Entrance Exam
All students seeking entry into Year 7 must sit an entrance exam in the autumn term before the September when they wish to start school.
Registration for September 2026 entry is now closed.
Registration for September 2027 entry will open on 11 May 2026.
What is an entrance exam?
The entrance exam is designed to assess students’ suitability for life and study at HGS. Papers test a range of reasoning skills in a variety of contexts and are designed to be predictors of likely future performance. The results from each paper are standardised, age-weighted and combined into a total standardised age score.
The outcome of the exam is shared with parents in mid-October, prior to the deadline for submission of the common application form (CAF) to the Local Authority. This does not necessarily constitute the formal offer of a place since, in recent years, there have been more students reaching the required standard than there are places available. The school offers 210 places. The formal offer of a place will be communicated via the Local Authority in early March.
What are the key dates in the application process?
- Registration pens 9:00am 11 May 2026
- Application deadline midday 22 June 2026
- Exam date 14 September 2026
- Results available online 17 October (target date)
Why the FCSE entrance exam?
We are committed to providing a fair and rigorous selection process for prospective students. As part of this commitment, we have adopted the Future Stories Community Enterprise Ltd (FSCE) Entrance Exam as our Year 7 entrance exam.
FSCE’s main goal is to make grammar school testing more accessible for all children: regardless of primary school, socio-economic background and/or disability. The exam is designed to ensure all children have an equal opportunity to succeed and showcase their academic ability.
In focusing solely on areas of the KS2 National Curriculum that have been taught up to the end of Year 5, the exam aims to remove any need for tutoring. Instead, it emphasises the excellent work that children do at primary school and explores a child’s innate ability, curiosity and problem-solving skills. This move away from tutoring is essential in ensuring that we select children who will be best placed to thrive in our challenging and enriching school environment.
What does the exam involve for students?
The exam evaluates application of knowledge and skills in English and maths, as well as exploring imaginative flair through creative writing. Children will only be assessed on knowledge appropriate to the KS2 curriculum so there is no element of the exam that should surprise, trouble or intimidate candidates.
The exam consists of multiple-choice and written response questions. The Familiarisation Guide below includes examples of both types of questions to enable children to practise. The entrance exam content changes each year therefore the Familiarisation Guide is NOT definitive. The inclusion of any question types does NOT guarantee that they will be found in the actual exam.
English and maths papers are marked by computer and age-standardised. Students with an eligible score from the English and maths papers will have their creative writing task assessed and candidates will be ranked accordingly.
A child may only take the exam once. All written elements will be tested on one day and the exam will take place at Heckmondwike Grammar School.
How can children prepare?
We suggest you print the Familiarisation Guides for both parents and students, and read them through carefully before sharing and discussing the Student Familiarisation Guide with your child. The FSCE exam does not require specialist tutoring, and no specific preparation is necessary. No teacher, tutor or parent will have knowledge of the exam that others lack. Instead, we encourage children to:
- work well at primary school, with maximum attendance and engagement in all areas of school life
- develop strong reading habits by reading widely and deeply
- practise the fluency of their maths and problem-solving skills through real life examples
- engage in imaginative and critical thinking discussions around the dinner table
- focus on calmness and confidence rather than pressure and stress
- trust that they already have the knowledge required to access the questions.