How important are predicted grades for KCLMS admission?
Hii everyone,
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
Reply 1
5
Original post
by Smartie12345Hii everyone,
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
most succesful kclms get a and a'
Having some 6s in humanity subjects while excelling in STEM subjects may not significantly hurt your chances, particularly if you're aiming for a STEM-focused university or program. While strong STEM grades are usually prioritized, humanities skills are also valuable, and universities often consider a broader range of achievements.
Leadership Group
Academic clubs
Community theatre
History research project
Maths competitions
Model United Nations
NGO project
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Animal shelter volunteer
Astronomy Club
Chemistry Olympiad
Choir
College prep courses
Dance Showcase
Debate Club
Entrepreneurship summer program
Habitat for Humanity
Martial arts
ye definitely, speaking to teachers boosts predicted grades but then its not ur aunthentic grade..
Reply 2
Original post
by Smartie12345Hii everyone,
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I applied for King's this year and got waitlisted. The first application to just do the test doesn't actually ask you for your predicted grades. If you pass the test, I believe the next part asks for a reference from your school (either maths teacher or head of year) who then fills in your predicted grades around January.
If it really worries you, you can just ask your teachers if your predicted grades may have changed from year 10. But overall I don't think predicted grades matter loads unless your getting 4s and 5s. I've seen someone's offer (not sure if everyone's is the same) which is only 8 in maths, 7 in physics, 5 in lang and at least 7 passes overall.
Reply 3
My son got an offer. His predicted grades were 9s in Maths, Computer Science and Triple Science, 8s and 7s in all the rest including History and English.
If you look at the minimum KCLMS requirements, it’s 8 in Maths, 7 in Physics (or 7-7 for Combined Science) and 5s in everything else. Obviously the higher the grades, the better but I think like top universities, they place more emphasis on the entrance exam score rather than just your grades.
At the interview, they explore your passion and motivation to study maths so having some supercurriculars is more important (i.e. other related areas of interest), rather than extracurriculars like sport, music etc.
My son had entered some of the maths challenges but nothing out of the ordinary. It’s because he hasn’t had much opportunity for maths and science supercurriculars that he applied to maths schools.
As Imperial Maths school said at their open evening, you don’t necessarily have to be a genius or the finished article although they ask for significantly higher grades than Kings.
All the maths schools we attended said at their open days that practicing questions from Intermediate MT Challenge papers is the best prep.
Note that although there are entrance exam specimen papers (and you can use other maths schools ones too), the actual Kings exam was more difficult.
If you look at the minimum KCLMS requirements, it’s 8 in Maths, 7 in Physics (or 7-7 for Combined Science) and 5s in everything else. Obviously the higher the grades, the better but I think like top universities, they place more emphasis on the entrance exam score rather than just your grades.
At the interview, they explore your passion and motivation to study maths so having some supercurriculars is more important (i.e. other related areas of interest), rather than extracurriculars like sport, music etc.
My son had entered some of the maths challenges but nothing out of the ordinary. It’s because he hasn’t had much opportunity for maths and science supercurriculars that he applied to maths schools.
As Imperial Maths school said at their open evening, you don’t necessarily have to be a genius or the finished article although they ask for significantly higher grades than Kings.
All the maths schools we attended said at their open days that practicing questions from Intermediate MT Challenge papers is the best prep.
Note that although there are entrance exam specimen papers (and you can use other maths schools ones too), the actual Kings exam was more difficult.
Reply 4
I think Kings want you to be passionate about maths with a natural aptitude.
My son is also holding an offer.
The first thing is the test so I would work on achieving in that. I can’t remember if he had to put his predicted grades on the admissions form but I do remember there was no space for adding any UKMT success on the King’s application for.
I am sure that how you perform on that and at interview is better than predicted grades. He did have to take a copy of his report to the interview in January so maybe you will have sat you mocks by then .
The results of the test and interviews are also weighted to make sure that those from underrepresented areas get a fair chance to get in Having said that my son did not meet any of the criteria for adjustments.
I think they maybe expanding next year .
You have absolutely nothing to lose in applying and everything to gain .
My son is also holding an offer.
The first thing is the test so I would work on achieving in that. I can’t remember if he had to put his predicted grades on the admissions form but I do remember there was no space for adding any UKMT success on the King’s application for.
I am sure that how you perform on that and at interview is better than predicted grades. He did have to take a copy of his report to the interview in January so maybe you will have sat you mocks by then .
The results of the test and interviews are also weighted to make sure that those from underrepresented areas get a fair chance to get in Having said that my son did not meet any of the criteria for adjustments.
I think they maybe expanding next year .
You have absolutely nothing to lose in applying and everything to gain .
