8 Plus Exam Papers

What are 8 Plus Papers?

A Guide to using 8 Plus papers

The 8 Plus exam is an entrance test into Year 4 which is used by some private schools in the UK to assess children. The 8 Plus exam is aimed at children who are currently in Year 3. The papers usually consist of English and Maths, and sometimes Reasoning, and are designed to evaluate the academic abilities of the applicants. If they understand the structure and can prepare strategically, parents can aid children in achieving a good score, and thus a place at their desired school.

The English 8 Plus paper – comprehension

There is usually a comprehension section in each English 8 Plus paper. This aims to test a child’s ability to understand and answer questions about written texts. Children will be given a passage from either a fiction or non-fiction text, followed by a series of questions. There will be various skills involved in answering the questions, but the most important one is to read for understanding. There will also be a level of inference involved, so ensure you practise more complex texts together.

The English 8 Plus paper – creative writing

The second section of the English paper will be a creative writing question. Usually based on a picture, this written task encourages children to express themselves in an unstructured fashion. Children are usually asked to write a description or a narrative, and examiners like to see children’s imaginations here. Again, reading is important preparation, as children learn so much at this age from immersing themselves in other people’s stories and learning how to write engaging content.

The Maths 8 Plus paper

There is usually a longer Maths paper, which is based on their studies at school, but with an element of extension. There will be two sections to this, problem solving and arithmetic. Normally children who are successful at this level will be those who are working at ‘above expected’ range at their current school. Books of 8 Plus papers can help, but the Maths must be challenging. It is unusual for children to finish the paper; the most important thing is to have a go at as many questions as possible.

Which Schools Offer 8 Plus Papers?

There are many schools which offer 8 Plus, although this is subject to change as if schools complete their allocated numbers at 7 Plus, they may close entry to 8 Plus.

Below are some schools which at the time of writing offer the 8 Plus exam, with links to past papers and admissions information:

Solihull School

Westminster Under School

King’s College Wimbledon

St Paul’s School

UCS Hampstead