There are three parts to the application.

• An application form: personal details and subject choices.
• A personal statement, outlining academic interests and involvement in extracurricular activities.
• A test for any applicant wanting to do any of the following subjects: Maths, Biology, Chemistry or Physics. The tests have been designed to emphasise rational thinking. Advanced preparation or revision is not required. If you are doing GCSEs you are capable of doing the test. Don’t panic and do not be put off applying.

The total test time is 72 minutes. Plus approx 50 mins settling/instructions/practice time spread over the different parts. The test is divided into three parts:

• Non-verbal reasoning (using shapes): 20 minutes
• Verbal reasoning and number reasoning): 26 minutes
• Spatial and figure analysis (using patterns and numbers): 26 minutes
• Each section will start with a marked example and some practice questions. It is not knowledge based but tests thinking skills.

Please note that there are no practice materials or past papers for these tests, so please do not contact the school.

Each year the Mathematics and Science courses at the Latymer Sixth Form are oversubscribed. This means that it is unfortunately necessary to limit the number of offers given in these subjects.

In the interest of fairness, new candidates wishing to study these subjects are required to take an entrance examination, which is then used to rank order applicants. Places on the course will be awarded using this ranking system.

Students must meet all entry requirements for their place to be confirmed after GCSE results.

• If you select four subjects that don’t include any Maths or Science subjects, then you do not have to sit the test.
• Your offer will be based on GCSE predictions from your existing school and spaces available in your chosen subjects. You will be sent a form that needs to be completed by your existing school and returned to the Latymer School.
• You will not be allowed to switch to Maths/Science courses if you haven’t sat the test. So if there is any chance that you may want to do Maths/Science A Levels then please sit the test.

• There is a postcode criteria (see here for the full list).
• The test will be used to rank students.
• A conditional offer will be made to the 60 to 80 highest ranked students. This is dependent on spaces being available in your selected subjects.
• This offer will be 6 level 7s at GCSE, including level 7s in your chosen subject choices - where applicable. A minimum of A Level 5 is required in Maths and English for all students.
• If you fail to get a conditional offer you are welcome to contact the school after GCSE results. The deadline is 12 noon the day after GCSE results are released. 
• If you meet the conditional offer and there is spare capacity in your chosen subjects, we may be able to offer additional places. We will consider the achieved GCSE grades. Each year between 15 and 20 students get offers in this way.

• We tend to be heavily oversubscribed for the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics.
• We tend to have more places available in the following subjects: Art, Media and Russian.
• Your chances of getting a conditional offer will be greater if you select a combination of the above under-subscribed subjects with Economics, English, French, Geography, History, Music, Politics and Religious Studies.
• Your greatest chance of getting a conditional offer is if you select a combination containing all under-subscribed subjects.
• You will not be allowed to switch to the oversubscribed subjects once you have a conditional offer.