Caterham School — 13+ English Specimen Paper 2021
Caterham School published this 13+ English specimen paper in 2021 to show the assessment style; it is official school material, not a past paper. Hearthprep makes it interactive — 4 questions worth 50 marks in a 45-minute timed mode, each marked on submission and backed by a step-by-step worked solution. It covers Creative Writing and Reading Comprehension.
Real 13+ English paper from Caterham School (2021). 4 questions, 50 marks. Answer interactively with worked solutions. Covers Creative Writing, Reading Comprehension.
Caterham School published this specimen paper as preparation for its assessment. It is official school material, but not a paper candidates actually sat. Most 13+ entrance exams are sat between November and January of the year of entry, so a timed attempt at this paper is worth doing early enough to leave room for the topics it exposes. Work through it on screen with instant marking, or print the PDF and sit it under exam conditions.
- School
- Caterham School
- Entry level
- 13+
- Subject
- English
- Year
- 2021
- Questions
- 4
- Marks
- 50
- Time allowed
- 45 minutes
- Updated
- 7 Sept 2026
Topics in this paper
- Creative Writing
- Reading Comprehension
Questions in this paper (3 of 4)
- Question 1written answer · 6 marks
Passage: extract from 'I'm the King of the Castle' by Susan Hill (lines 7-16). "When he first saw the crow, he took no notice. There had been several crows. This one glided down into the corn on its enormous, ragged black wings. He began to be aware of it when it rose up suddenly, circled overhead, and then dived, to land not very far away from him. Kingshaw could see the feathers on his head, …
- Question 2written answer · 4 marks
Passage: extract from 'I'm the King of the Castle' by Susan Hill (lines 1-35, the full comprehension passage about Kingshaw in the cornfield). In the extract as a whole, explain in your own words how Kingshaw's thoughts and feelings change.
- Question 3written answer · 15 marks
Passage: extract from 'I'm the King of the Castle' by Susan Hill (lines 1-35, the full comprehension passage). How does the writer use language, imagery and structure to create a tense and exciting piece of writing? You must use quotations to support your analysis and should be as technical as you can be. You may wish to write about: the behaviour of Kingshaw; the use of varied sentence structu…
1 further question in this paper open with any paid plan, along with marking and the worked solutions. See plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is in the Caterham School — 13+ English Specimen Paper 2021?
4 questions with 50 marks in total; Caterham School allowed 45 minutes for it. It covers Creative Writing, Reading Comprehension. Caterham School published this specimen paper as preparation for its assessment. It is official school material, but not a paper candidates actually sat.
How long is the Caterham School 13+ English paper?
Caterham School printed an allowance of 45 minutes on this paper. The paper carries 50 marks, roughly 54 seconds a mark.
Can my child answer this paper online?
Yes. Every question on this page can be answered in the browser and is marked the moment the paper is submitted — multiple choice, short answers and written responses alike. Answers are matched leniently, so a correct value written a different way (units, fractions, word numbers) still scores.
Are worked solutions included?
Every question has a step-by-step worked solution and an AI tutor that will talk through it after the paper is submitted. The first 3 questions of this paper are free to try; the remaining 1 and the marking come with a paid plan.
Is this a real past paper?
Caterham School published this specimen paper as preparation for its assessment. It is official school material, but not a paper candidates actually sat. Use it to time a full mock attempt, then drill whichever topics your child drops marks on.
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