When to start preparing for the Newstead Wood Selection Test
No study sets an ideal age to start preparing for the Newstead Wood Selection Test. What is fixed is the calendar: registration in the summer term of Year 5, the test at the start of Year 6.
Start your child's Newstead Wood Selection Test preparation at the right time
Begin with what their class covers now, so the basics are solid. Add the exam track in Year 5, when the papers start to matter.
Counting back from the test
| When | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| Years 1 to 3 | Get the maths and reading taught in class solid. There is nothing exam-specific to do yet. |
| Year 4 | Keep up with class work. Times tables, spelling and reading for meaning matter most for what comes later. |
| Year 5 | Add verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which school does not teach. Get used to multiple choice questions and timed papers. |
| Year 5, summer term | Register. For September 2027 entry registration ran from 1 May 2026 to 30 June 2026. |
| Start of Year 6 | The test. For September 2027 entry it was between Friday, 25 September 2026 and Saturday, 26 September 2026. |
Source: Newstead Wood School Admission Policy 2027-28. Checked 9 November 2026.
If your child is in Year 5 now
They sit the Newstead Wood Selection Test in September 2027, for September 2028 entry. Newstead Wood School Admission Policy 2027-28 has not published the exact dates yet. Going by this year, registration would open in May 2027.
What the Newstead Wood Selection Test tests
- Verbal reasoning.
- Non-verbal reasoning.
- One stage with two papers: verbal reasoning, then non-verbal reasoning.
The school received 1,510 registrations to sit the test for entry in September 2025, for 168 places.
Source: Newstead Wood School, About the Selection Test; Newstead Wood School Admission Policy 2027-28. Checked 9 November 2026.
Wondering whether it's too early or too late? What the research says about timing.
All dates and papers for the Newstead Wood Selection Test
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Schools that use the Newstead Wood Selection Test
- Newstead Wood SchoolOrpington
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Start your child's Newstead Wood Selection Test preparation at the right time
Begin with what their class covers now, so the basics are solid. Add the exam track in Year 5, when the papers start to matter.