Winchester College - May 2015 Entrance Exam - preparation tips

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After much research, bolstered by very helpful and kindly provided MN intelligence, we have concluded that (for DS) whilst many UK schools are fine music indeed, Win Coll is nothing short of grand opera.

DS has a firm place at Win Coll, subject to passing the May 2015 Entrance Exams. His prep school is really great, but we want to leave nothing to chance; we have been going through some of the May 2013 papers this Easter (English and Maths) which, amazingly, DS has positively enjoyed (almost as much as, ahem, his computer games).

Any tips to help DS secure his place at Win Coll in September 2015 would be so much appreciated. He wants to be sure that even on an off day, he can still pass the difficult exams. DS is desperately keen on Win Coll and he has no second choice. Thus the stakes are high...

Only just over a year to go now...

Thank you in advance.

Thanks for the helpful comments. Thanks grovel for the link. I totally agree with the comments of summerends.

We have left nothing to chance so we rang up Win Coll (Registrar is very helpful) and asked for the recent past papers for the 2013 Entrance Exam (DS is a commoner entrant but he is more than happy with that). They sent us these past papers immediately by email in pdf and we have been going through these with DS. I would not wholly rely on any prep school as nobody wants success for DCs more than the parents!!

The French exam was really tough so we have invested in lots of CDs and DVDs so that all car journeys now involve listening to lots of French vocab and sentences - that is working very well - poor DS is a captive audience and can't escape! Another year of French car journeys and DS will be much improved - not to mention our French which is all coming back after 30 years. Totally recommend it and his aural skill is already much better...car journeys are no longer such a complete waste of time!

I recommend that you therefore contact Mrs Kirstie Richards, the Deputy Registrar, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, SO23 9NA ([email protected]) if you want past papers; telephone 01962 621247. Kirsty is really and truly great. I found that reading through the past papers also put my mind at rest; the papers are hard but not impossible for a DS with a firm place at Win Coll.

Hope that helps!

Hi,
I hope someone is watching this thread.
DS has been placed on Reserve list for Win coll (2017) , we are moving to Switzerland and DS would go to IB school. Please let me know all books / CDs and other materials that you've used for exam.
I will speak to Registrar soon, so hopefully will get many answers. I just wanted to ask you all good and experienced MNs about your preparation.
Thanks and hoping someone will read this !!!

@Xpatmama88, viewing your response, knowing that your DS was from intl school prior to studying in Wincoll. Recently, my DS received a offer to 2021 entry, subject to the satisfactory result of entrance exam. Could you please kindly give some advice on how to prepare if my DS is from non-UK school?

lowto, congratulations. I think the housemaster obviously like your DS to make him an offer. He should be fine with the entrance exam, they will know that he is capable to pass, or else they will not make the offer.
And being in int’l school bring something different than UK prep school. In general, the students are more aware and accept of cultural differences. Academically, most follow the IB, so have a broader knowledge spectrum, ( not necessarily the depth of the subject).
When my DS took the Wincoll exam then, he was waitlisted subject to the exam, whereas he also had an offer from Westminster through Common Entrance and he took both exams, he found common entrance easier, and Wincoll papers involved more thinking, and he liked that extra challenge.
Being in Int’l sch, he had advantage on MFL, his German and French were good. We have to use these languages in our daily life, and I think that helps. His strength are in Maths, sciences, and music, so we encouraged him to read more, doing a lots of Maths and practice his music. My DS told me his Geography Don had actually praised him because of what he answered in his geography entrance exam, very different insight than other boys. And I think Wincoll like individual thinker.
My DS had left Wincoll 3 years ago and did extremely well, and many thanks to his Housemaster, especially to his Maths, Science and Musics dons that had inspired him.

Was at a party over the weekend and got chatting to the HM of a very well known prep school, and he said that Win was definitely not as popular with uk parents as it was in the past and that each year the % of non brit entrants was going up..is that right?

@Xpatmama88 Thanks so much for your sharing . I didn't know the HM did the selection of the boys for the guaranteed offer , because at this stage , I was advised that the assignment regarding which house to go would be finalized till the completion of the entrance examination 2021. Very happy to know how much the dons in wincoll inspired your DS. The quality of dons and their passion in teaching really make a difference in the boys. I heard many good reports on the school in fulfilling the inquisitive minds and intellectual curiosity of many DSs. Once again , thank you very much for your sharing

My son is attending a prep school in winchester and has a place subject him passing the Apil/May exams 2021.
I know the school is preparing him for the exams and im vary of overcoachingas he is a boarder and logistically its hard. He did well last year but was wondering how many children get this far and not make it through? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.