What Tests Will My Child Have to Take?

The school system in England includes junior, middle and high school. Exams are intermediate links in this chain. They allow children to transfer to English schools at 7-11, 13, 15 or 16 years old.

Prep-School

7-11 years old. The most responsible and at the same time the most convenient age for admission. The child becomes a compulsory exam in English and, depending on the school:

Also, some schools require “verbal reasoning” and “non-verbal reasoning” for admission – complicated versions of the IQ test and the level of English. Children may be required to take SIT testing (System integration testing).

Common entrance

11-13 years old. Mid-term exam between elementary and high school. It is evaluated by the admissions committee of the school where the student enters.

Preparation for Common Entrance tests lasts the last 2 years in elementary school. Children take compulsory subjects – mathematics, English, science, as well as elective subjects: foreign language, history, geography and religion. Admission to prestigious high schools requires 60% of assignments completed correctly.

GCSE

14-16 years old. High school stage in England lasting 2 years. GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is an academic qualification in a particular subject.

To obtain this qualification, students study 6-8 subjects. Mathematics, English, science and a foreign language are considered compulsory. The GCSE subject scores are extremely important when choosing subjects for the A-Level. On the “A, B, C” rating scale, the child must score five or more A * – C grades.

IGCSE

15 years. If at the time of admission to an English school the child is 15 years old, the international format is suitable for him//her – iGCSE. This is a one-year preparatory program designed specifically for international students who have high school ahead of them.

IB

16-18 years old. The International Baccalaureate is a 2-year high school program. Such a diploma is recognized by all countries of the world as a qualification for admission to the university.

The IB curriculum includes 6 academic subjects (3 at an advanced level and 3 at a standard level) from 6 discipline groups: languages, foreign languages, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, creativity. In addition, schoolchildren take a course in the theory of knowledge, carry out the program “Creativity. Sport. Community Service ”and write a 4,000-word essay.

These three components of IB provide a distinct advantage when it comes to university admission.

A-Level

16-18 years old. The A-Level High School program is a British high school diploma. The course lasts 2 years, during which the child studies 4-5 subjects at an advanced level.

At the age of 16, an English student must decide on a specialty at the university and choose disciplines at the A-Level: English, mathematics, natural sciences, foreign languages, design and technology, computer technology, social sciences, humanities, art and others. sciences (archeology, geology, applied business, higher mathematics, etc.).

The education system in schools in England is built on the principle of “from general to specific”: in the lower grades, children study a large set of subjects (about 15). In high school, they focus on 8 courses; and in the final grades, they take only 4-6 disciplines. For this reason, children from other countries are advised to move to English schools at the age of 7-13 in order to try themselves in different fields and choose the most promising direction.

What school year is my child in?

Date of birth ranges for academic year September 2020 to August 2021.

Category: General

Tags: education, exams, school, tests