common entrance: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Educational
Quick answer
What does “common entrance” mean?
A set of examinations taken by pupils aged 11–13 in the UK for entry into independent senior schools.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A set of examinations taken by pupils aged 11–13 in the UK for entry into independent senior schools.
A standardized academic assessment used as a benchmark for admission to fee-paying secondary schools, primarily in the UK education system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is exclusively British; there is no direct equivalent in the US educational system. Americans would use terms like 'private school entrance exam' or the name of a specific test (e.g., SSAT).
Connotations
In the UK, it strongly connotes the selective, traditional, and often prestigious independent school sector. It has no connotations in American English.
Frequency
Very frequent in British educational discourse (among relevant demographics); nonexistent in general American English.
Grammar
How to Use “common entrance” in a Sentence
Pupils [verb] Common Entrance.Schools require Common Entrance.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “common entrance” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He will be sitting Common Entrance in June.
American English
- American students do not take Common Entrance.
adjective
British English
- The Common Entrance syllabus is demanding.
American English
- No American equivalent exists.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in pedagogical and sociological research on elite education.
Everyday
Used by parents, teachers, and pupils involved with UK independent schools.
Technical
Used as a precise term within UK independent school administration.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “common entrance”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “common entrance”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “common entrance”
- Using it as a countable noun ('a common entrance'), capitalising incorrectly ('common entrance'), confusing it with general 'entrance exams'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically at age 11 (for girls' senior schools) or 13 (for boys' and co-educational senior schools).
No, it is set and administered by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB), not the state.
It is generally taken only once, at a fixed point in the academic calendar, though some schools may offer conditional places based on mock exams.
No, it is widely used but not universal. Some schools set their own entrance tests or use other assessments.
A set of examinations taken by pupils aged 11–13 in the UK for entry into independent senior schools.
Common entrance is usually formal, educational in register.
Common entrance: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɒmən ˈɛntrəns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːmən ˈɛntrəns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The Common Entrance hurdle”
- “On track for Common Entrance”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
COMMON ENTRANCE = 'Common' for many schools, 'Entrance' to get in.
Conceptual Metaphor
EDUCATION IS A GATEWAY (The exam is the key to the gate of the school).
Practice
Quiz
In which country is 'Common Entrance' a standard educational term?