13 Plus Preparation Online for Independent Senior Schools
From the ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6 or 7 through to Common Entrance papers in Year 8, our specialist tutors guide your child through every stage of 13+ preparation online, with a plan built around the senior schools they're actually applying to.
Recommended by parents and students for 13+ tutoring
Math Make Smart is rated 4.9 on Trustpilot. Read what families say about our certified tutors and one-to-one online lessons.
Understanding the 13+ Journey
13+ entry is how most pupils move from prep school into independent senior schools at the end of Year 8, and the route there is set by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) rather than a single national exam board. Families preparing for 13 plus online need to understand two distinct hurdles: the earlier Common Pre-Test that many schools use to make conditional offers, and the Common Entrance papers that confirm the place two years later. We help parents make sense of the timeline before we ever open a textbook.
Year 6-8 Timeline
A two-to-three year process spanning the pre-test, ongoing prep school study, and final Common Entrance papers.
Pre-Test vs. Common Entrance
An adaptive online assessment sat early, followed by traditional written papers sat in Year 8 to confirm the offer.
Scholarship Papers
A higher-level tier of exams for pupils chasing academic, art, music, drama or sport awards.
Core Subjects We Master
Rigorous, exam-board-accurate coverage of the compulsory Common Entrance papers, plus the optional subjects senior schools expect.
Mathematics
- Compulsory CE & Pre-Test paper
- Problem-solving beyond Year 6 SATs level
- Scholarship-level extension work
English
- Compulsory CE & Pre-Test paper
- Comprehension, composition & précis skills
- Preparation for verbal reasoning too
Science & Optional Papers
- Compulsory Common Entrance Science
- Support across French, Latin, Geography, History & TPR
- Guidance on which optional papers your target school needs
Prepared for Every 13+ Pathway
Unlike GCSEs, 13+ entry isn't set by AQA, Edexcel or OCR — it all runs through the ISEB. As online tutors for 13 Plus preparation, we know the pre-test's adaptive online format inside out, and we build our Common Entrance teaching directly from real ISEB past papers, so your child meets the actual question styles they'll face at each stage.
Why Families Choose Online Tutors for 13 Plus Preparation
The pillars of our patient and professional approach to 13+ preparation.
Breadth Across Papers
Confident tutoring across the compulsory core and the optional CE papers your chosen school actually sets.
Pacing From Year 6 to 8
A study plan that adapts as your child moves from the pre-test through to final Common Entrance papers.
Scholarship Stretch
Extension material and past scholarship papers layered in for pupils chasing academic or specialist awards.
A Calm Transition
Steady, encouraging sessions that ease the move from prep school routine to senior school expectations.
Have a younger child sitting entrance tests sooner? We also run a dedicated 11+ preparation programme for siblings further behind on the journey.
13+ Common Entrance FAQs
Straight answers to the questions UK parents ask us most about the ISEB Pre-Test, Common Entrance and scholarship routes.
What's the difference between the ISEB Common Pre-Test and Common Entrance?
Which subjects are compulsory for Common Entrance at 13+?
When should we start preparing for 13+ entry?
How do scholarship papers differ from standard 13+ papers?
Does my child need to sit exams for every subject their senior school offers?
Can tutoring help if my child is also being considered for a scholarship?
My younger child isn't ready for 13+ yet — do you support the 11+ route too?
Secure Your Free 13+ Trial Lesson
No obligations. Just a chance for your child to experience how we prepare for 13 plus online, from pre-test practice through to Common Entrance papers.
