What a 13+ scholarship round actually is
Most pupils enter a UK independent senior school via Common Entrance (CE) at 13+ or via the ISEB Common Pre-Test. Scholarships are a separate, harder route that sits alongside or replaces the standard entry round. Scholarship candidates demonstrate exceptional ability in a particular area: academic, music, sport, art, drama and (at some schools) design or specific subjects. The school awards a fee remission or a named place to those it identifies as the strongest in each category.
A scholarship is partly about money and partly about recognition. Fee remissions vary and are smaller than people often assume: academic awards commonly run at 5 to 10% of fees, with around 20% the practical ceiling where a pupil holds more than one. Since VAT was added to school fees in January 2025, a number of schools have trimmed scholarship budgets further. The status carries weight inside the school and on later UCAS applications.
This page focuses on the exam and assessment side of scholarship rounds. For Common Entrance itself, see our 13+ Common Entrance guide.
Academic scholarships
Two main routes at most schools.
ISEB CASE: Common Academic Scholarship Examination. Set by the Independent Schools Examinations Board using the same syllabus as Common Entrance but pitched at a higher level. Papers are offered in English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Theology Philosophy and Religion, French and Latin. There are two CASE sessions per year, in February and May. Pupils sit the papers at the senior school, and the senior school marks them. Many traditional CE-route schools (Tonbridge, Sherborne, Marlborough, Charterhouse and similar) use CASE.
School-set scholarship papers. A handful of senior schools set their own academic scholarship exams entirely, on a different syllabus and timetable from CE/CASE.
Eton King's Scholarship. Held in late April or early May for September entry. Compulsory papers are English A, English B, Mathematics A, Science and General I; candidates also choose at least three from French, Latin, Greek, Mathematics B, General II and History-Geography-Divinity. Examiners assess the compulsory papers and the best three optional papers. Eton's official page.
Winchester College. Winchester runs its own route rather than CE. The standard paper is Winchester Entrance; the academic scholarship exam is a separate one called Election, sat in late April, and widely regarded as setting some of the most demanding reasoning and extended-writing papers in UK independent education.
The Challenge at Westminster, and similar school-set papers: set by the school, sat at the school, on a unique paper format. Candidates who succeed are elected King's Scholars.
A few important practical points:
Scholarship papers are pitched substantially harder than CE on the same nominal syllabus. Mark expectations are typically 75-85%, against 65-70% for shortlisted CE candidates at competitive schools.
A candidate sitting CASE or a school-set scholarship still usually sits CE itself; the scholarship round is in addition rather than instead of for most pupils.
A "near-miss" scholarship paper does not normally cost a place: schools commonly admit strong scholarship candidates as fee-paying entrants if the academic floor is comfortably cleared.
Music scholarships
Music auditions sit alongside the academic round and run on a separate timetable, usually in late January or early February.
A typical 13+ music audition includes:
Two contrasting pieces on the principal instrument: most schools expect Grade 6 standard or above, though formal grade qualifications are not always required.
A piece on a second instrument (or voice, if singing is offered): often a formal requirement at top schools, including Eton's music awards.
Sight-reading, scaled to the candidate's standard.
Aural tests: pitch, rhythm and short-melody recall.
A short written paper at some schools: transposing music, translating Italian terms, or composing a short response to a prompt.
A general musicianship interview: what the candidate listens to, plays in ensembles, and finds interesting in their current repertoire.
Closing dates for music scholarship entries are usually mid-January with auditions before half-term. Preparation typically starts 9-18 months out, focusing on building a solid two-piece programme on the principal instrument and a sound second-instrument standard.
Sport scholarships
Sport scholarship assessment is typically a practical trial day plus an interview with the Director of Sport (or equivalent), with school references and coach reports submitted in advance. Schools commonly want to see breadth across at least two main sports rather than single-sport specialists, and assess fitness, technical competence in core skills, game intelligence in match situations, and coachability. Shortlisted candidates may also have to provide video evidence of recent performances.
Art and drama scholarships
Art scholarship assessment usually involves submitting a portfolio (often digitally as a PDF, with originals brought to the assessment day), producing a timed observed drawing (frequently still life) on the day, completing a short written paper, and discussing the work with the Head of Art.
Drama scholarship assessment usually involves preparing two contrasting monologues, an unseen task on the day, an improvisation or workshop session, and an interview about the candidate's theatre interests.
How a tutor accelerates 13+ scholarship prep
For academic scholarships, a tutor's role is mostly to push depth in the chosen subjects, drill timed paper technique above CE level, and (most usefully) provide outside-school feedback on extended writing. CASE and Eton-style General Papers reward intellectual breadth: wide reading and the confidence to take a defensible position on an unseen passage in writing. Most strong scholarship candidates have at least 6 months of dedicated weekly tutoring, often longer.
For music, sport, art and drama scholarships, the day-to-day work is normally with a specialist instrumental teacher, coach, art teacher or drama teacher. The function a tutor adds is help with the academic floor (most schools require minimum CE or pre-test performance to be eligible) and structuring the audition or portfolio strategy.
Common pitfalls
Confusing CE and CASE. They use the same syllabus but CASE is harder; preparing only for CE leaves you exposed if you sit a scholarship paper.
Underestimating the second-instrument requirement for music. Many candidates focus their final months on principal-instrument polish and arrive thin on second instrument.
Over-formula writing for academic papers. Scholarship markers reward genuine voice over learnt structure. The five-paragraph-essay default does not impress at this level.
Ignoring General Papers at schools that set them. They are unpredictable by design and reward general knowledge rather than syllabus content.
Treating scholarship papers as the only entry route. Schools admit far more pupils as fee-paying entrants than as scholars; a scholarship paper is a stretch goal layered on a sound standard application, not a substitute for it.