Founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester (who also founded New College, Oxford), this is one of the oldest schools in the world. The College is situated in the beautiful city of Winchester, and its buildings and grounds are outstanding. Academic standards are extremely high with boys achieving exceptional results. Winchester is a full-boarding school with a demanding extra-curricular programme, but despite this fast pace it is characterised as much by its consideration of individual needs as it is by collective endeavour.
The school began welcoming girls as day pupils to the sixth form in September 2022. Boys are currently welcomed as day or boarding pupils and girls’ boarding places will be available from September 2025. The admission of girls (and the increasing number of day pupils) will significantly increase the size of the sixth form. Over time the school plans to admit a minimum of 30 day pupils (approximately half of these will be girls) and up to 50 girl boarders into the sixth form.
How to get into Winchester College
Entering Winchester in Year 9 (13+):
At 13 Plus (Year 9), Winchester accepts only 140 boys from in excess of 400 applications.
13 plus Entrance Process for Winchester College:
Winchester is a selective school and uses entrance test to gauge which pupils are suitable for a place. There is a 3-stage process, and pupils are chosen to move through the stages, based on their relative performance.
Stage 1 involves the ISEB Common Pre-Test, which candidates sit between 1st October and 20th November in Year 6. This is a computerised test with English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning elements. Candidates results are read in combination with a reference from the student’s current school.
Read our guide to the ISEB Common Pre-tests and how to prepare.
Stage 2 In the spring term, successful candidates will be invited to Winchester School to interview; in May, you will hear whether your interview and application has been successful. Successful scholars will receive a formal offer directly from the Headmaster.
Stage 3 Your son will then be invited to sit either Election (Scholarship) or the Winchester Entrance tests.
Election is a rigorous process that spans three days, also at the College: you will hear the results of Election by the end of that assessment week. The standard entrance exams will take place at your son's current school or an approved centre locally. Results will be emailed to applicants in May.
Entering Winchester via Election (Academic Scholarship)
Academically talented candidates should be invited to Election – Winchester College’s academic scholarship papers. (Election papers supersede the standard Winchester Entrance exam). Election involves both written exams and interviews.
Find out more about the Winchester College Election here.
What does Success at Election Mean?
Those pupils who are Elected receive either:
- A Scholarship – including a place in College, the oldest of the boarding houses. They are thenceforth known as Scholars and picked out by the distinct gowns they wear.
- An Exhibition – these students are publicly recognised for their academic standards and take up a place in one of the school’s boarding houses.
- Headmaster’s Nominations – these pupils have not been offered a conditional place at the school (or succeeded in gaining Academic Scholarship), but do have very strong exam results - strong enough to gain entry to the school. They will be offered a place in a boarding house.
Please note that Scholarship, Exhibition or Headmaster’s Nomination does not as a matter of course mean a reduction in school fees.
What to Expect in Election
Candidates from prep schools sit compulsory papers in English, Maths 1, Science and General Paper 1. They must also take at least three papers from the following subjects: Latin, French, Greek, History, Geography, Maths 2, and General Paper 2.
View Election sample papers here.
Is there a 16 plus scholarship for Winchester?
There is no academic scholarship available for 16 plus entry.
Does Winchester College offer any other scholarships?
Music and Sport scholarships are available at 13 plus and 16 plus. In addition, up to three Choral Scholarships and one Organ Scholarship are also available for 16 plus entrants only.
Read more information about Winchester's Music and Sport scholarships.
Are Winchester’s own tests difficult?
All candidates sit papers in English and Maths. All boys sitting Winchester Entrance and Election take a common English paper and Maths paper (Paper 1 in Election). Candidates from prep schools must also sit papers in Science, Geography and History. Where a candidate has studied Latin and/or French in prep school they must also undertake that exam. If a candidate has studied Spanish or German in place of French then they may choose to sit an alternative paper in that language. Candidates may also choose to sit the Greek paper.
As with all entrance tests, the Stage 3 tests are designed to challenge and stretch applicants. Tests are paper-based and typically sat one after the other. Specimen papers can be found here. In previous years they have included the following:
English: Applicants have been asked to demonstrate comprehension, using either poetry or prose. The texts have been considered challenging for a range of reasons:
- Length: They are often longer than the average 11 plus comprehension, requiring students to read quickly and accurately in the time allotted.
