top of page
PAC-for-Our-Facilities-1100-x-730.jpg

THE PERSE EXAMS HAVE CHANGED FOR 2026 ENTRY

Upper-building-for-new-website-600-x-600.jpg

The Perse Upper School

Independent School in Cambridge

Entrance Exam Date:

Saturday 17 January 2026 (for entry in September 2026)

Years:

Year 7 (11+, for students in Y6), Year 9 (13+ for students in Y8)

Sign-up Deadline

Part 1: Online Assessment (70 minutes)

Mathematics (non-calculator, 20 minutes) | Multiple-choice testing on reasoning, problem solving and comprehension.

English (comprehension, 30 minutes) | Reading comprehension based off small extracts.

Non-verbal Reasoning (10 minutes) | Multiple choice online questions testing spatial and visual reasoning.

Verbal reasoning (10 minutes) | Multiple choice online verbal reasoning questions.

Part 2: English Writing (30 minutes)

Short story inspired by a photo or prompt. Story must be structured in paragraphs and will be assessed on creativity, vocabulary and accuracy. This section is handwritten.

Other examined assessments

Interview (10 minutes) | Short informal conversation with a teacher to understand your child's interests and passions.

Group Activity (20-30 minutes) | Assessed group activity which assesses curiosity and teamwork abilities.

Results published:

Early March 2026

Price:

£50 per hour. Recommended two, one-hour lessons a week for 2026 entry and one-hour a week for 2027 entry.

An additional £22 a month will cover all associated resource costs.

9039a8b9a34a.jpg

So, what's new?

The Perse has now changed the way the exams are sat. There is now a 70 minute online assessment, including Maths, English Comprehension, Non-verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning along with a 30 minute English Creative Writing. New sections are the English Comprehension and Non-verbal Reasoning. Maths, and both reasoning exams are now adaptive, meaning students who perform well receive questions at adjusted levels of difficulty depending on responses.  We have tailored and expanded our resources to make sure your child is thoroughly prepared for the new sections of the exam.

My background at The Perse

I joined the Perse in Year 7, and know the preparation needed and significance of getting into the top school in East Anglia and a top 20 independent school in the country. I had a tutor in English and Maths for this exam, and I want to help you get your child into such a wonderful community. Our students have successfully secured places at The Perse in Year 6, Year 7 and Year 9 entrance. The Perse is looking for students who are intellectually curious and who reflect the schools values. As stated on their website, "A child’s ability to engage with the extra-curricular life of our school and support our values are important factors in the selection process." Our tutors are all from The Perse, ensuring they know what it takes to get into this competitive independent school and how to best prepare your child for the environment.

What We Offer

We offer the only in-person personalised courses for entry into The Perse School in Cambridge. Our tutors have first-hand experience, having attended the school themselves and successfully passed the exams your child will sit. Your tutor will create bespoke lesson plans, homework and targeted assessments for your child.

We provide over 50+ exam papers and alternative resources which challenge's students abilities. Our framework for The Perse Entrance Exam is highlighted below:

Perse Analytics.png

What the Perse sees after your child takes their new online exam by Quest Assessments. We replicate this with our own grading system.

Suggested Timeline

April 2025 - September 2025

September 2025 - January 2026

Saturday 17 January 2026

Early February 2026

Begin learning and understanding core concepts in Maths and English from the National Curriculum. Try initial past papers with their tutor to find out what needs improvement.

Start preparation of verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections. Also begin having rigorous sessions on hard sections of the paper. Interview materials are prepared.

Strongly reccomended to visit a Perse Open Day:

The Perse Upper Open Day Saturday 27th September 2025

The Perse Prep Open Day Saturday 4th October 2025

Sit the entrance exam, with all the preparation they have, your child will feel confident in their abilities and be familiar with the format of the exam!

Hopefully receive an offer for your child to study at The Perse in 2026-27!

Contact me to book a FREE consultation

We also offer tuition for Prep & Sixth Form entrance exams, please reach out if you are interested in 11+, 13+ or other points of entry.

1817_banner.jpg
bottom of page