For families looking for a Year 9 entrance exam tutor, preparation should begin at the start of Year 7, giving roughly a year to build the subject knowledge and exam technique the papers require before the February sitting.
Expert 13 plus tutoring
Common entrance and independent school entrance specialists
The 13 Plus examination is the gateway to many of the UK's leading independent senior schools. Whether your child is sitting Common Entrance or a school's own admissions papers, our experienced 13 Plus tutors provide personalised preparation tailored to the specific subjects, exam format and expectations of your target schools. Lessons build strong subject knowledge, exam technique and confidence well before exam day.
15,000+
tutoring hours
Common and
school-specific papers
100%
DBS-checked tutors
Expert 13 plus tutoring
The 13 Plus examination is the gateway to many of the UK's leading independent senior schools. Whether your child is sitting Common Entrance or a school's own admissions papers, our experienced 13 Plus tutors provide personalised preparation tailored to the specific subjects, exam format and expectations of your target schools. Lessons build strong subject knowledge, exam technique and confidence well before exam day.
Starting fromjust £28/hour
15,000+ tutoring hours
Common and school-specific papers
100% DBS-checked tutors
What sets us apart
Why families across the UK choose Eximus Education for 13 plus tutoring
Every lesson is tailored to your child's target school, entrance papers and current level, giving them the subject knowledge, exam technique and confidence needed to approach the 13+ with clarity.
Matched to your target schools
Your tutor is matched to your child's target schools, entrance papers, current academic level and the time available before the examination. This ensures every lesson focuses on the knowledge and skills most relevant to the schools they are applying to.
Common Entrance and school-specific preparation
Whether your child is preparing for Common Entrance (CE) or a school's own entrance examinations, lessons are tailored to the syllabus, question style and expectations of their target schools.
Practice papers with detailed feedback
Past papers and mock questions are worked through with the tutor, so every mistake is explained, exam technique is strengthened and confidence grows with each session.
A highly selective tutor panel
Fewer than 2 in every 100 tutor applicants join Eximus Education. We work closely with our tutors, know them personally and carefully match each family with someone who is the right academic and personal fit.
Nationally recognised
Winners at the UK Enterprise Awards and UK National Tutoring Awards, and three-time finalists for Tutoring Provider of the Year at the UK Education Investor Awards.
Affordable without compromise
One-to-one 13+ tutoring starts from £28 per hour, giving families access to experienced tutors and specialist entrance preparation at rates up to 60% below the market average.
Try a 30-minute lesson for free
Meet our tutors, see your child’s learning style in action, and decide with confidence
Subjects we cover
Specialists across the full 13 plus curriculum
‘We started 13 Plus tutoring in year 7 which made all the difference. By the time the CE papers came round my daughter was well prepared and calm going into the exam room.’
Sarah
|
Parent
‘I tried another tutoring platform first where the tutor had no idea which schools used CE and which set their own papers. With Eximus Education the match was immediate and clearly based on proper knowledge of the process.’
Emily
|
Parent
‘My son was preparing for scholarship papers alongside the CE. Our tutor handled both without treating them as separate streams, which made the preparation far more coherent and efficient’
Harris
|
Parent
‘The interview preparation was something I had not thought to ask for, but our tutor included it and it turned out to be exactly what my son needed. He came out of the interview confident and was offered a place.’
Tom
|
Parent
‘Our tutor covered English comprehension and creative writing with a depth that my daughter's school was not providing. The difference in her writing between the start of year 7 and the CE session was significant.’
Arthur
|
Parent
‘Our 13 Plus maths tutor knew the CE papers specifically and built every session around the areas my son was losing marks in. He secured his place with a result well above the threshold.’
Luca
|
Parent
13 Plus past papers by school
Here are some past papers for your child to work through as part of their preparation, giving them a clear picture of what to expect on the day and the standard they are working towards.
Maths
-
Christ’s Hospital School
-
Dulwich College
-
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
-
Oundle School
-
Reigate Grammar School
-
Sevenoaks School
English
-
Christ’s Hospital School
-
Dulwich College
-
Oundle School
-
Reigate Grammar School
-
Sevenoaks School
Science
-
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
-
Oundle School
A highly selective pool of professional 13 plus tutors
Every prep school tutor on our platform is someone we know personally. We have interviewed them, watched them teach, shared the values we care about with them, and brought them into the Eximus Education family. Fewer than 2 in every 100 applicants make it through that process. Those who do hold a degree from a recognised university, carry a full DBS and safeguarding clearance, and care about the students they work with in the same way we do. This is a family we built carefully.
