Admission is by competitive examination in English and Maths, a group discussion activity, and a reference from the candidate’s current school. Candidates for 2025 and 2026 will also take a Verbal Reasoning test.
Applicants for 2027 onwards will have two application options: Early Decision or Later Decision.
Early Decision applicants will need to register by 15 September three years ahead of joining Sevenoaks. They will attend an assessment day in Sevenoaks in early January. Early Decision applications will be open only to pupils who plan to stay in their current school until they join us.
Later Decision applicants will need to register by 1 November of Year 7 (22 months ahead of joining Sevenoaks). A substantial number of places will be held open for Later Decision candidates.
We are keen to accommodate candidates who need extra time, word processing or other provision. You can read more about the school’s learning support here.
Please click below for more information regarding assessment and preparation relevant to the entry year.
Year 9 2025 Year 9 2026 Year 9 2027+ Early Decision Year 9 2027+ later Decision
Past papers
Past Maths and English papers can be found below. We have also provided an example of a Maths Mark Scheme to give a better understanding of how these papers are assessed. We do not make sample Verbal Reasoning papers available, but any of the 13+ practice papers such as the Bond, GL Assessment, CGP or NFER series are useful preparation.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Sevenoaks offers scholarships to honour and celebrate exceptional talent in academia, music, sports, drama and art.
Results
Offers of places, including scholarships, are sent by email to all candidates. Acceptance of all places must be confirmed by the payment of a deposit (£2000 for day pupils; £5000 for boarding pupils) and the completion of a Form of Acceptance by the date in June specified in our offer letter. Any candidate who decides not to accept their place is requested to inform us of their decision as soon as possible so their place can be released to a reserved candidate.
Some candidates will be reserved. This means they have passed our tests and have demonstrated that they would be good Sevenoaks students. We will be pleased to offer them a place if one becomes available later in the process. Parents are advised to keep in touch with the Director of Admissions in this situation. We consider our reserve candidates as a pool, not a list. When a place becomes available, we offer it to the most suitable reserved candidate.
“Ultimately, we are looking for students who are bright and eager to be involved in the wider, co-curricular life of the school, and – most importantly – who are kind.”
Lorna Dolan, Director of Admissions
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Pastoral Care at Sevenoaks
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