Year 3 past papers for 8 plus exam test practice

How to improve your child’s 8 plus test score

Which are the MOST ACCURATE 8+ Past papers?

We have collated the widest range of Year 3 test practice 8 plus exams.

Year 3 test practice 8 plus exams entry

SAVE £££’s with a set of 8 plus Maths practice tests or 8 plus English practice tests below:

8 plus private school practice tests for Year 3

The best private schools will expect Year 3 pupils to demonstrate that they can work to a higher standard than the Year 3 curriculum for Year 3 Maths and Year 3 English.

Latest 2023 past papers 8 plus prep school entry

English and Maths 8 plus Past Papers

Magdalen College Junior School: 8+ English and Mathematics Sample Paper

8 Plus Maths past papers

8 Plus English past papers

What is the English 8 plus syllabus?

The English 8 plus exam paper:

incorporates the knowledge and skills outlined in the Year 3 programme of study from the National Curriculum. It is hoped that boys who apply are working at a Greater Depth standard within the Year 3 curriculum.
includes aspects of word reading and comprehension found in the Year 4 National Curriculum programme of study.

8 plus pupils need to:

demonstrate their ability to recognise the meaning of words, and will be asked to apply their vocabulary knowledge when solving puzzles.
sit a dictation exercise. Here they will be expected to write reasonably neatly, applying their sound understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling, checking their writing for accuracy.

What is the Reasoning 8 plus syllabus?

The Reasoning 8 plus paper has a comprehension exercise which assesses a boy’s ability to retrieve information and draw inferences from a text.

What is the Maths 8 plus syllabus?

The mathematics 8 plus test paper:

incorporates the knowledge and skills outlined in the Year 3 programme of study from the National Curriculum.
includes aspects of number and place value found in the Year 4 National Curriculum programme of study. In the paper, boys will need to apply their sound understanding of the four arithmetic operations, number facts and place value to solve problems, including missing number problems.

8 plus test takers need to

recall and use multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 10 x 10 and demonstrate efficient mental calculation methods.
demonstrate an understanding of shape, space, measure and time.

A key part of the 9 plus maths paper is the application of this knowledge and understanding to solve puzzles and problems.

How are 8 plus exam results used?

8+ exams are used by various independent schools for entry into Year 5. While most schools have an entrance at 7+ for entry into Year 3, some schools have entry into Year 4 and these are known as the 8+ entrance examinations.

What if my child is struggling with the 8 plus English or 8 plus Maths paper specifically?

Buy a challenging set of 8+ Maths test practice or 8 plus English practice tests at the Exam Papers Plus link above.

THE MOST IMPORTANT 8 plus skills to pass

We recommend that your child follows these 8+ exam revision steps to achieve their 8 plus test potential.

To learn the most efficient 8+ exam techniques.
Then review sample 8+ exam papers.
Next to purchase a 8+ practice test bundle.
To then confidently analyse your 8+ exam successes and failures in terms of the different 8+ exam question types.
Keep using 8 plus practice tests at least once a week for several weeks.
And then once you’re ready you should attempt your first 8 plus mock test.

SIX STEPS to maximise your child’s 8+ Skills

Encourage your child to practice with one of our top 8+ test prep resources every weekend.
If you also track each week’s 8 plus entry exam progress then you will quickly learn which 8+ test techniques work best for them.
Conduct 8+ pass / 8+ fail reviews to establish which 8+ plus test sections your child finds the most challenging. Both in terms of 8+ exam time taken and getting that type of 8+ question correct.
This allows the 8+ parent or 8+ tutor to focus in the later 8 plus assessment study periods on on those.
Don’t automatically follow what other test prep sites suggest you should do. This is because your child needs to adopt the most efficient 8+ passing strategies which work for them.
Then to practice these in their 8+ revision sessions.

FREE 8 plus practice papers to ensure 8 plus entry exam success

Do you have an 8 plus prep school entry related question?

Rob consults for independent school test publishers: GL Assessment ; Cambridge Assessment ; Hodder Education, and the ISEB.

2024 Prep Schools Guides

We offer valuable prep school and senior school entry tips, including passing your private school interview tips.
Our valuable ISEB’s Common Pre-Test prep school entry tips and
passing your private school interview tips.
Our ISEB and GL pre-tests features and our Local Prep Schools Search here ISEB Common Pretest.

How do you know your child will pass their 8+ exam?

Once your child’s 8+ practice test performance has improved sufficiently, then use one of your remaining 8+ practice tests from your 8 plus practice test bundle as a mock 8+ exam. Is your child’s 8 plus score high enough to pass their 8 plus prep school exam?

Consult with one of our specialist 8+ prep school tutors to find out.

FREE 2023 Year 4 Maths Study Pack

FREE Sample Maths 8 plus past papers

FREE Sample English 8 plus past papers

8 plus Reasoning test past papers

Our best advice is to ‘Keep calm and Carry On’

If your child is worried about taking their exam, we advise reassuring them they will be fine and just to do their best. Do not leave any anxiety issues, such as those described above, to get better on their own without any invention…since it can lead to a situation in which your child can’t focus at all on their practice.

So, why are 8 plus school exams used?

Private schools conduct 8 plus entry exams to select pupils for year 4 admission into independent schools across the United Kingdom.
Hence most 8 plus plus examinations are used to gain a place in top independent schools.

When do 8+ exams happen?

8 plus examinations happen at the start of the Spring term in Year 3 for entry into Year 4 the following September.

London Schools using 8 plus Exams

Chepstow House
Dulwich College
Garden House School
Harrodian
Ibstock Place Prep School
King’s College Junior School
St Paul’s Juniors (formerly Colet Court)
St Philip’s Roman Catholic Prep School
Sussex House School
Westminster Under School
Westminster Cathedral Choir School
Wetherby Preparatory School

8+ examination for prep school entry

The ISEB pretests described in the YouTube video above are used to select students for Year 2 entry into top schools across the country.

8+ Maths Sample Questions (Dulwich College)
8+Maths (King’s College School Wimbledon 2014)
8+ Maths – Group B (King’s College School Wimbledon September 2012)

9+ Maths (King’s College School Wimbledon 2014)

8 Plus practice tests English and 8+ Maths test practice

Six steps to ensure your child’s own 8+ entry exam success

Encourage your child to practice with one of our top 8+ test prep resources every weekend.
If you also track each week’s 8 plus entry exam progress then you will quickly learn which 8+ test techniques work best for them.
Conduct 8+ pass / 8+ fail reviews to establish which 8+ test sections your child finds the most challenging.
Both in terms of 8+ exam time taken and getting that type of 8+ question correct.
This allows the 8+ parent or 8+ tutor to focus in the later 8+ assessment study periods on on those.
Adopt the most efficient 8+ passing strategies which work for them.

Our prep school entry year 4 maths tests

Have a look at our prep school entry menu.

We also offer extensive lists of year 4 maths tests:

Year 5 maths test pdfs, year 4 math test pdf and year 4 maths exam papers year 4.
maths test papers year 4 and maths exam papers year 4.
year 4 maths papers; year 4 maths tests with answers;
8 plus exams practice; English 8 Plus practice tests; and English Year 4 past papers.
math test papers year 4 and maths year 4 past papers.

School Entrance Tests