Mariam
University of Reading
Fareeha
University of East London
Shameen
NUST
Mustafa
IImenau University of Technology
Brandon
University College London
Maria
University of Bucharest
Michelle
King's College London
Fawad
Luiss Guido Carli University
Sonan
University of Oxford
Fareeha
University of East London
Mustafa
IImenau University of Technology
Maria
University of Bucharest
Fawad
Luiss Guido Carli University
Loved by parents and students alike
4 out of 5 students have shown to achieve A or B grades after just 10 hours of tutoring with us historically
Known for being highly effective, personalised, and exam-focused
Super flexible one-to-one and group online tutoring, with schedules designed to fit your pace and needs.
Specialising in key exam techniques, revision strategies, and past paper practice for all subjects
13 Plus tuition at rates that reflect what quality should cost
Our online 13 Plus tuition starts from £28 per hour on a fully flexible pay as you go basis with no contract and no minimum number of sessions. You book the lessons your child needs and adjust the schedule as the examination date approaches or as preparation priorities shift.
How online tutoring with Eximus Education works
Step 1: Tell us what you need
Start by completing a short enquiry form. We'll then arrange a friendly consultation to understand your child's academic goals, confidence levels, learning style and the areas where they need the most support. The more we know, the better we can help.
Step 2: We match your 13+ tutor
Using everything you've shared, we'll pick a tutor who matches your child's subject, exam format, current level and personality. We'll also share their profile with you, so you can feel completely confident before lessons begin.
Step 3: Book a free trial lesson
Every family receives a free trial lesson with their matched tutor before making any commitment. If you don't feel it's the right fit, we'll arrange another carefully matched tutor and a second free trial, at no extra cost. Your child's comfort and confidence come first.
Step 4: Begin regular lessons
Once you're happy, lessons can begin on a schedule that suits your family. There are no fixed timetables or minimum commitments, just flexible, pay-as-you-go tutoring with regular progress updates to keep you informed.
Understanding 13 Plus
-
Sat in Year 8, typically aged 12 or 13
Most 13+ entrance examinations are taken during Year 8, with the main examination period falling between January and February.
-
Common entrance or school-set papers
Many schools use the ISEB Common Entrance examination, while others set their own independent entrance papers.
-
Core and optional subjects
English, Maths and Science are compulsory for most schools, with additional subjects depending on each school's admissions requirements.
-
Entry to independent senior schools
Results help determine whether a student secures or confirms their place for entry into Year 9.
The 13 plus examination is the principal route into Year 9 at many independent senior schools across England and Wales. Unlike GCSEs or A Levels, there is no single national examination. Each school decides which entrance papers it accepts, how they are marked and the standard required for admission. For many families, the examination forms the final stage of an admissions process that may have begun one or two years earlier with registration, interviews or pre-tests.
The most widely used assessment is the ISEB Common Entrance (CE) examination. Pupils usually sit these papers at their prep school before they are sent to the receiving senior school for marking. Although the examination papers are standardised, each senior school sets its own grade boundaries and admissions criteria, meaning the same performance can produce different outcomes depending on the school.
Most 13 plus examinations include English, Mathematics and Science, alongside optional subjects chosen by the receiving school. These may include History, Geography, French, Spanish, Latin, Classical Greek, Religious Studies and other humanities or languages. Students are only examined in the subjects required by their chosen schools, so preparation is often tailored to each individual application.
Alongside Common Entrance, many highly competitive independent schools set their own entrance papers instead of, or in addition to, the standard CE examinations. These school-specific assessments often have their own question styles, level of difficulty and marking expectations, making targeted preparation particularly important for families applying to multiple schools.
The 13 Plus examination timeline
Year 7
Structured preparation begins
Many schools make conditional offers following pre-tests, interviews or earlier assessments before Year 7. From this point, structured preparation focuses on building secure subject knowledge across the papers required by each student's target schools.
Year 8 (Autumn)
Final preparation and mock examinations
The autumn term of Year 8 is when preparation becomes more intensive. Timed mock examinations, past paper practice and targeted subject tuition help students refine exam technique, identify remaining gaps and build confidence ahead of the February examinations.
Year 8 (February)
Common Entrance and school-set examinations
Most 13+ examinations take place between January and February of Year 8. Students sit either ISEB Common Entrance papers or school-specific entrance examinations, depending on the requirements of their chosen senior schools.
Year 8 (Spring)
Admission decisions confirmed
Following the examinations, senior schools confirm whether students have met the required standard for entry into Year 9. The exact timing varies by school, with most decisions communicated during the spring term.
