short composition/English creative writing task, group reading and team building activities are included in this part of the assessment process for us to better understand the whole child.

STEP 4 (only if applicable)

Scholarship Day

Following scholarship applications a specific scholarship reference will be sought from their school and shortlist candidates will be invited to our the relevant scholarship day on Monday 20 or Tuesday 21 January 2025. Please see our scholarship information link below for further information on scholarship assessment which differs depending on the scholarship applied for.

11+ Scholarships (hoebridgeschool.co.uk)

STEP 5

Offers & Scholarship Awards if Applicable

On Friday 7 February 2025 offers for places and any scholarship award offers will be emailed to parents of candidates. 

STEP 6

Acceptance Deadline

Acceptances must be received by Monday 3 March 2025. In the event of acceptance not being received by this date the offer of a place will be withdrawn and given to another family. Places are secured by signed the Acceptance Form and paying the Acceptance Deposit of £750.