We know that the application process for senior school varies quite widely, and that navigating this can be daunting. The main steps of our Admissions process are outlined below, but we are very happy for you to get in touch at any time if you have any questions.

Entry is by an assessment process which takes place in the October of the UK National Curriculum Year 7. Late applications may be considered subject to availability of places. We welcome applications for both day and boarding places, with approximately 90 places available in the Third Year for external candidates. Whilst the majority of candidates join us from UK-based prep schools, we also have a good number of applicants from the state-maintained sector and internationally.

Offers made in Year 7 are not conditional on passing another set of exams, but rather will be subject to students maintaining the level of academic progress and extra-curricular profile in Years 7 and 8.

View the Middle School prospectus online

Download the Middle School prospectus as PDF

Key Dates

2024 Entry2025 Entry2026 Entry
Registerby 1 May 2022by 1 May 2023by 1 May 2024
Bursary application deadline30 September 202229 September 202327 September 2024
UK Entrance Assessments15 October 202214 October 202319 October 2024
Overseas Entrance Assessments8 – 16 October 20227 – 15 October 202312 – 20 October 2024
Interviewsw/c 7 November 2022w/c 6 November 2023w/c 11 November 2024
Results letters sent outLate November 2022Late November 2023Late November 2024
Acceptance to be received31 December 202231 December 202331 December 2024

Visit opportunities are available throughout the year – book here.

Late assessments may be possible subject to availability of places. Please contact us to discuss.

Scholarship assessments take place in February of Year 8.

Book a visit

We would be delighted to welcome you to Abingdon School and offer a number of visit opportunities throughout the year. Visits can take place at any stage of the Admissions process, and you can book a visit to our school here.

Parents interested in applying for assistance with fees (a bursary) can indicate this on the registration form.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications for this entry point from students of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. Whilst the majority of candidates join us from UK-based prep schools, we also have a good number of applicants from the state-maintained sector and internationally. Both day and boarding places are available. We are happy to advise on whether an Abingdon education may be a good fit for your son, and a recent school report would be a helpful guide for us.

Students will be aged 13 on 1 September of their year of entry. If your son’s age falls outside this, please contact the Admissions team for advice.

Registrations should be received by May in the academic year in which they are 11 (Year 6 in the UK National Curriculum). Late applications may be considered, subject to availability of places. Please contact the Admissions team for advice.

Register here

Entrance Assessments

Entrance assessments are taken in the October of Year 7. These take place at Abingdon School on a Saturday for those candidates who are based in the UK. International students may take their assessments at one of our preferred invigilation centres.

Candidates sit assessments in English, Mathematics and reasoning. Details are sent to parents of all registered candidates in the May of Year 6. The papers are a combination of computer based and handwritten questions. It is not expected that candidates have any typing skills. Please contact us to discuss specific access requirements which may be required for your son.

We will also request a confidential reference from the candidate’s Headteacher covering their character, academic strengths and interests.

Late applicants will be reviewed on a case by case basis, and will sit age-appropriate entrance assessments.

Details of papers

Our English papers assess both reading and writing skills. Reading covers comprehension as well as spelling, punctuation and grammar. This is multiple choice using a computer. The writing paper asks for a piece of descriptive writing based on a choice of pictures used as a stimulus. This paper is hand written (unless a candidate has access arrangements requiring the use of a computer).

The Maths paper covers topics aligned to the UK National Curriculum, as well as some more complex problem solving puzzles which require candidates to apply skills they will have been taught in the classroom. These are multiple choice using a computer.

Reasoning contains both verbal and non-verbal questions, and again, is computer-based. International candidates may also be required to take an extra English Grammar paper.

Interviews

Results of the assessments are reviewed, along with the school reference, before deciding which students are invited for an interview. We see the interview as a very important element of the process and almost all candidates will be interviewed. However, it is also likely that a small number of candidates will not be offered an interview at this stage. These would usually be candidates whose academic performance in the assessments indicates that they would be very unlikely to thrive in Abingdon’s fast-paced, selective atmosphere. Bringing those candidates back for an interview would, in our view, set up an unnecessary false hope about their chances of gaining an offer.

The interview is a friendly affair, providing the School with an opportunity to assess a candidate’s interests outside the classroom and explore what they enjoy about learning. The majority of interviews are conducted in person at Abingdon School, though we will conduct some interviews using video conferencing platforms (such as Zoom), particularly for international candidates. Candidates may like to bring something with them, such as an object of interest or an example of their work to provide talking points, but this is entirely optional.

Offers

Following the interview, all information from the assessments, interview and confidential reference is carefully considered, and parents will receive one of the following outcomes:

  • an offer of a place for their son at the school
  • an offer to put their son’s name on a waiting list
  • a decision that their son’s application will not be taken forward

Parents who receive an offer of a place for their son will be asked to give a firm acceptance of the place, and to pay an acceptance fee.

Candidates on the waiting list will have their application reviewed when they enter Year 8. Up to date references and reports are requested, to ensure we have the latest information for your son.

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

At Abingdon, we offer a range of scholarships which supports our ethos of encouraging the very best academic achievement, as well recognising contribution at an exceptional level across our Other Half programme.

If you are interested in assistance with fees (a bursary), an application must be made by our deadline in September of Year 7.

Find out more about scholarshipsfind out more about bursaries