Passing the Eton 13+ Scholarship Exams
The Eton 13+ Kings Scholarship Examinations are highly competitive and are awarded to around 14 scholars each academic year. They are based on examinations sat in the Spring of year 8, by boys who have already been offered a conditional place at Eton.
The assessment consists of compulsory and optional papers.
Compulsory:
English: comprehension and writing skills
Creative Writing: Imagination, style, structure
Maths A: Numerical and Analytical skills
Science: Biology Chemistry, Physics
General I: Logical Thinking and Imaginative Problem Solving
Candidates must choose 3 from the following optional papers:
French, Latin or Greek
General II
Maths B
History-Geography-Divinity
This is quite a rigorous and intensive set of papers to prepare for, and the nature of these papers are far from ordinary – they match in difficulty, many 16+ level papers.
English A includes long mark questions on very literary extracts such as classic poetry and prose, with part II requiring an extended answer to a writing prompt requiring deep thought, originality, excellent structuring and high-level language skills. English B may present a prompt, again, complex or classical in its nature, that requires deep analysis as well as including an extended creative writing piece focused around the prompt.
General Papers I and II intensively test logical thinking with logic test scenarios as well as extended ethical and philosophical questions. While Maths A and B include many extended maths logic style problems as well as more demanding questions on algebra and geometry, and maths challenge style questions.
Science papers are broken down into Theory and Data papers which really test the nitty gritty of scientific and analytical thinking, even delving into why a formula may be inversely proportional and involve a constant, requiring the student to break down the mathematical logic of real-world physical phenomena.
The papers are demanding but ultimately do-able. They do require quite a bit of brainpower and some serious preparation though!
(A final note to add, Eton does offer the Rokos scholarship to exceptional students educated in the state sector and requiring financial assistance – with 4 available each year, the competition is stiff!)
Good luck in your preparation for the Eton King’s Scholarship examinations!