Reply 5
Original post
by Smartie12345Hii everyone,
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I'm in Year 10 and we've just finished our mocks, but I recently found out that my school doesn't do Year 11 November mocks — something I accidentally found out a week before year 10 exams. This is eating me alive because it means I might not get a proper second chance to improve my predicted grades before applying to sixth forms like KCLMS. I'm worrying about the entrance exam and the interviews later (but idk if this is a wise decision)
I really struggled with some subjects (I'm literally cooked for history and German), but I’m fairly confident I got a 9 in Maths and hopefully Physics, and around an 8/9 in Computer Science. I focused heavily on these subjects since KCLMS is my top choice and they have specific grade thresholds for these subjects. I genuinely love maths and would really like to get in to KCLMS.
A few questions I’m hoping someone can help with (please be as honest as possible):
What kind of predicted grades do most successful KCLMS applicants have?
Will a few 6s in humanity subjects hurt my chances if my STEM subjects are strong?
How much weight do KCLMS give to predicted grades vs extracurriculars? (like if someone gets better grades in humanities, would they be a lot better off than me even if I have more maths experience than them?)
Any extracurricular ideas that could strengthen my application?
Has anyone managed to boost their predicted grades by speaking to teachers?
What are the average extracurriculars that most successful KCLMS applicants have?
How strong are UKMT competitions in the application (is getting into the Olympiad much better than getting into the kangaroo etc.)?
How much time should I devote to studying for the entrance exam and the interview?
I've heard a lot of people comparing the exam to UKMT so is the entrance exam at an IMC, intermediate kangaroo or at an olympiad level (or is it beyond because I'm cooked then)?
I’d really appreciate any advice — especially from people who’ve applied to KCLMS before or are currently there. Thank you so much in advance and I know it's a really lengthy post!
I have an offer and am going for 2025 entry. Grades are not really that important to the process. They really just care about the entrance exam and interview. Obviously your grades in the STEM subjects should be strong, and it's ideal to have good grades but getting 6s in the humanities will not be that detrimental. KCLMS cares about how much you enjoy maths, how good you are at maths and that sort of thing. The decision is not based on extracurriculars or whether you have done an olympiad or something like that. The difficulty of the admissions test is probably around IMC level or JMO level. The specimen questions are a good way of preparing as are ukmt questions. I would recommend when it comes to studying starting a couple of months before the exam and gradually increasing the amount of maths you do as you get nearer. So don't worry that much about predicted grades, providing they meet the requirements it is fine. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Reply 6
3
Heyy, I'm so sorry for the late reply. Is anyone willing to give me contact information so that I can ask a lot more questions regularly? In the meantime, I just wanted to ask about what sort of preparation people did and what benchmarks people were getting at around this time in other related things e.g. the IMC and follow on rounds. I'm sorry if this post doesn't sound quite right, I'm a bit sick right now. Also could someone tell me how much they prepared all in all? Many thanks!
Reply 7
My son did very little competition maths before applying, I think he got a silver in an Intermediate Maths Challenge in year 10. It wasn't something his school pushed that hard and it wasn't of great interest to him at the time.
Don't worry too much about maths competitions, focus on preparing for the entrance exam. A good score on that is the main criteria for interview selection. About 1,300 students took the KCLMS entrance exam last year, I'm guessing the vast majority of students who apply are invited for the entrance test.
If you're applying for 2026 entry then you also have till about October time to get your predicted grades up a bit too.
Don't worry too much about maths competitions, focus on preparing for the entrance exam. A good score on that is the main criteria for interview selection. About 1,300 students took the KCLMS entrance exam last year, I'm guessing the vast majority of students who apply are invited for the entrance test.
If you're applying for 2026 entry then you also have till about October time to get your predicted grades up a bit too.
(edited 6 months ago)
Reply 8
3
Thank you so much for responding! Is there anything you would recommend for revision?
Reply 9
Original post
by usernumber333I have an offer and am going for 2025 entry. Grades are not really that important to the process. They really just care about the entrance exam and interview. Obviously your grades in the STEM subjects should be strong, and it's ideal to have good grades but getting 6s in the humanities will not be that detrimental. KCLMS cares about how much you enjoy maths, how good you are at maths and that sort of thing. The decision is not based on extracurriculars or whether you have done an olympiad or something like that. The difficulty of the admissions test is probably around IMC level or JMO level. The specimen questions are a good way of preparing as are ukmt questions. I would recommend when it comes to studying starting a couple of months before the exam and gradually increasing the amount of maths you do as you get nearer. So don't worry that much about predicted grades, providing they meet the requirements it is fine. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Can you please tell me what you got in the admissions test because I can't find any threshold online
Reply 10
Original post
by ClunkyTeaCan you please tell me what you got in the admissions test because I can't find any threshold online
90ish
Reply 11
i am a student, i got like 8 5s predicted, they mean nothing. a lot of people are talking like they are extremely qualified, but in reality most have no connection to the school, if you did well today then you will get an interview, they dont really look at predicteds at all
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