Most 13+ academic scholarship candidates sit CASE, the shared Common Academic Scholarship Examination. But some of the most selective senior schools run their own bespoke scholarship exam instead. Eton College's King's Scholarship is the best-known example: a demanding, school-set exam sat earlier than standard Common Entrance, with its own compulsory and optional papers.
Not every scholarship exam is CASE
It is easy to assume that CASE is "the" 13+ scholarship exam, since it is the shared paper set most schools use. In fact, a handful of the most academically selective senior schools set their own scholarship examination entirely, run independently of CASE, with its own syllabus, timing and marking. A family targeting one of these schools needs to prepare for that school's specific process — not the generic CASE format described elsewhere on this site — so checking directly with each target school's admissions or scholarship office early is essential, rather than assuming one process fits every school on a list.
Eton's King's Scholarship: how it actually works
Eton College's King's Scholarship is the clearest real-world example of this bespoke-exam approach, and it is worth walking through in detail because it shows exactly how different a school-set process can look from CASE.
According to Eton's own admissions pages, the King's Scholarship works as follows:
- Compulsory papers. Every candidate sits a fixed set of required papers, currently English A, English B, Mathematics A, Science, and General I.
- Optional papers. Candidates additionally choose at least three papers from a wider list — French, Latin, Greek, Mathematics B, General II, and History-Geography-Divinity.
- How it's marked. Examiners assess each candidate on the compulsory papers plus their best three optional papers, rather than every paper sat.
- Timing. The exam is sat in late April or early May for September entry — earlier in the year than the standard Common Entrance exam most 13+ candidates sit in the summer term of Year 8.
- Scale. Eton awards approximately 14 King's Scholarships each year, typically held for five years — a genuinely small, highly competitive number relative to national demand for places.
| Feature | CASE (shared exam) | Eton King's Scholarship (bespoke) |
|---|---|---|
| Set by | Central scholarship consortium | The individual school |
| Sat by | Candidates across many senior schools | Eton candidates specifically |
| Timing | January, Year 8 | Late April / early May |
| Papers | Standard core-subject set | Fixed compulsory papers + choice of optional papers |
| Number of awards | Varies by school | Approximately 14 per year |
Why school-specific research matters more than a general "13+ scholarship" template
The Eton example makes a broader point that applies to any family considering a scholarship attempt at a highly selective school: assuming CASE applies everywhere is a real risk. A pupil prepared thoroughly for CASE-style papers could still be caught out by a bespoke exam's different subject list, different compulsory-versus-optional structure, or an earlier sitting date that leaves less runway than expected. Because each school publishes its own scholarship prospectus — Eton's, for example, sets out exact papers, dates and eligibility each year — the only reliable way to prepare correctly is to read the target school's own current scholarship documentation, not a generic guide.
This matters for timing as much as content. A scholarship exam sat in April, as at Eton, falls well before most families are even thinking about summer-term Common Entrance preparation — so a family aiming for a bespoke-exam school needs to start focused preparation earlier than a family whose child is only sitting standard CE13.
For the standard, shared academic-scholarship route that applies at most other senior schools, see our companion guide, What Is the Common Academic Scholarship Examination (CASE)? And for the non-academic scholarship tracks — music, art, sport and drama — each with its own separate assessment method, see Music, Art, Sport & Drama Scholarships at 13+.
FAQ
Does every senior school use CASE for academic scholarships?
No. Most senior independent schools use the shared Common Academic Scholarship Examination (CASE), but some of the most selective schools — Eton College being the standard example — set their own bespoke scholarship exam with a different syllabus, structure and timing. Always check the specific process for each school on your list rather than assuming CASE applies.
How many candidates win Eton's King's Scholarship?
Eton awards approximately 14 King's Scholarships each year, usually held for five years of a pupil's time at the school. Given the number of families applying to Eton at 13+, this makes it a genuinely small and highly competitive group of awards.
When is Eton's King's Scholarship exam sat, compared to standard Common Entrance?
Eton's King's Scholarship exam is sat in late April or early May for September entry — earlier than the standard Common Entrance exam, which most 13+ candidates sit in the summer term of Year 8. Families targeting a bespoke-exam school like Eton need to plan their preparation timeline around that earlier date.
Do I need to prepare differently for a bespoke scholarship exam than for CASE?
Yes, in most cases. A bespoke exam sets its own compulsory and optional papers, which may not match the CASE subject list exactly, and is often sat on a different date. The safest approach is to obtain the specific school's own current scholarship prospectus and prepare against that, rather than relying on general CASE-style preparation.
If your child is preparing for a school-specific scholarship exam or standard 13+ entry, tailored subject support can help them prepare with confidence — explore aitutors.me to find out more.