Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Entrance Exam Information – Third Year Admissions
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Table of Contents
Introduction
The twentieth-oldest independent school in the country, Abingdon School is a popular day and boarding establishment for boys in Oxfordshire. Over the years, it has undergone numerous refurbishments to its facilities, including expansions to the boarding houses Austin House, Crescent House and School House. The school’s co-curricular programme is known as Other Half, boasting over 150 activities, such as architecture club, blues society, chamber orchestra, computer animation and e-sports. [1]
The educational environment at Abingdon School is defined by an abundance of experiences that contribute to the comprehensive development of all students. The combination of exceptional teaching and a diverse curriculum effectively nurtures and maximises the cohort’s abilities in languages, science, mathematics, the arts and many other disciplines while also stimulating their curiosity and love for learning.
Beyond the classroom, Abingdon offers the acclaimed Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Combined Cadet Force programmes. Participation is optional and begins in the Fourth Year for DofE and Third year for CCF. As esteemed youth organisations, the CCF and DofE schemes place a strong emphasis on developing leadership and teamwork skills, as well as fostering attributes such as self-discipline and responsibility.
Abingdon School’s many successes are supported by dedicated teaching staff, whose exceptional support, professionalism and commitment to the all-round growth of students have been instrumental in fostering a thriving educational environment. The dedication and expertise of these educators have significantly contributed to the recent GCSE results, with an impressive 81.4% of all grades in the 9-7 range. [2]
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Exam Information 2024
Address: Park Road, Abingdon, OX14 1DE
County: Oxfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@abingdon.org.uk or +44 (0)1235 849041
School type: Independent day and boarding school for boys
Open events: Each term
13+ Exam date: October of Year 7
13+ Exam board: Online test & written paper
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Open Days
Abingdon School offers a range of open events designed for families considering enrolment. Prospective students have the opportunity to experience the campus’s atmosphere during Taster Mornings, while parents are invited to attend Discover Abingdon Open Mornings, where they can listen to a speech from the Head and take a guided tour of the premises. Additionally, the school provides the option to arrange private appointments for those families seeking a more personalised experience. Click here to learn more.
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Third Year Admissions
The next step in the admissions journey is to register for a place. A registration fee of £200, which is non-refundable, is required, and the online registration form must be submitted by the beginning of May in Year 6.
Following registration, Abingdon School invites all candidates to sit a formal assessment scheduled for October of Year 7. Additionally, a reference from your son’s current school will be obtained, highlighting his personal and social development, as well as his general conduct.
Based on the results of the assessment and a positive reference, selected candidates will be invited for an interview, which is vital to the admissions process. Interviews are reserved for those with strong references and who demonstrate academic excellence in the 13+ examination.
Upon successful completion of all the stages in the admissions process, your son may be offered a place. To secure it, you will be asked to pay a deposit, which will be refunded upon your son’s departure from the school.
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Scholarships and Bursaries
For students seeking entry at 13+, Abingdon School offers scholarships for exceptional talent in the following areas:
⦾ Academia
⦾ Design & Technology
⦾ Drama
⦾ Sports
⦾ Music
⦾ Art
Candidates for Academic scholarships are evaluated on the grounds of their performance in additional assessments and their conduct during an interview. Sports scholarships require the candidate to demonstrate exceptional talent in at least two of the following sports: athletics, swimming, rowing, cricket, cross-country, football, hockey, badminton, rugby, squash, tennis.
Aspiring Drama scholars need to provide a CV detailing their previous performances. Among other requirements, they will also be asked to perform a two-minute excerpt from a scripted drama.
Music enthusiasts will be asked to participate in an audition, amongst other things. For Art scholarships, candidates must present a compelling digital portfolio and participate in a practical art assessment and interview. Design & Technology scholarship applicants are required to submit a digital portfolio of their work, in the form of a PDF presentation or a hosted web page, and will also undergo an assessment and interview.
In addition to scholarships, Abingdon School offers means-tested bursaries for eligible families, potentially covering up to 100% of the day tuition fees. The amount of assistance provided depends on the specific financial situation of each family. Further details regarding the school’s financial assistance programme are available here.
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Exam Format – Third Year Admissions
The 13+ assessment at Abingdon School consists of:
- An online test
- A descriptive writing paper
The online test at Abingdon School consists of the following sections:
⦿ Mathematics: includes questions that will evaluate your child’s proficiency in various mathematical domains, including problem solving and arithmetic.
⦿ English: includes questions that will assess your child’s reading comprehension, grammar, spelling and punctuation skills.
⦿ Verbal Reasoning: includes questions testing vocabulary and understanding of meaning in context while also testing the ability to identify relationships between words.
⦿ Non-Verbal Reasoning: includes questions that will evaluate your child’s spatial and visual reasoning through multiple-choice questions.
⦿ Puzzles & Problem Solving: includes interactive puzzles accompanied by questions that require multiple-choice and/or typed answers.
⦿ Creative Comprehension: includes multiple-choice questions based on various sources, such as texts, maps, diagrams, timetables and charts.
The descriptive writing paper is expected to last approximately 25 minutes. This assessment will focus on evaluating your son’s abilities in punctuation, grammar and spelling, as well as his creativity and imaginative skills.
How to Prepare for the Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Exam
For successful preparation for the Abingdon School 13+ entrance exam, we recommend using our tailored resources. Our practice tests will help familiarise your son with the exam format and question types that will come up, increasing his confidence as the exam day approaches.
These resources allow you to identify your son’s strengths and weaknesses, helping you create an effective revision plan that comprises regular, short study sessions. Additionally, our mock exams will train him to answer questions quickly under time pressure.
Our updated and well-researched resources offer a structured approach to exam preparation, giving your son an advantage over other candidates. Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the Abingdon School 13 plus entrance examination can be found below.
Abingdon School 13 Plus (13+) Practice Tests
Abingdon 13+ Practice Tests
To successfully prepare your child for the Abingdon School 13+ online bespoke test, we recommend the following online resources, which are specifically designed to help students familiarise themselves with the online test format in all the key areas:
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 1
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 2
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 3
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 4
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 5
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 6
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 7
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 8
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 9
13+ Abingdon School Practice Test 10
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13+ Abingdon Tests 1-10 Bundle - Save 30%
✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the Abingdon School 13+ online test and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
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Abingdon 13+ Skill Practice Tests
The following Skill Practice exercises each focus on one module that will come up in the Abingdon School 13+ bespoke entrance test, allowing you to target the specific exam sections that your child finds challenging:
13+ Abingdon School Mathematics
13+ Abingdon School Creative Comprehension Pack 1
13+ Abingdon School Creative Comprehension Pack 2
13+ Abingdon School Puzzles & Problem Solving Pack 1
13+ Abingdon School Puzzles & Problem Solving Pack 2
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Abingdon 13+ Descriptive Writing
The following resources are at the correct difficulty level and provide fast and effective preparation for the 13+ descriptive writing paper taken in Year 7:
12+ English: Rewrite & Improve
12+ English: Vocabulary & Grammar
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. As the exam is taken in Year 7, as opposed to Year 8, the following 12+ prompts will prove ideal for preparing for the writing section of the Abingdon School 13+ exam:
12+ Descriptive Writing Prompts
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Abingdon School 13+ past papers. The information provided about Abingdon School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of possible future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post. Exam Papers Plus is not endorsed by Abingdon School.
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