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Reading School 11+: the FSCE test
Four papers that use what boys learn up to Year 5, across every subject.
What boys sit
- Four papers: Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery.
- Year 5 knowledge applied across subjects, from science and computing to history, music and languages.
- Multiple choice, short answers and written answers, including a creativity task.
Timings and question counts are not published, and the format changes from year to year.
How it is scored
- Scores are age-standardised.
- A boy must reach the school's standard in every assessed part.
- The Discovery paper is the first tie-break.
150
places: 138 day and 12 boarding.
How day places are given
- Priority candidates, such as looked-after boys and eligible Pupil or Service Premium boys.
- Sporting aptitude, after a separate assessment.
- Feeder primary schools, only for boys who also live in the priority postcode area: up to half of the places left.
- Priority postcodes: up to 80% of the places still left.
- Wider catchment.
- Other eligible boys. Outside-catchment day applicants have their creativity paper assessed only if places remain after 1 March 2027.
Where a boy lives counts from the July test day to National Offer Day. The postcode lists are in the 2027 admissions policy. Boarding places have their own policy.
September 2026 entry, in numbers
| Boys who sat the test | 991 |
| Boys who reached the standard | 471 |
| Of them, day applicants in catchment | 358 |
| Of them, boarding applicants | 61 |
How to prepare
Secure Year 5 English and maths first, then practise using it somewhere new: a science result, a robot's instructions, a map, a bar of music. Then practise explaining an idea in writing.
- Reading School creativity examples, with strong answers.
- The FSCE familiarisation guide, from the school.
- Every published date.
Preparing a Year 5 child?
Lesson 1 tours both tests and finds your child's level.
Start the free lesson