Canford School: Online Quest Assessment for 13 Plus/Year 9 (Shells) Entry
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Canford School is an independent co-educational school for pupils aged 13 to 18, offering both day and boarding places. It has an enviable reputation for academic excellence, an extensive co-curricular programme and high-quality pastoral care. Recently, Canford announced a merger with Dumpton School to form The Canford Schools Group of charitable independent schools.
Dedicated, enthusiastic teachers who are experts in their fields, coupled with pupils who are passionate about learning and are hard-working, lead to superb results in public examinations. In 2025, 72.3% of GCSE grades were in the 9-7 range, and 85.5% of A-Level grades were in the A*-B range.
The co-curricular programme at Canford is designed to ensure that pupils lead rich, fulfilling lives outside of the classroom, enabling them to develop their skills and discover new talents while creating memories that will last a lifetime. Fourth Form (Year 10) and Lower Sixth teams have even had the opportunity to take part in the Ten Tors challenge on Dartmoor.
Pupil wellbeing is a priority at Canford. The school community is warm and inclusive, which means pupils thrive. Additionally, there is a strong pastoral care system, with Houses, tutor groups and peer mentoring.
If you are interested in your child joining Canford School in Year 9, otherwise known as Shells or Third Form, please read on.
Canford School: Contact Details and 13 Plus/Year 9 (Shells) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for Canford School
Address: Wimborne, BH21 3AD
County: Dorset
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01202 847207
School type: Independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 13-18
Open Mornings: October and April
Registration deadline: Registering by the end of Year 5 is recommended
Assessment date: January/February of Year 6 (recommended) or January/February of Year 7
Entrance assessment: Online Quest assessment (maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning) and an interview
Admissions Process for Year 9 (Shells) Entry to Canford School
Visiting Canford School is the best way to start the admissions process. Open Mornings are held in October and April, giving you the chance to view the facilities and meet staff and current pupils. Once you have attended an Open Morning and your child is in at least Year 5, you can arrange a private visit.
Canford School strongly recommends that you register your child before the end of Year 5 so that they can attend the Explore Day at the start of Year 6. On Explore Day, they will participate in fun activities with other prospective pupils at Canford School.
Registering involves filling out the online registration form, submitting a copy of your child’s passport photo page and paying the £300 non-refundable registration fee. If you live overseas, you will also have to submit a copy of your child’s most recent school report.
If you register your child before the end of Year 5, they will attend an assessment day in January or February of Year 6. If you register your child after this, you must register them before the end of Year 6 to attend the assessment day in January or February of Year 7.
The assessment day involves activities, an online Quest assessment and informal interviews. A reference from your child’s current school will also be reviewed as part of the admissions process.
Offers are then made before Easter of Year 6 or 7, depending on when your child attended the assessment day. Your child could be offered a firm place or be put on a waiting list. If you accept a firm offer, you will be required to pay a £1,500 deposit (if you live overseas, it will be a full term’s fees and the first term’s fees will be due). The deposit is refunded when your child finishes their education at Canford School.
Please note that Canford School may withdraw an offer if Year 8 school references are unsatisfactory.
Canford School: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 9 Entry
Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available for Year 9 entry: academic, art, design technology, drama, music and sport.
Applications for scholarships will open in October of Year 8 and close at the start of December of Year 8, with assessments taking place mainly in February.
You can apply for scholarships even if your child does not have a firm offer from Canford School. If this is the case, your child will have to sit the academic scholarship assessments or the Canford School Year 8 entrance tests to ensure they are of the required academic standard.
Scholarships offer a fee remission, but this will typically be no more than 20% of the school fees, whether it is one scholarship or a combination of scholarships.
For more details about scholarships, please click here.
Bursaries
Bursaries are means-tested awards that can provide up to a 100% discount on Canford’s school fees. They are designed to enable gifted children who would flourish at Canford School but whose parents cannot afford the fees to benefit from an education there.
If you would need financial assistance for your child to take up a place at Canford School, you can discuss this confidentially with the school’s bursar (01202 847551), who can advise you.
