Later Decision candidates for 2027 onwards will sit papers in English and Maths, participate in a 40-minute group discussion, and take part in a co-curricular taster activity. In addition, boarding applicants will join us for supper and stay in the boarding house the night before the assessments.
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.
For Later Decision international candidates, our staff travel to a number of cities to supervise testing and conduct group discussion tasks. You will be advised of the options at the confirmation stage. Please note that there is an extra payment to participate in one of these testing days.
Testing can also take place at a British Council or other approved centre, with the group discussion taking place online. Please contact the Registrar to discuss such alternative arrangements.
Parents will need to send a copy of their child’s school report in the spring of Year 8. We reserve the right to seek a further reference from the current school and, if necessary, withdraw an offer in the event of serious concerns.
Timetable for Year 9 Entry in September 2027
Later Decision applicants only
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 November 2025 | Closing date for Later Decision applications |
| Early December 2025 | Near-miss Early Decision applicants invited to retest |
| January 2026 | References requested from candidates' schools |
| March/April 2026 | Later Decision Assessment Day |
| Mid-May 2026 | Decisions sent |
| Early June 2026 | Acceptance deadline |
| March 2027 | Submit current school report |
| May 2027 | Academic Scholarship examinations and Co-Curricular Scholarship assessments |
| June 2027 | Lesson taster day and boarding sleepover |
| September 2027 | Start school |
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.
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
