​Westminster Under School 7+ Entry: what are they looking for?

If you are aiming for a place at Westminster Under School (WUS), you are looking at one of the most prestigious and competitive 7+ entries in London. With the school moving to fully co-educational entry at 7+ in 2026, the landscape is shifting. For the first time, girls will join boys in Year 3, and the intake is expected to rise to approximately 60 places.

​So, how hard is the Westminster 7+ exam? In short: it is designed to find the top 5% of the cohort. Similarly to elite private schools like St Paul’s Juniors, Westminster's 7+ process is a test of speed, mental agility and academic flair.

The Westminster Under 7+ Timeline

To secure a place at Westminster, you need to be ahead of these key dates:

Registration Deadline: at least 2 years prior to 1st September of intended year of entry

​Stage 1 Assessments (The Exam): in recent years this has been brought forward to mid October and early Nov (keep an eye on their website each year)

​Stage 2 (Interviews & Activities): early to mid November

​Offers Sent: end of November usually, with acceptance deadline at the end of January

The Westminster Under School 7+ Syllabus: What to Expect

The Westminster Under School 7+ entry process begins with a rigorous morning of assessments in English, Maths and Reasoning.

​1. Mathematics: Speed and Logic

​The Westminster Maths paper is notoriously fast and tricky. They assume your child has mastered the Year 2 curriculum and is already comfortable with many Year 3 concepts.

​The Focus: Mental arithmetic, place value and the four operations.

​The Challenge: Multi-step word problems. It isn't enough to calculate; the child must decode what the question is asking under time pressure.

​Strategy: Your child needs to be able to "pivot." If a question is a time-sink, they must move on. We train this specific agility in our 7+ Mathematics Mastery Workbook.

​2. English: Comprehension and Flair

​The WUS English paper assesses both comprehension and creative writing.

​Reading: They often use sophisticated texts (poetry or prose) that require inference.

​Writing: Examiners aren't looking for a "correct" story; they are looking for sentence structure, vocabulary and coherence.

​Expert Advice: If your child is still using "safe" adjectives like happy or big, they won't make the shortlist. You need to "uplevel" their vocabulary immediately. Our £1.99 Uplevelling Sentences Pack is the fastest way to turn standard sentences into scholarship-level ones.

​3. Reasoning: Verbal and Non-Verbal

​These papers test raw cognitive potential. At Westminster, these are often short, sharp, and require intense focus to identify patterns and logical sequences.

Stage 2: The Interview and "The Spark"

​Shortlisted candidates are invited back for the famous Stage 2. This is where "over-tutored" children often struggle.

​Classroom Activities: Teachers observe how children collaborate and follow instructions. Can they take turns, respond to others respectfully, do they boast and shout?

​The 1-to-1 Interview: Common Westminster 7 plus interview questions include: "Who is your hero?" or "If you had a free afternoon, what would you do?" Over-prepared answers will count against pupils but practise is important. See our interview preparation guide for more details.

​The Goal: They are looking for a "spark". Genuine curiosity and the ability to hold a sophisticated conversation with an adult, and to show passion for their interests.

​Final Westminster 7+ Advice

​Is it hard? Yes. But the families who succeed are the ones who focus on consistency over intensity. 15 minutes of "Logic" or "Uplevelling" every day is far more effective than a 3-hour weekend cram session.

​Ready to start your 7+ journey?

​Build the Logic: Master the pace of the WUS maths paper with our 7+ Mathematics Mastery Series on Amazon.

​Fix the Writing: Download the £1.99 Uplevelling Sentences Pack to give your child the "Voice" that Westminster examiners crave.

For a full comparison of London's top schools, visit our [7+ Resource Hub]