Year 9 (September)
Senior school begins
Successful applicants begin Year 9 at their chosen senior school. Where scholarship examinations have also been taken, scholarship decisions are usually communicated separately according to each school's admissions timetable.
The grading system
How 13 plus results are assessed
Unlike GCSEs and A Levels, there is no national grading system for the 13 plus examination. While Common Entrance papers are standardised, each independent senior school decides how results are interpreted and what standard applicants are expected to achieve. This means the same score may lead to different outcomes depending on the school your child is applying to.
Typical percentage range
What it means in practice
75% and above
A very strong performance that is likely to be
competitive at many independent senior schools. Scholarship expectations vary considerably
between schools.
65% to 74%
A solid performance that will meet or exceed
expectations at many schools, depending on their admissions criteria and the competitiveness
of the year group.
55% to 64%
A score that some schools may consider
acceptable, although more selective schools often expect stronger performance.
Below 55%
Whether this is sufficient depends on the
school's admissions policy, the strength of the applicant cohort and the student's wider
application.
How schools set their standards
Unlike public examinations, Common Entrance does not use fixed national grade boundaries. After papers are marked, each senior school applies its own admissions criteria and determines the standard required for entry. Schools may also consider interviews, school references, pre-test performance and other assessments alongside examination results.
For families preparing for the 13+, this means success is not simply about achieving a particular percentage. Preparation should be tailored to the expectations of each target school, with teaching focused on the subjects, question styles and level of performance those schools require.
Common Entrance and school-set papers
The distinction between Common Entrance and school-set papers is one of the first things families need to understand when planning 13 Plus preparation, since the two require quite different approaches and different levels of preparation.
Common Entrance at 13 Plus
Common Entrance is produced by the Independent Schools Examinations Board and is the standard format used across the majority of independent senior schools. Papers are sat at the prep school and marked by the receiving senior school, which sets its own pass mark. The standard CE examination comes in two levels for Mathematics, Level 1 and Level 2, with Level 2 being the more demanding and the level required by most HMC schools.
-
Compulsory subjects are Mathematics, English and Science.
-
Optional subjects depend on what the receiving school requires.
-
Papers are marked by the senior school, not a central body.
-
Pass marks vary by school, typically between 55% and 70%.
-
Main sitting is in February of Year 8, with a November sitting for some schools.
School-Set Examinations
A number of senior schools, particularly at the more competitive end of the independent sector, set their own entrance papers in addition to or instead of Common Entrance. These papers are typically more demanding than standard CE and are used to differentiate among strong candidates. Scholarship papers represent the highest level of 13 Plus assessment and go significantly beyond the CE syllabus in terms of both content and the analytical depth required.
-
School-set papers vary considerably in format, style and difficulty
-
Scholarship papers require preparation well beyond the CE syllabus
-
Many scholarship assessments also include interviews
-
Academic scholarships are typically awarded to the top 10% of candidates
-
Some schools require both CE and their own paper simultaneously
Book a free trial and see the difference the right tutor makes
Matched to your child's target school, their subjects and the exact papers they will be sitting. Book a free 30 minute trial lesson and judge the standard of teaching for yourself before committing to anything further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, every 13 Plus maths tutor on our panel is assessed specifically on the CE Mathematics syllabus at both Level 1 and Level 2, as well as scholarship level for students targeting competitive academic awards.
Our 13 Plus tutoring online starts from £28 per hour with no contract and no minimum number of sessions. You book the lessons your child needs on a fully flexible pay as you go basis. Every student receives a free 30 minute trial lesson before any sessions are confirmed.
Fewer than 2 in every 100 applicants are accepted onto our 13 Plus tutoring panel. Every tutor is assessed on their subject knowledge at Common Entrance and scholarship level, put through a structured teaching demonstration relevant to Year 7 and Year 8 students, interviewed individually and required to pass a full DBS and safeguarding check before working with any student.
We cover all Common Entrance subjects including Mathematics at CE Level 1 and Level 2, English, Science, History, Geography, Religious Studies, French, and Spanish. We also cover school-set papers and scholarship assessments in the core subjects for students targeting the most competitive senior school entry.
Yes, every new student receives a free 30 minute trial lesson with their matched tutor before any sessions are booked. You can assess the quality of teaching and the tutor's familiarity with the 13 Plus and Common Entrance curriculum before making any commitment.
We respond to every enquiry within 15 minutes and aim to have a tutor matched and a free trial lesson arranged shortly after that initial conversation. In most cases students have a tutor confirmed within the same day as their enquiry.