# High-achieving disadvantaged students are far less likely to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools

Source: [Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-high-disadvantaged-students-entrance-exams.html) · 2026-11-11 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/high-achieving-disadvantaged-students-are-far-less-likely-to-take-and-pass-entra-965fe76c5a3d6418
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- Disadvantaged students with similar attainment are less likely than advantaged peers to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools.
- Introducing an opt-out system for the tests would deliver only a small boost in participation.
- The story is based on a phys.org report of research published via Science News.

## Why it matters

The findings suggest that access to selective schools is limited by who sits the entrance exams, not only by attainment, which matters for anyone assessing education equity and admissions policy.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-11: Science News report on disadvantaged high achievers and selective school entrance exams published

## Coverage

- [High-achieving disadvantaged students are far less likely to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-high-disadvantaged-students-entrance-exams.html) — Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils, 2026-11-11

Tags: education, selective schools, entrance exams, social mobility, inequality

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science