8 Plus (8+) Exam – Westminster Under – Key Admissions Details 2024
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Westminster Under is an independent preparatory school for boys that was founded in 1943. Originally occupying the grounds of Westminster School, it was relocated to its current setting in St Vincent’s Square in 1981. Many notable composers, actors, writers and MPs are part of WUS’ alumni list. [1]
The curriculum is thorough and versatile, covering a wide range of subjects including languages, history, geography, sciences, mathematics and ICT. These disciplines are supported by the use of relevant contemporary technology, which helps enhance the learning experience by both challenging and engaging students.
The well-rounded and comprehensive education on offer also features a vast range of extras, including fencing, judo, robotics and tennis. In addition to these, Westminster Under provides boys with opportunities to extend their cultural experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Accordingly, visits to museums and trips to destinations such as Italy, France and Belgium, are organised on regular basis. [2]
Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: 27 Vincent Square SW1P 2NN
County: Greater London
Admissions info: 020 7821 5788
School type: Independent preparatory school
Open days: September
8+ Exam date: January of Year 3
Pass mark: Aim for 75%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Open Events for Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Entry
Families are invited to attend the September Open Morning, during which they will tour the school, speak with staff and students and ask any questions they may have. To register your attendance, please click here. The event begins with a talk from the Master, followed by tours of facilities led by current pupils. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
To register for an 8+ place at the school, a non-refundable fee must be paid by the deadline in October of the year preceding entry. The school strongly recommends early registration.
Formal assessments for entry into Year 4 take place in January of the year preceding entry. Please note that shortlisted applicants will be further assessed. This will include classroom-based activities and an interview with a Senior staff member.
If your child is offered a place at the school, you will be asked to accept it with a payment of a £1,000 acceptance deposit.
Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The Stage 1 Westminster Under 8 Plus exam consists of written papers covering the following topics:
⦾ Reasoning
The Reasoning test will assess Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning skills, evaluating intelligence and logical thinking instead of acquired knowledge.
⦾ English
The English paper assesses comprehension and grammar skills through multiple-choice questions.
⦾ Mathematics
The maths paper assesses problem-solving and arithmetic skills through multiple-choice questions.
Please note that there will be further assessments in English as part of the Stage 2 exam, testing your child’s writing ability.
Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Interviews and Activities
Candidates who are successful in the exam will be called back for an activity and assessment session, which includes a short interview with the Master or a senior member of staff. Past classroom-based assessment activities have included being taught imaginary languages, sorting pictures of famous buildings into date order and working in groups on a collage.
Interviews take place in smaller break out groups of approx. 3-4 candidates. Questions can be subject-based or about a child’s family, interests and hobbies. Questions such as ‘Who do you most admire and why?’ and ‘If you won a million pounds on the lottery, what would you do with it?’ have featured in the past.
Westminster Under School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 75%+ consistently in our 8+ practice tests should be on track to pass the WUS 8+ assessment.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Westminster Under 8 plus exam.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
Westminster Under 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Stage One: Reasoning, English & Maths
Reasoning
The Stage One test assesses Reasoning skills. While the questions in our practice tests are online, they will prove useful as the style (multiple-choice) and difficulty level will be very similar:
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 1
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 2
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 3
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 4
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 5
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 6
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 7
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 8
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 9
8+ Westminster Reasoning Practice Test 10
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended online practice test resources for the Westminster Under School Stage One 8+ Reasoning exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ WUS Reasoning Bundle - Save 30%
Don’t forget to use the code ppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £80 and 20% off orders over £200 if you don’t buy a bundle.
English
We highly recommend the following practice papers to help your child prepare for the Westminster Under School Stage One 8+ English test. This exam is paper-based; it is not taken online. These practice tests cover all the key comprehension and grammar question types you can expect in the actual exam:
8+ Westminster English Practice Test 1
8+ Westminster English Practice Test 2
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended English resources for the Stage One Westminster Under School 8+ exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ WUS English Bundle - Save 15%
Mathematics
The following practice tests have been created to help your child prepare for the 8+ Westminster Under School Stage One Maths exam. This exam is paper-based; it is not taken online. These practice tests will provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses:
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended Mathematics resources for the Stage One Westminster Under School 8+ exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ WUS Mathematics Bundle - Save 15%
Further Reasoning Practice
To help your child further develop Reasoning skills ahead of the Stage One Westminster Under School 8+ exam, we highly recommend the following resources:
Further English Practice
The following 8+ packs will help your child enhance the key skills needed to do well in the English section of the Westminster Under School Stage One exam:
Full Practice Tests
Comprehension Skills
8+ English: Comprehension Pack 2
8+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
Comprehension Guide
This guide covers all the key comprehension question types in a clear, step-by-step manner so that both you and your child know exactly what to expect on exam day.
The Complete Guide to 8+ Comprehension
Further Maths Practice
The following 8+ packs will help your child further improve the key skills needed to do well in the mathematics section of the Westminster Under School Stage One test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
WUS 8+ Further Practice Bundle – Save 25%!
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our further practice recommended resources for the Westminster Under School 8+ Stage One exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ WUS Further Practice Bundle - Save 25%
Stage Two: Interviews and Activities
English Writing
The 8+ Stage Two Exam includes a Writing Task. To improve your child’s writing skills ahead of the English writing assessment at Westminster Under School, we highly recommend the following packs:
Writing Guide
Starting from the basics, this guide works its way through all the key skills your child needs to develop to become an excellent writer within the framework of what’s expected at the 8+ level.
The Complete Guide to 8+ Writing
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Listening
The following pack is ideal for developing listening skills ahead of the WUS 8 Plus entrance exam:
WUS 8+ Stage Two Bundle – Save 15%!
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Westminster Under School 8+ Stage Two Assessment and Interview at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ WUS Stage 2 Bundle - Save 15%
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Westminster Under School 8+ exam past papers. The information provided about Westminster Under School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Other entry points for Westminster Under:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 12 entry via the 16 Plus (16+) Exam
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