Wycombe Abbey
High Wycombe, United Kingdom. Practice coming soon.
Independent schools · Test: ISEB Common Pre-Test, then own assessment
Wycombe Abbey is a boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 on the edge of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Girls applying at 11+ register in Year 5, sit the online ISEB Common Pre-Test, then attend an Assessment Day at the school in Year 6. For September 2027 entry the 1 June 2026 registration deadline has passed and the Assessment Day is on 19 November 2026.
Key facts
checked 19 October 2026
- Assessment date
19 November 2026, at Wycombe Abbey. All candidates, including overseas candidates, must attend in person.
- Application deadline
1 June of Year 5. For 2027 entry this was 1 June 2026 and is closed. The page states the rule but gives no dates for 2028 entry.
- Assessment
Online ISEB Common Pre-Test, then an Assessment Day at the school with an interview, group activities and English and maths papers.
When is the Wycombe Abbey entrance assessment?
The Wycombe Abbey entrance assessment is on 19 November 2026. Applications close on 1 June 2026. Format: online ISEB Common Pre-Test, then an Assessment Day at the school with an interview, group activities and English and maths papers. Facts last checked on 19 October 2026.
At a glance
Last checked 19 October 2026. Every fact is from the school’s own pages unless marked Reported by prep providers or Our view
- Selective entry
Every registered 11+ candidate sits the online ISEB Common Pre-Test and then attends an Assessment Day with an interview, group activities and English and mathematics papers; firm offers are made on that performance.
- School type
Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. The 2025 inspection records 644 pupils, of whom 568 board.
- Founded
1896
- Location
On the edge of the market town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (HP11 1PE). The school's travel page puts it about 35 miles west of London and under a mile from Junction 4 of the M40.
- Regulator inspection result
Independent Schools Inspectorate routine inspection, 4 to 6 March 2025: all five groups of standards met. Two recommended next steps: keep records of low-level concerns in a way that makes trends easier to monitor, and make sure the attendance policy fully reflects statutory guidance.
- Main entry points
Ages 11, 13 and 16, with bursaries and scholarships at each. Places can occasionally arise in other years.
- Year the girl must be in now (11+)
Year 6 in 2026-27, for Year 7 entry in September 2027. The school says registration for 2027 entry has closed and that girls register in Year 5 and attend the Assessment Day in Year 6.
- Places
The page does not publish the number of 11+ places. It says about 15 deferred places for 13+ entry are awarded each year.
- Test used (11+)
Online ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat by November at the girl's current school, a recognised UK test centre or a British Council office. The school's Admissions department arranges for the result to be sent to the school.
- Test format
ISEB describes four online, adaptive, multiple-choice tests (English, mathematics, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning) taking 2 hours 15 minutes in total.
- Assessment stages (11+)
Stage one: online ISEB Common Pre-Test. Stage two: Assessment Day at Wycombe Abbey with an individual interview, small group activities, and English and mathematics papers of one hour each, plus a reference from the current school. Stage three: scholarship examinations for selected candidates who hold a firm offer.
- Assessment
Online ISEB Common Pre-Test, then an Assessment Day at the school with an interview, group activities and English and maths papers.
- Application deadline
1 June of Year 5. For 2027 entry this was 1 June 2026 and is closed. The page states the rule but gives no dates for 2028 entry.
- Registration fee
£420, non-refundable, paid on application for 11+ and 13+ entry.
- ISEB Pre-Test deadline (2027 entry, 11+)
The process text says by November; the dates for 2027 entry give a deadline of 1 December 2026.
- Assessment date
19 November 2026, at Wycombe Abbey. All candidates, including overseas candidates, must attend in person.
- Offer timing (11+)
Firm offers and waiting list offers are made in December 2026 ('before Christmas 2026' in the dates list). Places must be accepted and a deposit paid by early March 2027, date to be confirmed.
- Tuition fees
From September 2026: £21,500 boarding per term and £16,400 day per term, with all fees shown inclusive of VAT where applicable. Fees for September 2027 entry are not published.
- Deposit
Acceptance Deposit of £3,500 when parents accept a place, refunded when the pupil leaves, subject to final fees. Families normally resident outside the UK, or needing a Child Student Visa, also pay an Additional Deposit; the combined value is one term's fees, currently £21,500.