- Composition: The text chosen have often included a lot of dialogue and/or have included advanced use of vocabulary and writer’s technique.
- Questions: The majority of the marks in the English assessment are awarded for the more challenging reasoning or inference-based questions requiring boys to comment on writer’s technique or provide personal reflection/opinion.
Maths: The Maths paper has focused predominantly on Number related questions. Previous applicants have commented that the Maths is particularly challenging, even more so than that within the ISEB Common Pre-Test. The level of difficulty has been associated with:
- Topic Coverage: Although the Maths reportedly covers the 11 plus curriculum, it does delve into some extension level topics such as Algebra.
- Question Types: A lot of the questions are multistep requiring students work through each step before being able to move on to the next. Applicants have also commented that the majority of questions are word problems, often the most challenging question type in Maths.
What questions does Winchester College ask at interview?
Like many school interviews the Winchester College interview seeks to explore the following about each student:
- Family (e.g. What do you like to do on the weekend as a family?)
- School (e.g. What do you most enjoy about your current school?)
- Academic Learning (e.g. What is your favourite subject and why?)
- Reading (e.g. Do you enjoy reading?)
- Extracurricular (e.g. What activities do you get involved in at school outside of the classroom?)
- Hobbies (e.g. What do you do in your spare time at outside of school?)
- Winchester College (e.g. Why would you like to come to Winchester College?)
Winchester interviews are also famed for being slightly more academic than most with students being asked academic questions in addition to those about themselves. In the past students have been asked to solve Mathematical problems and puzzles as well as read and analyse short pieces of text.
Entering Winchester in Year 12 (Sixth Form Entry):
Winchester has an intake of both boys and girls into Year 12.
Applications Forms must be submitted by October of the year prior to entry. Overseas candidates should arrange to sit UKiset assessment tests, ensuring that results are sent to the school by October. All applications are reviewed, and a shortlist drawn up. The school contacts all applicants via email, by the end of the October. If your son is shortlisted, you will be asked for payment of the £400 Registration Fee. The school will then invite your son to attend an interview and sit assessments at the school’s assessment day in November. Applicants are notified of the results on 1 December with the offers being conditional on GCSE grades.
Read more about Sixth-from entry and the 16 Plus exam.
Winchester College acceptance rate
In Year 9, around 400 boys apply for the 140 places available, an acceptance rate of 35%.
Why is Winchester College so popular?
Winchester College is renowned for its unique "division" or Div system, a hallmark of the school’s long-standing academic traditions. The use of Div is one of the ways Winchester maintains its distinctive character. This cross-curricular, holistic approach fosters a love of learning for its own sake, teaching students how to think critically and independently. Div encourages deep discussions, critical analysis, and independent learning. Read more about Div at Winchester College.
Winchester College is also highly regarded for their academic results and achievements. In 2023, 77.9% achieved A*/A at A-level. Similarly, at GCSE 88% achieved Grade 9-7. Boys go onto popular Russell Group universities such as UCL, Edinburgh, Imperial, Durham and LSE, but largest number by far go to Oxbridge, 31 in 2023. An increasing number attend premier US universities, e.g. Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, UNC, UPenn and Yale. Consequently, it attracts parents and students with high academic expectations. In our experience, prospective applicants with the following qualities have been competitive candidates in the school’s admissions process:
- an excellent academic record to date
- an enquiring mind and genuine passion for learning
- an ability to think critically about their learning
- an academic confidence and ability to work independently
Is Winchester College hard to get into?
Owing to its academic reputation and success Winchester attracts a lot of applications and a such the entrance process at 13+ and 16+ are very competitive. Consequently, the school can afford to be highly selective, and we have known of instances where strong applicants do not win places. It is important to go into the entrance process with an open and realistic frame of mind.
Famous Winchester Alumni
- Rishi Sunak
- General Sir Nick Carter
- George Mallory (mountaineer)
Tutors for Winchester College School Entrance
Keystone has over a decade of experience providing tuition to families who wish to send their children to some of the leading UK independent schools including Winchester College.
The tutors we work with are experienced in the intricacies of the 13 plus Common Entrance, the ISEB Pre-test and 16 plus entrance to Winchester College.
Read more about the Winchester College admissions tutors we work with.
For more details on how Keystone can help with preparation for entry to Winchester College, please call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.