At a glance
11+ · Year 7 · about 170 places
English: Creative Writing and Comprehension (40 min), Words and Reasoning (40 min), Maths (45 min); interview with two teachers (about 30 min); school reference
13+ Pre-test (sat in Year 6) · Year 9 · places not published
Same three papers as the 11+, sat in Year 6; interview with two teachers (about 30 min); school reference. Unsuccessful boys may sit a Year 7 Pre-test afresh.
10+ Advance Place (sat in Year 5) · Year 7 · about 35 places
Creative Writing (30 min) and Maths (40 min); interview with one teacher (about 20 min); school reference (registration closed)
| Entry point | Joins in | Places (approx.) | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | About 170 | English: Creative Writing and Comprehension (40 min), Words and Reasoning (40 min), Maths (45 min); interview with two teachers (about 30 min); school reference |
| 13+ Pre-test (sat in Year 6) | Year 9 | Not published | Same three papers as the 11+, sat in Year 6; interview with two teachers (about 30 min); school reference. Unsuccessful boys may sit a Year 7 Pre-test afresh. |
| 10+ Advance Place (sat in Year 5) | Year 7 | About 35 | Creative Writing (30 min) and Maths (40 min); interview with one teacher (about 20 min); school reference (registration closed) |
13+ is not a Year 8 exam: boys at prep schools that finish at the end of Year 8 sit the Pre-test in Year 6 (now for September 2029 entry), with a Year 7 Pre-test as a second chance. Boys may sit for 11+ or 13+ but not both. The 10+ Advance Place is sat in Year 5 for a deferred Year 7 place.
The school's pages give two deadlines for access-arrangement requests (1 November, or at least eight weeks before the exam), so check with the admissions team.
Entry points and who can apply
Hampton is a boys' school. Both the 11+ and the 13+ routes start with the same written exam, sat in Year 6. There are three ways to apply from outside.
- 11+ (Year 7). For boys born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, for entry in September 2027. Boys sit the exam in Year 6. The school says it typically welcomes 170 new boys into Year 7 each September.
- 13+ (Year 9). This is not a Year 8 exam. Boys at prep schools that finish at the end of Year 8 sit a 13+ Pre-test in Year 6, on the same day and with the same papers as the 11+. Boys in Year 6 now are applying for September 2029. A boy who is unsuccessful can sit a Year 7 Pre-test afresh a year later. The Year 7 Pre-test is also open to boys who have not sat before, if they attend a prep school that finishes at the end of Year 8. Registration for this year's Year 7 Pre-test (for September 2028) closed on 1 October 2026.
- 10+ Advance Place (sat in Year 5). Boys in Year 5 can sit a shorter exam for a deferred place in Year 7. Registration for this year's exam (for September 2028) closed on 1 October 2026. The school says around 35 places are offered each year. A boy who is unsuccessful can sit the 11+ completely afresh in Year 6.
Choose your route carefully. Boys may sit for 11+ or 13+ entry, but not both. The admissions policy adds that a boy who is unsuccessful at 10+ or 11+ cannot then sit for 13+, and a boy unsuccessful in the Year 6 Pre-test cannot be considered for 11+.
You register online and pay a non-refundable £180 fee. The school waives the fee if your son is eligible for Pupil Premium; contact the admissions team if that applies. Registration for 11+ and the Year 6 Pre-test closes on Sunday 1 November 2026. The registration page says further information about the exam is sent about six to eight weeks beforehand.
If your son may need access arrangements, such as extra time, apply early with a recent specialist report. The school's access arrangements page says requests must arrive by 1 November and late requests cannot be considered. Its admissions policy says at least eight weeks before the assessment. Check with the admissions team.
