What does my son's QE score mean?
225 makes him eligible for 2027 entry, and places then go in score order. The lowest score given a place was 235 for 2025 entry.
Type the number and the answer appears here.
QE's published scores, year by year
The minimum standard makes a boy eligible; the lowest score gaining admission is the lowest score given a place that year, excluding appeals.
Use the standardised combined score QE sends. A practice-paper mark or percentage is a raw mark on different questions and cannot be compared with this table.
Look at one year
September 2025 entry
- 3,433 boys sat the test and 764 (22%) reached the minimum of 220.
- 809 applied for a place. That is more than reached the minimum: QE notes some families apply anyway, and those applications cannot succeed.
- The lowest score gaining admission was 235, not counting appeals.
| Entry | Sat the test | Reached the minimum | Applied | Lowest admitted | Minimum that year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 225 |
| 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 220 |
| 2025 | 3,433 | 764 | 809 | 235 | 220 |
| 2024 | 3,294 | 742 | 839 | 235 | 220 |
| 2023 | 3,106 | 1,111 | 990 | 232 | 210 |
| 2022 | 3,042 | 1,096 | 974 | 234 | 210 |
| 2021 | 2,928 | 1,047 | 963 | 232 | 210 |
| 2020 | 2,846 | 1,013 | 997 | 229 | 210 |
| 2019 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not stated |
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Questions parents ask
What is the QE pass mark?
QE calls it a minimum standard. For 2027 entry a combined score of 225 or higher meets it and makes a boy eligible to be considered. It is not an offer: places go in score order.
Does QE tell us the score?
Yes. QE combines the English and Maths standardised scores into one overall score and reports it to parents by email in early October. It does not quote a maximum score.
Can a practice paper percentage be turned into a QE score?
No. QE's scores are age-standardised against the boys who sat the real test. That data is never published, so any conversion from a practice percentage would be a guess.
Is 225 enough for QE Boys?
225 meets the 2027-entry minimum, so a boy with 225 can be considered. It has not been enough for a place in any year QE has published since 2020 entry: the lowest score gaining admission was between 229 and 235 in those years. That is history, not a forecast for 2027.
What score did boys need in past years?
QE's admissions guides give the lowest score gaining admission, excluding appeals: 229 for 2020 entry, 232 for 2021, 234 for 2022, 232 for 2023, 235 for 2024 and 235 for 2025. Its older PDF gives 222 to 229 for 2013 to 2018. QE has not yet published 2026 entry, and we found no figure for 2019.
Why do some websites still say 220?
Because 220 was QE's minimum for 2024 to 2026 entry, and 210 before that. For 2027 entry QE's FAQ and admissions guide give 225. Even 225 only makes a boy eligible to be considered, because places go in score order.
Does a catchment area or a sibling help?
No. QE has no catchment area and admission is based only on entrance test results. Distance to the main school gate only separates boys with equal scores.