Year 9
Early Decision

All Early Decision applicants will need to take the ISEB pre-test in their current school or another testing centre between September and November. We will also consider the school reference at this stage, along with other information such as the co-curricular form that parents have completed. Following the pre-test process, the majority of candidates will be invited through to the second stage.

The second stage takes the form of an assessment day at Sevenoaks in early January. On this day, all candidates will take written examinations in Maths and English (for which past papers are available below) and participate in a 40-minute group discussion activity led by Sevenoaks teachers. Boarding applicants will also participate in teamwork activities. As an alternative to taking the tests in Sevenoaks, we will also host an assessment day in Hong Kong in the autumn/winter (date to be confirmed).

If candidates are not able to attend either the Sevenoaks or Hong Kong assessment day, they should opt for a Later Decision application.

Offers are made in the February of Year 6 and are conditional on the child staying in their current school for Years 7 and 8. If a child needs to move school, this must be agreed in advance by the Director of Admissions.

Parents will need to send a copy of their child’s school report at the end of Year 7. An updated reference will be requested from the current school in the Spring of Year 8. We reserve the right to withdraw an offer in the event of serious concerns.

Early Decision candidates cannot reapply for a Later Decision place unless invited to do so by the Director of Admissions. While Year 9 Early Decision candidates will take their assessments on the same day as our 11+ applicants, the two processes are separate. The Admissions department will take note of requests to join the school earlier, but our 11+ process is highly oversubscribed and it is unlikely that we will be able to accommodate such requests.

We are keen to accommodate candidates who need extra time, word processing or other access arrangements. You can read more about the school’s learning support provision here.

Timetable for Year 9 Entry in September 2028

Early Decision applicants only

Results

Offers of places are sent by email to all candidates. Acceptance of all places must be confirmed by the payment of a deposit (£2,000 for day pupils; £5,000 for boarding pupils) and the completion of an Acceptance Form by the date specified in our offer letter. The final acceptance deadline for Early Decision places will be in the January of Year 7. Any candidate who decides not to accept their place is requested to inform us of their decision as soon as possible so their place can be released.

Some candidates will be reserved. This means they have passed our tests and have demonstrated that they would be good Sevenoaks students. We will be pleased to offer them a place if one becomes available later in the process. Parents are advised to keep in touch with the Director of Admissions in this situation. We consider our reserve candidates as a pool, not a list. When a place becomes available, we offer it to the most suitable reserved candidate.