St Paul’s School 13 Plus (13+) Pretest Practice Tests (and Courses)

Introduction

St Paul’s School in London is an independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. Founded in 1509, the campus covers 43 acres and is situated on the River Thames. At St Paul’s, boys are divided into eight houses. The school is considered one of the UK’s leading private schools and students consistently perform well in exams. Sport also forms a key part of students’ extracurricular activities, with ten tennis courts and a large boathouse among the facilities on offer.

How to Apply for 13 Plus Entry to St Paul’s

St Paul’s School welcomes 13+ applications from students of St Paul’s Juniors and a wide range of other schools. Due to the huge popularity of St Paul’s, parents are advised to register their son in October of Year 5, when the school’s online registration opens. The registration period closes at the end of September, when boys are in Year 6.

For 13 Plus entry, St Paul’s organises open afternoons for families interested in registering their child at the school. To reserve a place at one of these events, email [email protected] and include the boy’s name, date of birth and current school in the email.

To proceed with the application, parents must complete a 13-step online application process and be prepared to provide the prospective pupil’s birth certificate number and an electronic copy of his birth certificate or passport. Registration also requires payment of a non-refundable fee of £175, which can also be made online once the application is complete.

St Paul’s 13 Plus Pretest Assessment

Before places at Year 9 can be allocated, all registered boys are required to sit the ISEB online pretest in October or November of Year 6. This test will usually be taken at the boy’s current school but arrangements can be made for a pupil to sit the test at St Paul’s if necessary.

The Common Pretest is designed to provide schools with an overview of a pupil’s academic potential over a variety of core subjects including English, Maths and Reasoning (both Verbal and Non-Verbal). The test is taken once only and is fully age-standardised to ensure that no candidate has an advantage over any other based on their age.

St Paul’s Admissions Criteria

In order to be considered for a school place in Year 9 at St Paul’s, in the first instance students need to pass the ISEB Common Pretest. St Paul’s also requests a report from the pupil’s Headteacher. The results from the pretest exam and the report will be taken into account when considering who to invite for interview.

Interviews will take place between January and July of Year 6 and should take no longer than 20 minutes. On the same day, prospective pupils will be required to take two short papers in English and Mathematics. Within three weeks of the interview, parents will be informed as to whether or not their son has made it on to St Paul’s main list, the reserve list or neither. For 2021 entry onwards, St. Paul’s will no longer require students to sit Common Entrance as part of the application process.

How to Prepare for the St Paul’s Pretest

For 13 Plus entry, St Paul’s School uses the ISEB Common Pretest. Competition for places at this entry point is extremely high. Our online pretest practice tests and courses aim to give your child the best possible chance to succeed by helping to identify any areas that need additional work before the real assessment.

Our resources are ideal for pupils who are currently preparing for the St Paul’s Pretest. They cover Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Once a test is completed, students and parents can immediately review the answers and read detailed explanations of each question. This feedback is essential for creating a revision timetable as it helps students to focus their efforts in the lead-up to the test.

Our practice tests and courses have already been used by tens of thousands of students applying for place at their preferred independent school. Take this opportunity to improve your son’s chances of gaining a place at St Paul’s School.