The main entry points to the school are Year 9 (age 13; also known as Shells at Harrow) and Sixth Form / Year 12 (age 16). 160 new Shells (our youngest year group) join each year, with approximately 20 boys joining the Lower Sixth Form.

You should register your son by 1 July of Year 5. Registrations received after the end of Year 5 will be considered Late Applicants.

All standard applicants will need to sit the ISEB Pre-Test at their school between 1 October and the end of November of Year 6. Selected students will be invited to come to Harrow to sit The Harrow Test in the Spring term of Year 6. An applicant who registers after the standard application deadline and before 1 May of Year 6 is considered a Late Applicant and will only be invited to sit the Harrow Test if he has a very strong reference and an equally strong performance in the ISEB Common Pre-Test.

For admission to Year 12, Applicants at schools in the United Kingdom and overseas (excluding Hong Kong and China) can apply by early September of Year 11

What is the ISEB Pre-Test?

The ISEB Pre-Test is a standardised, age-adaptive measure of ability and attainment. The ISEB Pre-Test takes the form of an online assessment consisting of multiple-choice questions in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics.

The tests take approximately two and a half hours to complete and sections can be taken together or at separate times.

Harrow Test

The Harrow Test consists of one interview with a House Master, a computerised English and Mathematics assessment and a classroom-based group activity.