Admissions
Requirements, the process, fees, and bursary support — current confirmed detail plus historical context from the school's own information packs.
Entry requirements
- GCSE requirements
- Grade 8+ in Mathematics (a Level 2 Certificate in Further Mathematics is accepted as equivalent); Grade 7+ in Physics, or Grade 8+ in Combined Science, or Grade 8+ in Computer Science if not taking Physics; Grade 5+ in English Language or Literature; six GCSEs overall at grade 5+.
- Entrance test
- A non-calculator maths paper pitched not to exceed National Curriculum Level 8, designed to test problem-solving and potential rather than curriculum mastery — the school says applicants are "expected to get stuck."
- Interview
- A roughly 3–3.5 hour visit: a group maths lesson taught by staff, a pastoral interview (about an hour), and an open-book written assessment based on the lesson (45–90 minutes).
- Deadline
- For September 2027 entry: applications close Wednesday 7 January 2027, entrance test Saturday 6 February 2027, interviews Saturday 6 March 2027, conditional offers Friday 13 March 2027, acceptance deadline Monday 22 March 2027. (The September 2026 cycle closed 7 December 2025 and its waiting pool is full.)
- How to apply
- ems.applicaa.com/apply26 — see exetermathematicsschool.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply/
The process, step by step
Based on the school's own current prospectus:
- Application — an application form (available from the school's website from late September) plus a reference from your current school.
- Entrance test — sat after your application is received. The school is explicit that "no specialist preparation is required" and you won't need mathematical knowledge beyond what's normally expected at school; the test is designed to assess how you solve problems and think mathematically, not what you've memorised.
- Taster day (optional but recommended) — Open Days for younger students and Taster Days for Year 11 applicants, to sample the teaching and get a feel for the school before committing to apply.
- Interview — a chance to ask questions and for the school to get to know you, including a short maths tutorial as part of the interview itself.
- Conditional offer — issued to successful applicants.
- Confirmation — as soon as GCSE results are out, you contact the school and they confirm your place.
The school is explicit that it's looking for "enthusiasm and potential — not just strong grades at GCSE," and that the entrance test needs no specialist preparation beyond normal school maths.
Catchment
Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset historically. From September 2026 entry this expands to add Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Out-of-area applicants are only considered with firm, funded relocation plans.
A puzzle from the school's own prospectus
This is the actual puzzle EMS uses in its prospectus to give applicants a taste of the kind of thinking the entrance test rewards — not exam recall, just a genuinely open problem.
Three people are going to share five cakes equally. They want to do it so that the smallest piece that anyone receives is as large as possible. One way to share the cakes: two people (A and B) each receive one whole cake and a two-thirds piece, while the third (C) receives one whole cake and two smaller one-third pieces. The smallest individual piece anyone receives that way is one third.
Can you find a way to share the five cakes among the three people so that the smallest piece anyone receives is larger than one third? Can you find the best possible solution?
Fees & costs
EMS is a state-funded free school — tuition itself is free. The figures below are drawn from the school's 2020-21 Student & Parent Information Pack and are historical (five to six years old) rather than current prices; treat them as illustrative of the kinds of cost involved, not as this year's figures. Current costs are on the school's own admissions and boarding pages — see /boarding/ for the confirmed current boarding fee.
| Item | Cost (2020-21, historical) |
|---|---|
| Subsidised travel pass (full year) | £690 (2020-21) — free or 50% discounted for bursary-eligible households |
| Graphical calculator | £55 (2020-21), discounted from a usual price in excess of £70 |
| Induction week activities | £33 |
| General stationery | £20 |
| University open-day visits | £50 per visit |
| Revision guides and textbooks | ~£30/year, varies by student |
| Voluntary enrichment contribution | £20/year — never a condition of taking part |
Bursary support
A 16-19 Bursary Fund (distinct from the accommodation bursary) covers equipment, compulsory books, course trips and travel for two groups: students who are or have recently been in care, on Income Support/Universal Credit, or receiving both ESA and DLA/PIP; or students facing financial hardship, broadly a household income under £23,000 (with partial support up to £25,000 for travel passes specifically). None of this is a condition of joining any school activity — the school states directly that no student is excluded from enrichment activities for inability to pay.