- Scholarships and bursaries
At 11+, academic scholarships worth up to 5% of fees and academic exhibitions of £600 a year need no application; selected girls are invited after the Assessment Day to the scholarship papers. Music awards are also offered.
- Bursaries
Means-tested bursaries can be worth up to 100% of fees. The closing date for new entrants is 1 September in the academic year before entry, and bursaries are normally given to children of parents permanently resident in the UK.
- Day places
A limited number each year for candidates living within 15 miles. The school is at capacity, so it cannot guarantee a later switch to full boarding.
- Overseas candidates and boarding
Overseas candidates must attend assessment days in person, and the school asks them to contact Admissions to discuss arrangements. Families living abroad must appoint an educational guardian. Visa sponsorship is available for candidates with an unconditional offer.
- Discounts
Sibling discount of 5% for the second child, rising by 5% for each further child. A 25% boarding discount applies for children of HM Armed Forces and Diplomatic Services personnel who receive the Continuity of Education Allowance.
The admissions journey.
Step 11 June 2026
Registration closes
This deadline has passed for 2027 entry. Families registered their daughter online and paid the £420 fee by this date.
The registration deadline for 2027 entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+ was 1 June 2026, and the page says registration for 2027 entry has closed.
A non-refundable registration fee of £420 is paid on application for 11+ and 13+ entry.
Step 210 November 2026 to 23 June 2027
Coffee Mornings and visits
Book a Coffee Morning, which is a small gathering with staff followed by a tour of the site. Registered families can also arrange a private visit, typically on a Friday afternoon in term time.
Coffee Mornings for 2026-2027 are on 10 November and 2 December 2026, and 21 January, 10 February, 18 March, 8 May, 8 June and 23 June 2027, for about 30 families each.
Registered families for the coming year can arrange a private visit, with time with the Headmistress and the Director of Admissions.
Step 3By November 2026; the dates list gives a 1 December 2026 deadline
ISEB Common Pre-Test
Arrange for your daughter to sit the online ISEB Pre-Test at her current school, a recognised UK test centre or a British Council office. Wycombe Abbey's Admissions department gives the information needed and receives the result automatically.
The process text says girls must sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test by November, and the dates for 2027 entry give a deadline of 1 December 2026.
ISEB says registration for the Pre-Tests is done by the parent or guardian through its Guardian Admin Portal, and that testing for the 2026-27 session runs from 1 September 2026 to late May 2027.
Step 419 November 2026
Assessment Day
Take your daughter to Wycombe Abbey for the day. She has an individual interview, joins small group activities and sits one-hour English and mathematics papers. The school also asks for a reference from her current school.
The 11+ Assessment Day for 2027 entry is on 19 November 2026 at Wycombe Abbey, and all candidates must come to the school.
Candidates sit entrance examinations in English (1 hour) and Mathematics (1 hour); the school says no preparation is necessary and sample questions are sent out in the autumn term.
Step 5December 2026
Firm offers
Wait for the outcome. Firm offers and waiting list offers are made in December, based on the entrance examinations, interview and group activity.
Firm offers for 11+ are made in December preceding the year of entry, and the dates list says before Christmas 2026.
Step 6January 2027, by invitation
Scholarship examinations
If your daughter holds a firm offer and is invited, she sits papers in English, mathematics, science and humanities and a Language Aptitude Test at the school. No application is needed and sample papers are not available.
Selected candidates with a firm offer are invited to the scholarship examinations in January of the year of entry; the dates list gives 28 January 2027 for the exams and 27 January 2027 for music auditions.
11+ academic scholarships are worth up to 5% of fees and exhibitions £600 a year.
Step 7Early March 2027, date to be confirmed
Acceptance and deposit
Accept the place and pay the Acceptance Deposit of £3,500 by the date the school confirms. Families living abroad or needing a Child Student Visa also pay an Additional Deposit.
All places must be accepted and a deposit paid by early March, with the date to be confirmed.
The Acceptance Deposit is £3,500 and the combined Acceptance and Additional Deposit equals one term's fees, currently £21,500.
Step 8September 2027
Start of term
Prepare for entry to Junior House. Girls joining at 11+ spend their first year in Junior House and are allocated a Senior House before they join.
Girls entering at 11+ go into Junior House for their first year and are allocated their future Senior House before they join.
Fees from September 2026 are £21,500 boarding and £16,400 day per term, inclusive of VAT where applicable.
