About 7+ Exams
The 7+ exam is part of a process of admissions for children to enter competitive Prep schools or Feeder Schools, often from a different Pre-Prep or Feeder Schools or state primary school. Children sit the exam in the January of Year 2. It is usually the first significant academic test a child takes, hence many consider hiring a 7+ tutor. Although this seems early to sit formal exams, parents often choose this entry point hoping to avoid the stress of 11+ entry. The admissions process will also include a reference from the child’s current school and usually an interview with the Head.
The child’s academic performance in the exam is usually the deciding factor in determining whether they are offered a place, particularly for more academic schools. However, all schools are looking for children that they would like to teach. They want children to be happy and thrive in their school environment, who will make the most of the opportunities afforded to them.
What is on the 7+ Exam
Unlike the 11+, where schools often use an external exam board, Prep schools usually set their own 7 Plus exam. The exam traditionally consists of a Mathematics Paper and an English paper, each of around 45 minutes. However, we are seeing more and more schools adding an element of Reasoning to their 7+ exams. This is intended to identify academic potential, rather than selecting children who have simply rote learned extra work. 7+ tutors usually cover all academic disciplines tested in the exam.
What is on the 7+ Maths Paper
The 7+ maths paper correlates quite closely with the Year 2 National Curriculum Maths Syllabus. However, because the exam is sat halfway through Year 2, your child must learn the remainder of the Year 2 Maths topics before they are taught them in class. For the most competitive schools, 7+ questions will include topics from Year 3 and beyond. The majority of the paper involves mental arithmetic and tests the four operations. Additionally, it will typically include mathematical puzzles and wordy maths problems to unpick and solve. As a rule of thumb, ensure your child has covered the following topics confidently:
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The concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and ‘sharing’/division and be able to apply these rules to solve word problems.
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The 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables.
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Have a basic understanding of shape, time and money.
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Interpret simple tables and charts.
Our 7+ tutor can help with all these topics.
What is on the 7+ English Paper
7+ English papers tend to strongly focus on comprehension and creative writing. For this age group, comprehensions tend to require children to pick out relevant facts and answer questions in full sentences. Children need to be taught this technique and practice it. Pre-Preps may have started this work, but children at state primaries often need to learn this from scratch for their 7+ exam.
For the Creative Writing element of the 7+ exam, children are often shown a story prompt such as an image and asked to write a story based upon this. Marks are awarded for an appropriate and relevant story, with a beginning, middle and end, legible handwriting, and good use of age-appropriate grammar. Children are expected to write a story 1-2 pages long.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is, for the 7+, considered a test of ‘potential’. For this reason, parents often worry that they cannot help their children improve their Verbal Reasoning scores. This is absolutely not the case! Although your child may have a natural affinity for the subject, there are a finite number of types of Verbal Reasoning questions. It is easy to practice and improve on them all in an age appropriate way and a 7+ tutor can help.
Verbal Reasoning tests a child’s understanding of the complexity and nuance of language. By far the best long-term preparation for Verbal Reasoning success is to create a daily reading habit with your child. Vocabulary acquisition is a slow process and cannot be crammed into a few months at the end of Year 2.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning is also considered a test of ‘potential’ and is connected to numeracy, testing children’s understanding of number patterns and spatial awareness. As with Verbal Reasoning, each child will have a natural affinity for this topic but can certainly improve. Your child should practice all iterations of the test, with you or a 7+ tutor.
Beyond formal practice questions, all the following will develop your child’s understanding of 3D shapes and number patterns:
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Building with Lego, completing jigsaw puzzles or trying to solve the Rubik’s cube are all excellent ways to develop spatial awareness.
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Sudokus, riddles and word puzzles can all enhance problem solving abilities. Strategic games such as chess and draughts are brilliant for decision-making and thinking ahead.
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Learning to pay attention to colours, directions, sizes, angles or the lines of puzzles. This might help your child notice a pattern, connection or dissimilarity.
Promoting a positive and playful approach will help achieve stress-free success
Tutoring for the 7+
Given the competitive nature of the 7+, particularly for London day schools, and the fact that the exams itself pull in the syllabus from Years 2 and 3 that few children will be taught in time, there is a need for someone to prepare your child for the 7+ exam. This may be your child’s current school, you as parents and/or a 7 + tutor.
Tuition at such a young age is always a contentious topic and we understand that parents may baulk at imposing such pressure on their six year olds. Our advice is to be realistic about what you as parents can achieve consistently week in week out and make sure that at least some family time remains for relaxation and fun. However you decide to prepare, lessons should be light-hearted and fun and in gentle increments.