When to start preparing for the St Olave's Selective Entrance Test
No study sets an ideal age to start preparing for the St Olave's Selective Entrance 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 St Olave's Selective Entrance 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 2028 entry registration runs from 7 June 2027 to 28 June 2027. |
| Start of Year 6 | The test. For September 2028 entry it is on Friday, 17 September 2027. |
Source: St Olave's Grammar School, Key Dates. Checked 12 November 2026.
If your child is in Year 5 now
They sit the St Olave's Selective Entrance Test on Friday, 17 September 2027, for September 2028 entry.
What the St Olave's Selective Entrance Test tests
- Stage 1: one hour of multiple choice questions in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
- Stage 2: an English paper and a maths paper, with a break between them.
- Two stages, both at the school.
Source: St Olave's Grammar School, Entrance Test Information; St Olave's Grammar School, FAQ. Checked 9 November 2026.
Wondering whether it's too early or too late? What the research says about timing.
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Start your child's St Olave's Selective Entrance 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.