Entrance Examinations
What are the format and timing of the entrance examinations?
Every applicant sits two Harris Westminster entrance examinations on Saturday 16 January 2027. Each examination lasts 40 minutes under standard arrangements, or 50 minutes for applicants who have additional time.
The examinations are taken electronically using Exam.net. Most applicants will sit them at home, but you may request to use a computer at Harris Westminster if you do not have a suitable device, a reliable internet connection or an appropriate place in which to work.
Further information about the examination day and the Exam.net system is provided in these two short videos:
- what to expect on the day (NB this was filmed for the January 2026 exams, so any dates mentioned are wrong)
- how the exams are run on Exam.net (NB this was filmed for the January 2026 exams, so any dates mentioned are wrong)
There are sample exams for each subject below.
What type of questions are they?
Most of our entrance examinations consist of multiple-choice questions. Only English Literature and History of Art require applicants to write an essay.
You should read the sample exam below for each of your chosen subjects carefully. They give a good indication of what your exam will be like.
What will the examinations assess?
We write our own entrance examination papers each year. The examinations are designed to assess your potential to succeed at A level. They test how well you can understand information, apply your knowledge, reason carefully and solve unfamiliar problems. They do not simply test how many facts you have memorised.
Questions are based on knowledge and skills that applicants may reasonably have encountered during Years 10 and 11. The examinations are not tied to any particular GCSE examination board, and you are not expected to teach yourself an entirely new course. However, you should make sure that you understand the relevant GCSE material securely and can use it confidently.
For subjects such as Economics, History of Art and Philosophy, we do not assume that you have studied the subject at GCSE. Instead, the examination will assess your ability to interpret information, analyse ideas, reason carefully and apply the guidance provided in the exam.
How should I prepare?
The best preparation is to continue working hard in your GCSE subjects. Pay particular attention to areas that you find difficult, rather than revising only the topics you already know well. Try to understand why an answer is correct, how ideas connect and how your knowledge can be applied in a new context.
You should also use the specimen papers available below. Complete a specimen paper under timed conditions so that you become familiar with the pace of the examination. Afterwards, review each question carefully. Identify where you made mistakes, consider why you made them and return to any knowledge or skills that need further work.
Do not assume that completing large numbers of questions is enough. Practice is most useful when you learn from it. If you answer a question incorrectly, work out whether the problem was a gap in your knowledge, a misunderstanding of the question, an error in your reasoning or a failure to manage your time effectively.
How do I use the time in the examination well?
During the examination, read every question and instruction carefully. Do not rush simply because the paper is timed. Where questions are multiple choice, consider each possible answer before making your selection. If you are unsure, use what you do know to eliminate answers that cannot be correct. Leave enough time to check your work before the examination ends. Where you are writing an essay, plan your essay first and make sure you develop your ideas fully and in nuanced way.
Subject-specific requirements
Applicants choosing Mathematics and Further Mathematics must sit the Mathematics entrance examination. There is no separate Harris Westminster examination in Further Mathematics.
Applicants choosing Music, Drama and Theatre Studies, German, Latin, Greek or Russian may also be required to complete an additional Westminster School examination and interview. This is separate from the two Harris Westminster entrance examinations, unless the relevant subject was already chosen as one of your original two examinations. Further information about these arrangements is provided on the relevant subject pages.
Academic integrity
You must work independently throughout every assessment. You must not receive help from another person, communicate with anyone during the examination, use unauthorised materials or use artificial intelligence tools. All work submitted must be entirely your own. Suspected academic misconduct may result in removal from the admissions process.
Final advice
Above all, prepare carefully but do not try to predict or memorise answers. The examinations are intended to identify applicants who can think clearly, respond thoughtfully and use what they know when faced with challenging or unfamiliar questions.
Examples showing the kind of question style that candidates should expect are available below:
| Art History |
| Biology |
| Chemistry |
| Drama & Theatre Studies |
| Economics |
| English |
| French |
| Geography |
| German |
| Greek |
| History |
| Latin |
| Mathematics |
| Music and Music audio file |
| Physics |
| Politics |
| Russian |
| Spanish |
