Your child can train for the written papers. Maths concepts, formulas and good grammar all improve with practice, and a well-prepared child walks into the exam hall knowing what to expect.
The interview is harder to picture. A child sits across from adults who may decide where they go to school, and no worksheet tells them what to say. For many children this is the most frightening part of the process.
Our earlier articles looked at exam pressure, anxiety and stress. Interview nerves deserve the same attention, and practice helps with them too. Short, regular rehearsal at home builds the skill and confidence for the real one. This guide covers what the research says, what a real interview prep sheet contains, which questions your child should ask the school, and a rehearsal routine you can start this week.
What does the research say about interview anxiety?
We found no peer-reviewed study that tests whether rehearsing a school entrance interview lowers a child's anxiety on the day. What exists is research on closely related questions: how common test anxiety is, what reduces it, and how children respond to high-stakes selection. Practical advice on the interview itself comes mostly from commercial tutoring and admissions providers. We have kept the two apart below.
Test anxiety is common. A survey of 2,435 students at 11 English secondary schools found that 16.4 per cent described themselves as highly test anxious, including 22.5 per cent of girls and 10.3 per cent of boys (Putwain and Remedios, 2014). Those students were older than most 11+ candidates and the survey covered written tests, so it tells us how widespread exam nerves are rather than how many children dread the interview.
A sense of control seems to matter. In a randomised controlled trial of 56 students aged around 15, a six-session programme reduced worry and tension. Part of that reduction was explained by a fall in what the authors call uncertain control, which is not understanding how your own actions lead to results and expecting to fail (Putwain and Pescod, 2017). The sample was small and the authors warn against leaning on one explanation. Our reading is that a child who knows the likely questions and has practised answering them has more of that sense of control. The study did not test this for interviews.
Success builds belief. Bandura's self-efficacy theory names completing a task successfully as the strongest source of a person's belief that they can do it again (Bandura, 1977, cited in Lopez-Garrido, 2026). A rehearsal that goes reasonably well gives your child a small success to remember on the day.
The 11+ result affects how children see themselves. Skipper (2018) reports that children who did not pass felt more negative about themselves and about school than children who passed or who expected to take the test. The Keele article does not state its sample size, so treat it as a pointer. The NHS makes a similar point in plain terms: nervousness is normal, children should face their fears rather than avoid them, and "failing is not the end of the world" (NHS, 2023).
What a real interview prep sheet covers
The sheet is titled "Interview Prep 2026/7" and comes from a real preparation session. It lists 13 questions, and the first names two schools, Whitgift and Trinity. We have grouped the questions by purpose so you can see what the interview is likely to test.
Interview Prep Sheet: the 13 questions
| No. | Question on the sheet | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why have you chosen your preferred school for your next school? | Why this school |
| 2 | What value do you feel you can bring to the school? | Why this school |
| 3 | Take 2 minutes to tell me about yourself; what particular academic interests do you have and why? | About me |
| 4 | What do you enjoy most about school? | About me |
| 5 | What extra-curricular interests (hobbies) do you have? | About me |
| 6 | Which sport do you enjoy? What is it about that sport that you particularly like? | About me |
| 7 | What was the last book you read? Tell me about it. Did you enjoy it? Give some reasons. | About me |
| 8 | What recent news stories have particularly interested you? Why? | The wider world |
| 9 | How would you describe yourself in 10 words? | Character |
| 10 | Do you have a role model? What characteristics do you admire most in that role model? | Character |
| 11 | How would your friends and teachers describe you? | Character |
| 12 | What makes a good school? | Why this school |
| 13 | Which person in history would you most like to meet and why? | The wider world |
Our reading of the themes is this. The "Why this school" questions (1, 2 and 12) check whether the child has looked at the school properly and can see themselves contributing. The "About me" questions (3 to 7) test curiosity and whether the child can talk about their own life with specifics. The "wider world" questions (8 and 13) look for interest beyond the classroom and for reasoning. The "Character" questions (9 to 11) point to self-awareness.
The themes match what admissions guides report schools assess. One lists confidence, communication, curiosity and self-awareness for one-to-one interviews (11 Plus London, no date). Another lists curiosity, self-awareness, engagement, warmth and a child's own voice (Clark, 2026). Both come from commercial education providers, so read them as informed opinion rather than neutral evidence.
Six of the 13 questions (1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 13) ask the child to give a reason. A one-word answer will not carry them through. The skill to practise is the word "because", followed by a detail only this child would know.
Two questions set their own limits. Question 3 gives two minutes, and question 9 gives ten words. Test both at home. A stopwatch shows quickly whether your child runs short or runs over.
Questions 7 and 8 draw on reading and current affairs, which cannot be crammed the night before. Clark (2026) notes that news questions appear more often at 13+ than at 11+, so check which stage your child is sitting before you spend time on them.
