Dulwich Prep & Senior (Dulwich Prep London) 7 Plus (7+) Exam Guide

About Dulwich Prep & Senior

Dulwich Prep & Senior, the school long known as Dulwich Prep London, sits at 38-42 Alleyn Park in Dulwich Village and is boys-only from reception through to Year 11. Boys join at 7+ into Year 3 and at 8+ into Year 4, and both cycles share the same registration deadline.

The assessment is a half day including lunch, and the school is unusually open about what fills it: papers, computer reasoning tests, reading aloud, play, sport, singing and a chat with the Head of Pre-Prep.

Key information for 2027 entry to Dulwich Prep & Senior at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: boys’ school (Reception to Year 11), 38-42 Alleyn Park, Dulwich Village
• Registration deadline for BOTH 7+ and 8+: Friday 30 October 2026; fee £180 (£250 overseas)
• 7+ assessment: a half day including lunch, Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 January 2027
• Assessed: English and maths papers (comprehension and story writing), computer-based verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and reading aloud to a staff member
• Also in the half day: free play, a school tour, ball games in the sports hall, singing in the music department, and an informal chat with the Head of Pre-Prep and Head of Year 3
• 7+ offers: by Friday 22 January 2027; offer holders’ event 27 January; acceptance by Friday 5 February
• 8+ (Year 4): same half-day format, assessment Thursday 26 November 2026, offers by 4 December, acceptance by 11 December
• Documents: most recent school report, plus a reference the school requests directly
• Parents join the Head Master for coffee at drop-off

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Dulwich Prep & Senior at 7 Plus (7+)

One deadline governs both routes: Friday 30 October 2026, whether your son is trying for Year 3 or Year 4. From there the two cycles diverge sharply. The 8+ runs first, with its assessment on Thursday 26 November 2026 and offers by 4 December; the 7+ assessments run across 12 to 14 January 2027 (the Thursday reserved for boys with SEND access arrangements), with offers by 22 January and acceptance by 5 February.

The half day itself is built to show the school as much of the real child as possible: papers and computer tests, yes, but also lunch, free play, ball games, singing and an individual chat about school life with the Head of Pre-Prep and the Head of Year 3, while parents have coffee with the Head Master.

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

Register on the school’s website with the £180 fee (£250 overseas) by 30 October 2026, attaching your son’s most recent school report; the school requests a reference from his current school directly. If Year 4 is the target, note how compressed its calendar is: assessment in late November, offer in early December, acceptance a week later.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Dulwich Prep & Senior?

Four assessed strands in the half day:

• English: a written paper with comprehension and story writing
• Maths: a written paper
• Reasoning: verbal and non-verbal, taken on a computer
• Reading aloud to a member of staff

That spread, paper, screen and voice, rewards a boy who is comfortable in all three media. The play, sport and singing aren’t assessed hurdles so much as the school watching children be children, and they need no preparation beyond a good night’s sleep.

Dulwich Prep & Senior 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Practise across all three media: written papers, on-screen reasoning questions and reading aloud
• Story writing is named specifically, so timed short stories belong in the routine
• Applying at 8+? The whole cycle wraps up before Christmas; have your decision ready
• Send him in expecting fun, because the school has deliberately built lunch, games and singing into the day
• Keep the school report angle in mind: the file includes what his current teachers say, not just the day itself

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Dulwich Prep & Senior assessment

Our Complete 7+ Bundle below covers English, maths and both reasoning types with full answers, matching all four assessed strands, and the English passages double as read-aloud practice for the staff-member reading. Steady weekly practice from September suits a January assessment far better than a December surge.