The assessment: what your son will sit
The school sets its own papers. It says they are based on Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum and are designed to identify academic potential and innate ability rather than test what has been taught. The 11+ and the Year 6 Pre-test are the same three written papers, sat on Saturday 21 November 2026.
| Paper | Time |
|---|---|
| English: Creative Writing and Comprehension | 40 min |
| Words and Reasoning | 40 min |
| Mathematics | 45 min |
That is just over two hours of papers in total. The school's admissions pages do not describe the Words and Reasoning paper beyond its title, and past papers are not released.
The 10+ Advance Place exam has two papers: Creative Writing (30 minutes) and Mathematics (40 minutes). The admissions policy says the 10+ and 11+ assessments are designed using similar principles but produced to suit each age group.
What this means in practice
- One English paper, two tasks. Creative writing and comprehension share a 40-minute paper, so your son needs to manage his time between them.
- Practise maths problem solving. The school recommends lots of practice with maths problem-solving questions.
- Reading supports every paper. The school says wide reading will help in all the papers.
Interview and the decision
Boys who show potential in the written papers are invited to interview. For 11+ and the 13+ Pre-test, your son meets two teachers for around 30 minutes in total. The 11+ interviews are on the afternoons of Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 January 2027; the 13+ Pre-test interviews are on Saturday 9 January 2027. At 10+, the interview is with one teacher for around 20 minutes.
The school says the interviews play a key role in its decision: they help it get to know boys as people and see their fit with its ethos and values. It decides using three things:
- the written exam
- the interview
- a confidential reference from your son's current school, which Hampton requests before the exam
Results for 11+ and the 13+ Pre-test are emailed on Friday 12 February 2027. For 11+, you must accept by noon in early March 2027. For a 13+ offer, the school lists the acceptance deadline as January 2028, and the offer is conditional on a final report from your son's prep school.
Tuition for 2026-27 is £10,416 a term including VAT. Accepting a place needs a deposit of £2,400, which the school refunds after your son's final term, provided notice is given in line with its rules.
Help with fees: bursaries and scholarships
Hampton offers means-tested bursaries worth from 10% to 100% of fees. Its fully funded Free Places also cover uniform and sports kit, coach travel, lunches, co-curricular activities such as music lessons, and trips; the school says 90 pupils in the Senior School and Sixth Form currently hold one. Awards are available for entry to Year 7, Year 9 and the Sixth Form, and the number varies each year.
The school does not publish an income threshold. It says that, as a guide, pupils receiving Pupil Premium are likely to be eligible for a Free Place, and that boys applying for Year 7 should be working at Greater Depth in English and maths at primary school. For 11+ and the 13+ Pre-test, bursary applications close on Sunday 1 November 2026, the same day as registration.
Scholarships are awarded on merit and typically carry a fee remission of 5% to 10%. They are not means-tested and can be combined with a bursary. Every boy who sits the 11+ is automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship. Art, Chess, Music, Performing Arts and Sport Scholarships are also offered at 11+ and 13+, and Choral Scholarships at 11+ with the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. For these at 11+, only boys invited to interview after the written exam are considered, assessments take place in January and February 2027, and applications close on Tuesday 17 November 2026.
How to prepare
The school says it does not recommend tutoring, because it is looking for naturally bright boys who will thrive and be happy at Hampton. It encourages wide reading and lots of maths problem-solving practice. That is where to start.
- Read widely and talk about it. Fiction and non-fiction, with questions about meaning, word choice and what a writer is suggesting.
- Make problem solving a habit. Secure Year 5 and Year 6 maths, then spend time on multi-step problems where he has to work out the method himself.
- Practise the English paper as one task. Forty minutes for comprehension and a piece of writing together. Agree a rough split of the time and stick to it.
- Write short pieces regularly. Clear paragraphs, varied vocabulary, careful spelling and punctuation. Read them back together.
- Build up to three papers. The papers add up to just over two hours. A few full timed sittings in the autumn help him get used to the length.
- Don't drill for the interview. The school wants to get to know your son as a person. Talking at home about what he enjoys, and why, is good practice.
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Sources
All checked on 21 October 2026. Akiru is independent and not connected with Hampton School. Always confirm details with the school before applying.