Questions your child should ask the school
The prep sheet asks what the child can bring to the school. It has no question that runs the other way, and your child needs one. An interview is a conversation, and a child who asks what the school will do for them shows that they have thought about whether it suits them. It also helps your family decide.
Admissions guidance agrees. Nearly every interview ends by inviting questions, and a specific question about a club or a first week leaves a better impression than a generic one such as "What's the school like?" Clark (2026) suggests preparing two genuine questions in advance.
The best questions come from the school's own website, prospectus or open day, and they cover the areas your child cares about most. These examples are our own suggestions, and your child should reword them to sound like themselves:
- Sport: "I play [sport] for my club. How do pupils get coaching and fixtures, and could I try for a team in my first year?"
- Music: "I'm working towards Grade [number] on the [instrument]. What lessons, ensembles and concerts are there, and how do pupils fit practice around homework?"
- Academics: "If a subject is hard for me, who can I go to for help? And if I'm ahead in maths, what happens next?"
- Settling in: "What helps new pupils make friends and find their way in the first term?"
Help your child pick two or three, write them on a small card, and practise saying them aloud. Check that the answer is not already on the school's home page. If it is, the question may suggest to the interviewer that your child has not looked.
First impressions
The interview starts before your child sits down. Practise a confident self-introduction, a handshake if one is offered, and eye contact: all three signal maturity and readiness for senior school. Try to practise these with friends, family, or a coach before the day.
How to rehearse at home: a four-week routine
Rehearsal works best when it feels like conversation. Admissions guidance warns against scripted answers and against correcting every response, because schools want to meet the real child rather than a polished performance (11 Plus London, no date; Clark, 2026). Clark (2026) suggests about four weeks of preparation, with around 15 minutes on a few evenings a week. The routine below follows that pattern, and the weekly steps are our own suggestions.
Week one, talk without testing. Ask the sheet's questions about hobbies, sport and books over dinner or on the school run. Do not score the answers. The aim is to get your child used to explaining what they like and why.
Week two, add the school. Read the school's website together and ask your child to pick out the things they like. Then try questions 1, 2 and 12 aloud, and choose the two or three questions your child will ask.
Week three, use the stopwatch. Time the two-minute introduction and the ten-word description. Remind your child that pausing to think is fine (Clark, 2026). Pick one thing to improve each session, not five.
Week four, run one full mock interview with an adult your child does not know well, such as a family friend or a neighbour (Clark, 2026). Afterwards, say what went well before anything else.
Keep the stakes low. The NHS advises parents to stay calm, avoid criticism, reward effort and focus on what went well after the event (NHS, 2023). On Bandura's account, a mock interview that goes reasonably well is the kind of small success that builds a child's confidence for the real one (Bandura, 1977, cited in Lopez-Garrido, 2026).
Watch for signs that practice is tipping into stress. The NHS lists constant worry, headaches and stomach pains, poor sleep, irritability, changes in appetite and loss of interest in usual activities. If anxiety is severe, lasts, or gets in the way of daily life, the NHS suggests starting with a GP (NHS, 2023). If your child is sitting several entrance tests in a row, shorten the sessions and leave gaps between them.
What to do this week
Pick three questions from the sheet and ask them at a time when nobody is rushing. Choose the school your child most wants to attend, spend ten minutes on its website together, and write down two questions your child would like answered. Then book a mock interview with an adult your child knows less well, a few weeks before the real one.
If you are worried about your child, the NHS exam-stress page is a good place to start, and our earlier articles on exam pressure and anxiety cover the wider picture.
References
11 Plus London (no date) What happens in a UK independent school interview? A guide for 11+ and 13+ parents. Available at: https://11pluslondon.co.uk/what-happens-in-a-uk-independent-school-interview-a-guide-for-11-plus-and-13-plus-parents/ (Accessed: 26 October 2026).
Clark, E. (2026) 'Private school interview questions: what to expect and how to prepare', Cognito, 6 January. Available at: https://cognito.org/blog/private-school-interview-questions (Accessed: 26 October 2026).
Lopez-Garrido, G. (2026) 'Bandura's self-efficacy theory of motivation in psychology', Simply Psychology, updated 17 September. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-efficacy.html (Accessed: 26 October 2026).
NHS (2023) Help your child beat exam stress. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/help-your-child-beat-exam-stress/ (Accessed: 26 October 2026).
Putwain, D.W. and Pescod, M. (2017) 'Is reducing uncertain control the key to successful test anxiety intervention for secondary school students? Findings from a randomized control trial', School Psychology Quarterly. doi: 10.1037/spq0000228.
Putwain, D. and Remedios, R. (2014) 'Test anxiety prevalence and gender differences in a sample of English secondary school students', Educational Studies, 40(5), pp. 554–570. doi: 10.1080/03055698.2014.953914.
Skipper, Y. (2018) 'The psychological impact of the grammar school test – new research', Keele University, 13 June. Available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/news/2018/june/psychological-impact/grammar-school-test.php (Accessed: 26 October 2026).