What to Expect on 4+ Exam Day
Knowing what actually happens on 4+ assessment day removes a lot of the unknown that makes the day stressful. Here is the honest walk through, from arrival to collection, with what is happening at each point and what your child is likely to experience.
Arrival
You will be asked to arrive at a specific time, usually a fifteen minute window. Arrive within the window. Earlier means waiting in the car park; later disrupts the school’s scheduling.
Check in is usually quick. A staff member will greet you, find your child’s name on the list, and walk you to a holding area. Some schools have parents wait in a separate room. Others involve a short parent meeting while children settle.
Separation from parent
At the appropriate time, a teacher will collect your child and take them to the assessment room. This is the goodbye moment.
Brief, warm, ordinary. Hug, kiss, “See you in a bit,” walk away. Avoid lingering, avoid emotional words, avoid extended hugs. Children settle faster after a clean break.
Some children walk off happily. Some hesitate. A few cry briefly. All of these are normal. Schools are experienced at settling reluctant children. Trust them and step away.
Inside the assessment room
Your child enters a room with one or two teachers and (usually) a small group of other children. The room is set up for activities: tables with materials, a story corner, perhaps a creative area.
The first few minutes are settling. Teachers introduce themselves, explain the activities, often start with something gentle (a song, a story, a simple group activity) to help everyone relax.
The activities
Over the next fifteen to thirty minutes, your child rotates through several activities. The exact mix varies by school, but typically includes some combination of:
- Story listening with questions afterwards
- Picture description with a teacher
- Sorting and matching with objects
- Drawing or copying a shape or figure
- Building or construction with blocks or Lego
- Counting and simple maths with concrete objects
- Letter and sound recognition at some schools
- Group activity with the other children
- One to one chat with a teacher at some schools
Through all of this, the assessor is observing and making notes. Your child will not be aware of the observation, only of the activities. The atmosphere is generally warm, calm and supportive.
End of the assessment
When the time is up, teachers wrap up cheerfully and bring children back to parents. Some schools offer a brief feedback comment to parents on the day; most do not. Either is normal.
Your child may seem tired, or animated, or unusually quiet. All of these are normal. The cognitive load of an assessment is meaningful for a four year old, even when the experience felt like play.
What your child is likely to remember
Children at four cannot generally tell you what happened in detail. They will remember:
- The most memorable moment, good or bad. The biggest activity. A specific game.
- Whether they liked the teacher. A warm response usually means a positive experience.
- Whether they were hungry, tired, or needed the loo. Usually surfaces in their answers.
- A friend they made. Sometimes another child becomes the highlight.
What they will not remember accurately:
- The arc of the whole assessment
- Whether they did well or badly
- What the assessor thought
- Whether they got things right or wrong
- Anything about other children’s performance
This is why interrogating a four year old after an assessment yields little reliable information.
What you might experience as a parent
While your child is in the assessment, you wait. Some schools have you in a separate room with coffee and biscuits. Some have you wait outside. Some have you wait off site.
The wait can be intense. You are anxious for your child, alert to time, picking up snippets of sound through a closed door. A few things that help:
- Bring something to read. A book, magazine, work emails. Something to occupy your mind.
- Resist talking to other parents in the wait. Catastrophising is contagious.
- Step out for a walk if the school allows, fresh air helps.
- Trust the school. Whatever is happening behind the door, the staff are doing their job.
Pickup
When the assessment ends, your child is brought back to you. The staff member will be pleasant. Most will not give detailed feedback (no time, and not their decision). Some schools do offer a short written or verbal note.
Your child may run to you, or seem subdued, or simply ordinary. Whatever the presentation, hug them, smile, and ask light questions. “Did you have a nice time? What was your favourite bit?”
Resist the urge to interrogate. Anything they tell you in the first hour will be partial and unreliable. Save the deep conversation for partner debriefs later.
After the assessment
Plan something nice. A park visit, a treat, a quiet afternoon at home. Mark the day positively without making it a Big Deal.
Avoid talking about the assessment with other adults in front of your child. They pick up the anxiety and reanimate it themselves.
How long for the result?
Most schools communicate results in writing or by phone within two to four weeks. Some take longer, particularly schools with multiple assessment dates that are pooled before decisions are made. Schools rarely give same day or next day decisions.
When the offer or decision arrives, you will know. The waiting is the hardest part.
Our 4+ Mock Assessments closely mirror the real assessment day, so the actual day is a familiar experience for your child. We recommend at least two mocks for most families, and three for BLS partner families.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the actual assessment?
Fifteen to thirty minutes for the activity portion, plus arrival, settling, and pickup. Plan for an hour at the school overall.
Will I be allowed to stay with my child?
Generally no. The whole point of the assessment is to see how your child handles the structured setting without you. Some schools do allow parent presence for very young children but this is rare.
What if my child needs the loo?
Schools have toilets close to the assessment room. Children are encouraged to ask if they need to go, and managing this independently is one of the readiness skills.
What if my child has a meltdown during?
Schools are experienced. They will often pause the assessment and try a different approach. A meltdown does not usually disqualify a child but does affect the assessment of emotional regulation.
Should I send my child with anything?
What the school asks for, plus a snack, water bottle, and comfort item if needed. Each school is different. Read the assessment letter carefully.
