The UK elite education system has produced countless world-renowned figures and social elites. Many outstanding politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and even actors bear the mark of British education. British private schools are the essence of this elite education and are the top choice for children of high-net-worth families worldwide.
More and more top British private schools require international students to provide a comprehensive assessment report before applying, making the UKiset test a crucial stepping stone for many students to enter these prestigious schools.
UKiset (UK Independent Schools’ Entry Test) is an online entrance test for independent schools in the UK. It is used by independent (private) schools to assess whether students are likely to thrive in an English-speaking educational environment.
UKiset is equivalent to IELTS for middle and primary school students, conducted in English, primarily targeting overseas students aged 9.5 to 18 whose first language is not English.
It employs an intelligent approach to comprehensively assess students’ learning abilities and development potential, helping them accurately identify their strengths, weaknesses, and learning preferences.
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Students wishing to apply to British boarding private schools
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Students wishing to enter British international schools
The exam is divided into four groups based on actual age.
Exam Group Division:
11+ (9-11 years)
13+ (11-13 years)
14+ (13-14 years)
16+ (14-16 years)
Call 400-700-1988 or contact Mr. Sui from Zhongguo International Education at domsui15
At registration, a one-time fee of £295 (approximately 2700 RMB) is required. This fee includes:
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One UKiset online test
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A parent report (to help parents better understand their child’s overall situation).
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A complete student profile and a comprehensive test report, which will be sent to the corresponding five target schools.
The exam takes approximately 3 hours and consists of three major parts, providing a comprehensive assessment from five major fields:
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Verbal Reasoning (language analogy, synonym and antonym identification, logical patterns of numbers, etc.);
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Non-Verbal Reasoning (assessing students’ spatial thinking abilities through selection and stacking of shapes in two or three-dimensional spaces);
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Creative Writing (discussion of social hot topics or narratives of personal experiences);
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English (listening comprehension in daily conversation and academic settings, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar usage);
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Mathematics (basic math, operations, geometry, measurement, etc.)
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Exam Format: Online
The questions include non-verbal reasoning (solving problems based on diagrams, charts, etc.), spatial reasoning (testing the ability to manipulate and rotate shapes in two and three-dimensional spaces), and verbal reasoning (solving problems based on words, including antonyms, synonyms, etc.).
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Exam Format: Online
The second part of the UKiset exam is the Cambridge English Assessment, an online test assessing English language proficiency. The exam includes multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, aiming to measure candidates’ listening and reading abilities. The exam scores correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Duration: 30 minutes
Exam Format: Paper-based
Creative writing prompts vary by age, requiring candidates to complete a handwritten essay within 30 minutes, with minimum word counts differing by age group.
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9-11 years: Minimum 100-150 words
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12-15 years: Minimum 200-250 words
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16-18 years: Minimum 300-350 words
The creative writing section will not be scored but will be submitted along with the student’s report card for the school to assess the student’s writing abilities and English proficiency.
Which Schools Recognize UKiset?
Currently, about 300 British private primary and secondary schools, as well as some international schools in various regions, recognize UKiset as an entrance screening exam. Students must submit their UKiset score report before submitting their application forms, allowing schools to understand various aspects of the students. Many of the top private schools in the UK, including the nine major public schools, are members of UKiset.
Exam Results
3-5 working days after the exam
Exam Locations
Official (or authorized) testing centers, or online proctoring
UKiset has official testing centers in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in China, where all candidates must go to the nearest testing center to take the exam under UKiset’s official supervision.
Exam Intervals
Candidates can take the UKiset exam three times a year, with an interval of at least four months between each exam.
Score Reports
The validity of the UKiset exam score is one year
Each time a candidate takes the UKiset exam, they receive an independent score report. The score report contains information on two modules. One is the reasoning module score report, and the other is the Cambridge English exam module score report.
Reasoning Module Score Report:
Includes scores for Vocabulary, Mathematics, and Non-Verbal three modules.
In addition, it includes two average scores:
Average: The average score of the student, including verbal reasoning scores.
Average (Ex. VR): The average score of the student, excluding verbal reasoning scores.
Swipe left to see more
Cambridge English Exam Module Score Report:
The score from the Cambridge English test will provide specific scores and CEFR levels. It will also provide a conversion between CEFR levels and IELTS scores (see red section).
Swipe left to see more
The average score of students from ordinary private schools in the UKiset reasoning module is 111, while schools generally require a score of B2 or above (which corresponds to over 160 points, equivalent to IELTS 5.5-6). Some top schools even require a C1 score (which is 190 points, equivalent to IELTS 7+).
Additionally, after the UKiset exam, schools will receive a more comprehensive report for each candidate. This school report includes the candidate’s essay, a detailed comparative analysis with other students from British private schools, and predicted scores.
Regarding preparation for the UKiset exam, it is recommended to reserve at least 3-5 months for study, with summer intensive training being particularly effective. The above score reports reflect the actual results of our students after a month of intensive summer training.
If you are preparing for the UKiset exam, scan the QR code below to receive “UKiset Preparation Guidance”.
