Dulwich College 7 Plus (7+) Exam Guide

About Dulwich College

Dulwich College admits boys into Year 3 of its Junior School at 7+, with a handful of further places at 8+ into Year 4. Year 3 takes roughly 30 boys across three forms, though more than half of those places are filled by deferred entry from DUCKS, the College’s own kindergarten and infants’ school, so the open competition is for the remainder.

Dulwich is also the only school in this series whose first-stage assessment is digital: adaptive on-screen tests in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, alongside a short written maths paper and a creative writing task.

Key information for 2027 entry to Dulwich College at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: boys’ independent school, Dulwich Common, SE21; Junior School is Years 3 to 6
• Places: approximately 30 at 7+ (Year 3, over half via DUCKS deferred entry); around 4 to 8 occasional places at 8+ (Year 4)
• Stage 1: digital adaptive tests in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, plus a written maths paper and a creative writing task, with outdoor play and breaks built in, Saturday 28 November 2026
• Stage 2 (invited boys): one-to-one literacy and numeracy assessment plus collaborative group activities; Year 3 on Thursday 7 January, Year 4 on Saturday 9 January 2027
• Registration closes midday, Monday 2 November 2026 for both 7+ and 8+
• Registration fee: £200 UK, £440 overseas
• Results: Year 3 on 28 January 2027 (reply by 5 February); Year 4 on 21 January (reply by 28 January)
• Typical successful applicants work at ‘Greater Depth’ or standardised scores above 120
• No means-tested bursaries before Year 7; no published sibling priority for the Junior School

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Dulwich College at 7 Plus (7+)

Registration for September 2027 closes at midday on Monday 2 November 2026 for both Year 3 and Year 4. Every candidate attends Stage 1 on Saturday 28 November 2026; a subset is invited back in January for Stage 2, a one-to-one assessment covering literacy and numeracy plus collaborative group activities.

The College publishes an unusually concrete academic bar: successful Year 3 applicants are typically working at a teacher assessment of Greater Depth, or achieving standardised scores above 120. Bursaries don’t start until Year 7, and no sibling priority is published for the Junior School, so treat every application as standing on its own.

How can I register my child for the 7 Plus (7+) assessment at Dulwich College?

Register via the College’s admissions portal by midday on 2 November 2026; the fee is £200 for UK applicants and £440 from overseas. The 8+ (Year 4) round uses the same deadline, the same Stage 1 day and the same structure, for a much smaller pool of around 4 to 8 occasional places, with its results arriving a week earlier than Year 3’s.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Dulwich College?

Stage 1 mixes screens and paper. On desktop computers, in small groups, boys take adaptive assessments in maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning; the questions adjust to how a child is doing, so the test feels different for every boy. Alongside that sit a short written maths paper and a creative writing task. The morning is broken up with outdoor play, a snack and rest breaks.

The College’s advice is that ‘there is no need for extensive preparation’, recommending regular reading, talking about stories, explaining mathematical thinking aloud, and ‘some light practice of verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions’. That last phrase is the school’s own, and it’s a fair summary of what sensible preparation looks like here.

Dulwich College 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Follow the school’s own recipe: regular reading, talking through maths, and light verbal and non-verbal reasoning practice
• Keep some practice on paper too; the written maths and creative writing tasks are pencil-and-paper even though the tests are on screen
• Adaptive tests get harder as a child does well: warn your son that finding questions difficult usually means it’s going well, not badly
• Practise typing-free screen habits like reading a question fully before clicking
• If your son is at DUCKS, ask about deferred entry first, since over half of Year 3 arrives that way

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Dulwich College assessment

Our Complete 7+ Bundle below covers all four assessed subjects with full answers, matching the ‘light practice’ the College itself recommends for reasoning and giving structured English and maths material for the written elements. Pair it with daily reading and the occasional timed creative-writing story, and Stage 1 holds no surprises.