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Is your child applying to a selective independent school? They might take an Atom Assessment as part of the admissions process.
Launched by Atom Learning in 2019, Atom Assessments is redefining the way schools test candidates. More than 100 independent schools now trust Atom Assessments to administer their entrance exams. We put children at the heart of what we do by creating shorter, adaptive exams filled with enjoyable content. Through these assessments, admissions teams receive the quality data they need to make decisions and children have positive exam day experiences.
What is Atom Assessments?
Atom Assessments provide bespoke entry tests to schools. We work in partnership with schools to build assessments that are fair and accessible to children from all backgrounds. We know that entrance exams can put a lot of pressure on young children, so we create assessments that are enjoyable and accessible.
An Atom Assessment typically combines a mixture of traditional subjects like English, maths and reasoning with newer components to broaden the scope of what’s being assessed. These newer components test children’s analysis and synthesis skills. They also gauge whether children can engage with long-form problem-solving.
Many schools are switching from other exam providers to Atom Assessments because they want to make their admissions process more accessible and inclusive. Atom Assessments:
are shorter and less taxing on the child
test more widely than most entrance exams
prioritise lifelong learning – identifying readers and problem-solvers
Every assessment is unique and branded to the school. Your target school chooses the subjects and timings of the test to suit their values and admissions process. More information about your target school’s test will be available on the admissions section of the school website.
Lord Wandsworth College
Which schools use Atom Assessments?
Over 100 senior schools use Atom Assessments in their entrance process. Some of these schools are included in the list below.
Ardingly College
Ashford Senior School
Berkhamsted School*
Brighton Girls
Channing School
Chigwell School
City of London School
DLD College London
Dulwich College
Ellesmere College
Felsted School
Forest School
Francis Holland School (Regent’s Park)
Francis Holland School (Sloane Square)
Gateways School
Giggleswick
Godolphin & Latymer
Gordonstoun
Headington Senior School
Ibstock Place Senior School
King’s Ely
Knightsbridge School
Lomond School
Lord Wandsworth College
Mill Hill School Foundation
More House School
North Bridge House Senior Canonbury
North Bridge House Senior Hampstead
Northampton High School GDST
Northwood College for Girls
Norwich High School for Girls GDST
Notting Hill & Ealing High School
Oakham School
Oxford High School GDST
Queen’s College London
Queen’s Gate School
Reading Blue Coat School
Royal Russell School
Rugby School
Sherborne Girls
South Hampstead High School
St Augustine’s Priory
St Columba’s School
St Edmund’s School, Canterbury
St Helen’s School London
St James Senior Girls’ School
St Joseph’s College
St Margaret’s School
St Mary’s Calne
Taunton School
Trinity School
Uppingham School
Westminster School*
Wetherby Senior School
Woldingham School*
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Worth School
*Not at main entry
Lucy Elphinstone, The London 11+ Consortium
What skills and content are tested?
Part 1
In Part 1 of an Atom Assessment, your child will be tested on their understanding of the content taught on the national curriculum, including maths and English comprehension. Some assessments will also include verbal and non-verbal reasoning. For more information about which subjects will be tested on your child’s exam, check your target school’s website.
This section of the test is adaptive, so the questions are tailored to your child's learning ability. If your child answers lots of questions correctly, they will begin to see more challenging questions. Adaptive testing meets children at their level. It helps them to stay motivated and prevents them from feeling discouraged from seeing questions that are too difficult.
The maths section covers the topics caught on the national curriculum. Children taking an Atom Assessment for 11+ entry will be tested on topics taught up to the end of Year 5.
Your child will be tested on arithmetic and number, geometry, measurement, and statistics. They will also have questions which assess mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. Your child will need to think carefully when answering these questions, as they’ll likely need to solve problems with several steps. They will have scrap paper and pencils to help them work through the problem.
Part 2
However, Atom Assessments aim to go beyond testing a narrow skillset. These tests also look at your child’s ability to:
Analyse source materials from unfamiliar contexts
Evaluate and synthesise information
Use sustained thinking to solve multi-step problems
Apply logic to solve problems
Part 2 of an Atom Assessment measures these skills through two unique components: puzzles and problem-solving and creative comprehension. These are very different to exams provided by other test providers and create a more enjoyable testing experience.
This section is not adaptive. All children will see the same questions regardless of their performance, although some might progress further through the questions than others.
Your target school will choose whether to incorporate Part 2 in the exam.
This section assesses your child’s ability to reason with information and solve problems using interactive puzzles. They will need to show sustained thinking, and use trial and error, to work through the puzzle.
Try some Atom Assessments questions
How are the assessments marked?
Atom Assessments are taken online and consist of multiple choice questions. Your child’s test will be automatically marked by computer, reducing any potential for human error.
Some schools choose to include an optional creative writing task. If your target school sets this task, it will be marked by examiners.
Your target school will receive detailed data on your child’s performance in each subject and subtopic, and a summary report – showing standardised age scores and rankings.
How your child’s assessment results are then used is at the discretion of your target school. Most schools use these results alongside other criteria. This might include a handwritten test, an interview, a school report, and a reference from your child’s current headteacher. These different sources help to build a picture of the whole child, so that the admissions team can work out if they’ll thrive at the school.
More information about the factors taken into account when making offers will be available on the admissions section of the school website.
School guides
Looking for more information? Explore the Atom blog to find out about the admissions process for your target school and learn how to prepare for entrance exams.
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