Entry at 11+ and 13+

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.

We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities, from both primary or prep schools, as well as international students. Pupils who are currently in Year 6 are invited to apply to join us in the First Year (Year 7) or the Third Year (Year 9). Consideration being given to a child’s previous educational background. We are happy to advise on whether an Abingdon education may be a good fit for your child, and which entry point may be more appropriate.

Girls may apply for a First Year place from 2026 or a Third Year place from 2028.

Please note, we are unable to accept students into the First Year on a Child Student visa. We can only accept applications for day places from non-UK nationals who are entitled to study in the UK under their parent’s visa. Boarding places are available from the Third Year onwards.

Register here

Entrance assessments are taken in January of Year 6. 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 October 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 child.

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

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 granting the use of a computer).

The Maths aspect covers topics aligned to the UK National Curriculum, as well as some more complex problem solving puzzles which require candidates to apply the knowledge and skills they will have acquired. These are mostly multiple choice questions 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.

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.

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

We offer a range of scholarships in our Third Year which supports our ethos of encouraging the very best academic achievement, as well recognising contribution at an exceptional level across our Other Half co-curricular programme. Music awards are also available for First Year candidates. Further information is available on our scholarship pages.

Additionally, the Head makes a number of academic awards to First Years on the basis of a candidate’s performance in the entrance assessments. No separate application is required.

Scholarships and awards are primarily honorary and do not come with a fee remission.

If you are interested in assistance with fees (free and subsidised places), please click here.