What is the 7 Plus exam?

The 7 Plus exam is an entrance assessment used by selective independent prep schools in the UK to identify children ready for Year 3 entry. Children usually sit the exam in Year 2, when they are six or seven years old. The assessment is designed to evaluate a child’s academic potential, natural ability and learning behaviours across English, Maths, and Reasoning.

In this guide we will walk you through everything you need to know from which schools use the 7 Plus, to what is on the exam, when it takes place, and how to prepare your child effectively.

Who Needs to Take It?

The 7 Plus is taken by children applying for entry into Year 3 at selective independent prep schools, normally in the autumn or winter terms of Year 2. It is not a part of the state school admissions process and is entirely separate from SATs and the 11 Plus.

Schools are looking for pupils with strong foundational skills in English and Maths, intellectual curiosity, and the potential to thrive in a challenging environment.

Not every independent school requires your child to sit the 7 Plus exam. Always check the specific admissions requirements for each school you are applying to.

Some families choose to take the 7 Plus rather than the (often more competitive) 11 Plus. If you apply to a through-school for 7 Plus entry, your child may be able to avoid the 11 Plus and stay at the same school until age 18. Though do note that some through-schools re-assess at 11 Plus before deciding whether to admit a child to their senior section.

Which Schools Require the 7 Plus?

Many of London’s most competitive prep schools use 7 Plus as part of a multi‑stage admissions process. Examples include:

• North London Collegiate School (NLCS)
• King’s College School, Wimbledon
• Thomas’s Battersea
• Kensington Prep
• Highgate School
• St Christopher’s School, Hampstead
• City of London School for Girls

If you’re not sure which schools to target or what their 7 Plus assessments involve, our specialist 7 Plus tutors here at Dukes Tutoring have deep knowledge of individual school requirements and can help you build a tailored preparation plan. Get in touch today.

When Do 7 Plus Exams Take Place?

Most 7 Plus exams take place between October and January of the academic year in which your child is in Year 2, with January being the most common exam month for September entry.

Some schools run a two-stage admissions process: an initial assessment in the autumn term, followed by a second-round interview or group activity. It is essential to prepare across all components, not just the written papers.

Registration deadlines are often in September or October. Given this, most families begin structured 7 Plus preparation in Reception or Year 1 to allow their child to develop their knowledge, skills, and familiarity with the test in a gradual, low-pressure environment.

Always check the specific dates and deadlines for your target schools.

What Is on the 7 Plus?

The specific content varies between schools, but most 7 Plus exams assess skills across the three core areas: English, Maths and Reasoning. Some schools also include a formal interview or group observation session.

English

The English component of the 7 Plus usually includes:

• Reading comprehension
• Creative writing
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG)
• Dictation

Schools are looking for children who can write in full, structured sentences, use varied and precise vocabulary, answer questions with appropriate inference and reasoning, and demonstrate consistent spelling and punctuation.

Reading from an early age is one of the most impactful things families can do to build these skills.

Maths

The 7 Plus Maths exam papers typically include:

• Number bonds and place value
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Times tables
• Word problems and multi-step reasoning
• Simple fractions and early decimals
• Time and money
• Shape, space and measure
• Data handling.

At the most selective schools, your child might be expected to apply knowledge to unfamiliar problems and think flexibly, rather than simply recalling procedures they have learned at school.

Reasoning

Reasoning is an increasingly important part of the 7 Plus exam. Unlike English and Maths, it is not part of the National Curriculum and many children taking the exam have not been taught it in school. For this reason, careful, deliberate preparation for the Reasoning component of the 7 Plus often makes a huge difference to a child’s results.

Prep schools include it in the exam because it gives them an insight into a child’s ways of thinking, not just their subject knowledge. Some assess Reasoning in a separate paper, while others integrate it into their English and Maths assessments.

The reasoning content can be split into two parts: Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning tasks test your child’s ability to understand and work with language logically. Some common question types include:

• Identifying the missing word in a series of related words
• Analogy questions (e.g. Bird is to tree as fox is to _)
• Synonym and antonym identification
• Sorting words into categories based on shared characteristics

Non-verbal Reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning tests use shapes, patterns and visual sequences to assess logical thinking, independent of language. Question types include:

• Pattern recognition tasks involving colours, sizes, angles and directions
• Code solving
• Spotting similarities and odd ones out
• Basic matrix completion
• Riddles, sudokus and other word puzzles.
• Spatial awareness tasks using Lego, jigsaw puzzles or even Rubik’s cubes.
• Visual puzzles, interpreting diagrams or images. Visual analogies and series completion
• Shape rotation and reflection

Many parents find reasoning the most challenging area to support at home, because it lies outside the standard curriculum. This is where our specialist support from a Dukes 7 Plus tutor can make a real difference, introducing children to question types systematically and building the cognitive flexibility schools are looking for.

