The Times: Private schools scrap Britain’s oldest exam

Common Entrance is to end within two years as public schools take on more primary pupils. Are prep schools doomed?

Britain’s oldest — and poshest — exams are to be scrapped, leaving traditional prep schools facing financial oblivion as one expert warns they belong to “another era”.

The Common Entrance exam, which tests 12 and 13-year-olds on up to 11 academic subjects, including maths, science, history, modern foreign languages and classics, is to be phased out in its current form within about 18 months.

The move follows a decision by several top private schools, including Westminster and St Paul’s School, to abandon the test and recruit more children from state primary schools at the age of 11.

Common Entrance was introduced in 1904 to select pupils for private schools such as Harrow and Radley. Typical questions in recent years have included “How have polar bears adapted to living in the Arctic?” and “What is the French for ‘His mother takes him to school’?”

Prince William and Prince Harry had to pass the exam, usually held over three days in June, to be admitted to Eton.

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