Canford School: Online Quest Assessment for Year 9 Entry
Your child will sit an online assessment produced by Quest for Year 9 (Shells) entry to Canford School. It will last for one hour and 10 minutes and will comprise the following four modules:
- Maths: The maths module will cover topics your child has been taught at school (number, measurement, geometry and statistics). Your child will have to answer questions that involve mental arithmetic, word problems, mathematical reasoning and multiple steps.
- English: The English module will include a passage that could be fiction or non-fiction. Your child will have to read the passage and then answer questions that include extracting key information, making inferences and deducing word meaning from context. There will also be questions testing the standard of your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Verbal Reasoning: The verbal reasoning module will use written information to assess your child’s ability to solve problems. For example, they may have to pick out the true statement from a choice of five, based on statements they have been given.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning: The non-verbal reasoning section will evaluate your child’s ability to solve problems that use visual information, such as pictures and shapes. For example, they may have to select the image from a choice of five that contains a given shape.
The maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning modules are adaptive. This means the difficulty level will adapt based on how your child is performing. If they are answering questions correctly, the questions will get harder. If they are answering questions incorrectly, the questions will get slightly easier.
By being adaptive, the Canford School entrance exam will be at an appropriate level for each candidate, helping all candidates stay motivated and engaged.
Overall scores are fair because they will reflect whether candidates were answering harder or easier questions and will be age-standardised.
Preparing for a competitive entrance exam can feel daunting; however, we have some tips in the section below that we hope will make your child’s preparation process effective and stress-free.
Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for the Canford School Online Quest Assessment
Here are some of our top tips to help your child feel confident and fully prepared for Canford School’s 13+ online Quest entrance assessment.
- Schedule short study sessions, as most children can only focus effectively for around 2-3 minutes per year of their age. Start the sessions well in advance of the assessment day to avoid last-minute panic.
- Ensure your child has plenty of time to relax and have fun so that the preparation process does not feel overwhelming. Also, this will allow them to recharge and assimilate the information they have learnt.
- Encourage your child to read widely so they can enhance their reading comprehension and broaden their vocabulary. Reading is also a great way to switch off.
- Go through maths and English school work to make sure your child has the knowledge they will need for the maths and English modules. Condensing the work to key facts written on flashcards can make revision feel manageable.
- Teach your child to have a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities are not set in stone but can be developed with time and effort. This will help keep your child motivated and determined to do their best, knowing their hard work will make a difference.
- Use our online Cranford School Quest practice tests because this will get your child used to the question types they will have to answer, as well as the format and timings of the entrance assessment. Knowing what to expect will reduce their nerves, helping them to excel on the day. Working through our practice tests will also highlight any areas your child needs to spend more time on and boost their confidence as they learn from their mistakes and get better at answering questions quickly and accurately.
Please look at our highly recommended resources below.
Canford School: 13 Plus (13+)/Year 9 Online Quest Practice Tests
Canford School 13+ Online Practice Tests
Our Canford School 13+ Online Entrance Assessment Practice Tests provide realistic and highly accurate preparation for the actual exam. Each full mock test replicates the modules, timings and question types used in the real assessment, ensuring your child becomes familiar with the format and expectations. Covering Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, these tests are all pitched at the same difficulty level, allowing you to benchmark your child’s progress, track improvement and identify key areas for further practice.
Canford School 13+ Practice Test 1
Canford School 13+ Practice Test 2
Canford School 13+ Practice Test 3
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Canford School 13+ Skill Practice
Our Skill Practice exercises are designed to focus on one specific question type that will come up in the Canford School 13+ exam. They are ideal for targeted practice and an efficient way to quickly improve your child’s scores in the relevant topic.
Canford School 13+ Mathematics
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If you have any questions about our Canford 13+ exam practice materials or require guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help your child succeed in their 13+ online exam for entry to Canford School.
The information in this post was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware that there could be future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Pretest Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the Quest online assessment or any other test publisher.
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