7 Plus Interview

Many selective prep schools include an individual or small‑group 7 Plus interview in the admissions process. These are usually informal and assess your child’s communication skills, confidence, listening and focus, social interaction, curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Some schools also observe how children collaborate on group tasks or problem‑solving activities in a classroom‑style session.

Key qualities assessed include:

• Clear, confident verbal communication
• Ability to listen and respond thoughtfully
• Curiosity and eagerness to engage with new ideas.

Although we recommend fun, gentle preparation for interviews, it’s important to avoid the mistake of over-coaching your child. Schools will not be impressed with obviously memorised answers or, worse still, a child revealing that they gave their answer only because their parent or tutor told them to! A good tutor will develop the underlying skills of confidence, eloquence, and self-reflection which lead to success in interviews, without giving your child scripted answers to learn and rehearse. This way, they remain authentically themselves while still impressing their interviewer.

Example 7 Plus Interview Questions

Here are some example questions your child might be asked during their 7 Plus interview:

• What do you enjoy most about school?
• Can you tell me about a book you’ve read recently and why you liked it?
• What do you find difficult, and how do you deal with it?
• Who do you admire, and why?
• If you could invent something, what would it be and what would it do?
• What would you do if you were given a free afternoon with no plans?
• Tell me something you’ve learned recently that surprised you.

These types of questions are designed to bring out your child’s personality, values, and way of thinking. The goal is for your child to speak naturally and confidently.

Our specialist interview preparation tutors help children prepare for the 7 Plus interview in a supportive environment, so they feel confident and relaxed on the day. They know the types of interview used by popular schools and can help your child prepare accordingly.

You may also find our guide to 11 Plus interview questions a useful reference for older siblings or to build broader interview confidence.

How to Prepare for the 7 Plus

Preparing effectively for the 7 Plus exam is a gradual process. Because content often exceeds National Curriculum expectations for Year 2, a programme of gentle, consistent preparation begun early will give your child time to build their skills and confidence.

The most effective preparation combines:

• Daily reading
• Mental arithmetic practice
• Times tables
• Creative writing
• Reasoning puzzles

It is also important to not overlook the emotional side of your child’s preparation. For many children, the 7 Plus exam will be their first experience of formal testing. Building resilience and a healthy attitude to challenge is just as important as drilling exam technique. Our blog on how to deal with exam stress offers practical advice for families navigating this.

7 Plus Past Papers

Practising with 7 Plus exam past papers is one of the most effective ways to prepare. Many schools publish these on their admissions page, listed below are a few schools who do this:

• King’s College School Wimbledon
• North London Collegiate School
• Bond Assessment Papers – widely used practice booklets covering English, Maths, and Reasoning at 7 Plus level.

Our Dukes 7 Plus mock exam service offer your child the opportunity to experience a realistic, full-length 7 Plus assessment in a supervised setting, complete with detailed written feedback on performance. This is a valuable tool to have available in the final months of preparation.

Best 7 Plus Exam Books

A good selection of preparation books can provide your child structure and variety for home practice. The following are widely used by families preparing for the 7 Plus exam:

• Bond 7 Plus Practice Papers
• CGP 7 Plus Practice Papers
• Galore Park 7 Plus English & Maths
• Schofield & Sims Comprehension and Mental Maths

When to Use a 7 Plus Tutor

A specialist 7 Plus tutor can make a significant difference to your child’s results, particularly for children who need to stretch beyond the Year 2 curriculum or for parents who are unsure how to approach reasoning and interview preparation at home.

A tutor can be particularly valuable when:

• Your child needs to work beyond their current school’s Year 2 curriculum level
• You are applying to particularly selective prep schools
• You want a structured, personalised learning plan with clear milestones
• Verbal or non-verbal reasoning feels difficult to support at home
• Your child needs support building confidence and reducing exam anxiety.

Dukes Tutoring offers 7 Plus tutors who are experienced in the requirements of the UK’s most selective prep schools. Our tutoring includes one-to-one tuition, structured learning plans, specialist interview preparation, and 7 Plus mock exams.

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