The Common Academic Scholarship Examination (CASE) is a shared set of academic-scholarship papers sat by pupils competing for a merit-based fee reduction at a senior independent school, typically in January of Year 8 — separately from, and before, the summer Common Entrance exam (CE13) that most 13+ candidates sit to confirm their place.
What is CASE, and who sets it?
CASE is set centrally so that a pupil can sit one common paper and have the result considered by several senior schools at once, rather than needing to sit a different bespoke scholarship exam for every school on their list. It covers core academic subjects at a standard noticeably above the ordinary Common Entrance papers, since it exists specifically to identify the strongest candidates in an already-selected cohort, not to confirm a baseline standard.
Papers are typically set in English, Mathematics and Science as a minimum, with many candidates also sitting additional subjects such as History, Geography, French, Latin or Religious Studies, depending on which papers the target school asks for. Scripts are usually marked centrally and then released to each senior school a candidate has named, so schools can compare results on a common basis.
When is CASE sat, and how does that differ from Common Entrance?
The single most important practical fact about CASE is its timing: it is sat in January, months before the standard Common Entrance exam most 13+ pupils sit in the summer term of Year 8. A pupil who wants to be considered for an academic scholarship therefore faces an earlier, separate assessment on top of — not instead of — their ordinary CE13 papers later in the year.
| CASE (scholarship) | Common Entrance (CE13) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Competes for a merit-based fee reduction | Confirms an existing conditional offer |
| Typically sat | January, Year 8 | Summer term, Year 8 |
| Difficulty | Set above standard CE13 level | Set at standard pass-level for the target school |
| Who sits it | A minority, nominated by their prep school | Almost every 13+ candidate |
| Marked by | Centrally, then shared with named schools | Each senior school individually |
Who typically sits CASE?
Not every child preparing for 13+ entry sits CASE. It is aimed at academically strong pupils who their prep school judges capable of performing well above the standard CE13 level — prep schools generally put candidates forward for a scholarship attempt rather than every family simply opting in. A pupil is usually preparing for CASE alongside, not instead of, the ordinary Common Entrance syllabus, since sitting CASE does not remove the need to sit CE13 later in the year to actually confirm the place.
Because CASE candidates are self-selected for strength by their own school, competition for the scholarship places on offer at any single senior school is intense — a good CE13 result is not, on its own, evidence that a pupil is a realistic CASE candidate.
Is a CASE scholarship means-tested?
No. A CASE award is a merit-based fee reduction, decided purely on exam performance — it says nothing about a family's financial circumstances and is available to a household on any income. This is a fundamentally different mechanism from a bursary, which is means-tested and assessed against household income and assets. The two can be combined by a family who both wins a scholarship and separately qualifies for financial support; for how bursaries themselves are assessed and applied for, see our full guide to private school bursaries and scholarships.
What does a CASE award actually give a family?
The value of a CASE-based scholarship varies considerably by school. At many day schools the fee reduction is modest — sometimes as little as 5 to 10 per cent — with the main benefit being the recognition of being named a scholar rather than a transformative saving on fees. Some boarding schools and better-endowed senior schools offer more substantial reductions. Families weighing whether a CASE attempt is worthwhile should ask each target school directly what its scholarship is actually worth in practice, rather than assuming a fixed national figure.
Not every senior school uses CASE at all. Some of the most selective schools set their own bespoke scholarship exam instead — a distinct, school-specific process covered in our companion guide, How Do 13+ Scholarships Work? Eton's King's Scholarship Explained. Academic scholarships are also only one of several scholarship tracks available at 13+; music, art, sport and drama scholarships use entirely different, non-written assessment methods, set out in Music, Art, Sport & Drama Scholarships at 13+.
FAQ
Is CASE the same exam as Common Entrance?
No. CASE is a separate, harder set of papers sat in January specifically to compete for an academic scholarship. Common Entrance (CE13) is sat later, in the summer term, by almost all 13+ candidates to confirm their conditional place at their chosen senior school. A pupil attempting a scholarship sits both.
Does every child applying at 13+ sit CASE?
No. CASE is aimed at a smaller group of academically strong candidates, usually nominated by their prep school because staff judge them capable of scholarship-level performance. Most 13+ candidates go straight to Common Entrance without sitting CASE at all.
If my child sits CASE but does not win a scholarship, do they still get a place?
Sitting CASE and failing to win a scholarship does not, by itself, affect a pupil's ordinary place at their chosen senior school. The scholarship competition and the standard admissions process (Pre-Test conditional offer, then CE13) run alongside each other; a disappointing CASE result simply means no scholarship is awarded, not that the underlying offer is withdrawn.
Can a family apply for a CASE scholarship and a bursary at the same time?
Yes. The two processes are entirely separate — CASE assesses academic merit, while a bursary assesses financial need — and a family can pursue both. If a child wins a CASE scholarship and the family also qualifies for a means-tested bursary, most schools will apply both awards to the same fee account.
If your child is preparing for a CASE scholarship attempt or standard Common Entrance, focused one-to-one support in their strongest subjects can help — explore aitutors.me to find out more.