The assessment.
What the school says
Wycombe Abbey uses the online ISEB Common Pre-Test as stage one of 11+ entry, sat at the girl's current school, a UK test centre or a British Council office, then holds its own Assessment Day.
At 11+, the first stage is the online ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat by November; the results are sent to the school automatically.
The second stage is an Assessment Day at Wycombe Abbey with an individual interview, small group activities, and English (1 hour) and Mathematics (1 hour) entrance examinations. A reference from the current school is also required.
The school says no preparation is necessary for any element of the 11+ assessment and that the assessment is not something a girl passes or fails.
At 13+ the school also uses the online ISEB Common Pre-Test as stage one, by October, followed by an Assessment Day in January with its own papers.
ISEB describes the Pre-Tests as four online, adaptive, multiple-choice tests in English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, taking 2 hours 15 minutes in total.
ISEB says results are age-standardised and shared with all the senior schools that require them, so a child takes the tests once.
Parent questions.
- Does Wycombe Abbey use the ISEB Common Pre-Test?
Yes. At 11+ the first stage is the online ISEB Common Pre-Test, and it is also the first stage at 13+.
- Which year does my daughter register, and by when?
Register by 1 June in Year 5, the year before entry. For 2027 entry that was 1 June 2026, and the school says registration is closed. The page gives the rule but no dates for 2028 entry.
- What are the stages of 11+ entry?
Stage one is the online ISEB Common Pre-Test. Stage two is an Assessment Day at the school in November of Year 6, with an interview, group activities and English and mathematics papers. Stage three is the scholarship examinations, by invitation, for girls who hold a firm offer.
- When must the Pre-Test be sat?
The process text says by November; the dates for 2027 entry give 1 December 2026. The page gives both, so check with the Admissions team. The test is sat at the current school, a recognised UK test centre or a British Council office.
- Does my daughter need to prepare?
The school says no. It says she does not need to prepare for the assessments, that the assessment is not something she passes or fails, and that sample questions are sent out in the autumn term.
- How many 11+ places are there?
The page does not publish the number of 11+ places. It does say about 15 deferred places for 13+ entry are awarded each year.
- What does it cost to apply and to accept a place?
A non-refundable registration fee of £420 is paid on application for 11+ and 13+. On acceptance, the Acceptance Deposit is £3,500. Families living abroad or needing a Child Student Visa also pay an Additional Deposit, with the combined deposit equal to one term's fees, currently £21,500.
- What are the termly fees?
From September 2026, £21,500 boarding and £16,400 day per term, with all fees shown inclusive of VAT where applicable. Fees for September 2027 entry are not published.
- When will we hear the result?
Firm offers and waiting list offers are made in December, and the dates list says before Christmas 2026. Places must be accepted and the deposit paid by early March, with the date to be confirmed.
- Are there scholarships and bursaries?
At 11+, academic scholarships are worth up to 5% of fees and academic exhibitions £600 a year, with no application needed. Means-tested bursaries are also offered, and the bursary form is due by 1 September in the year before entry.
- Can we sit assessments overseas?
The Pre-Test can be sat at a recognised test centre or a British Council office. The school requires all overseas candidates to attend assessment days in person and asks families to contact Admissions to discuss arrangements.
- Does the school offer day places?
Yes, a limited number each year for candidates living within 15 miles. Day boarders belong to a Senior House. The school says it is at capacity and cannot guarantee a later switch to full boarding.
Tell me when it opens.
The school’s own pages
Always check dates and requirements with Wycombe Abbey directly. These links open the school’s site in a new tab.
- Admissions(opens in a new tab)
- Registration for 11+ and 13+(opens in a new tab)
- Inspection reports(opens in a new tab)
- Explore Wycombe Abbey (history and leadership)(opens in a new tab)
- How to find us(opens in a new tab)
- Term dates(opens in a new tab)
- Bursaries Policy and Procedure (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
- ISI inspection report, March 2025 (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
- ISI additional inspection report, June 2024 (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
- ISI inspection reports for Wycombe Abbey(opens in a new tab)
- Child Student visa (GOV.UK)(opens in a new tab)
- ISEB Pre-Tests information for families(opens in a new tab)
Mockplan links to schools; we never ask a school to link to us, and nothing here implies endorsement. Facts last checked 19 October 2026.