11+ / ISEB Pre-Test

The ISEB Pre-Test is an online entrance exam used by many of the UK’s leading independent schools as part of their Year 7 admissions process.

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The ISEB Pre-Test consists of four multiple-choice sections covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning. These tests gauge a child’s core skills in literacy and numeracy, as well as their reasoning ability in unfamiliar problems.

One key feature of the ISEB Pre-Test is its adaptive format. The difficulty of questions adjusts based on your child’s performance – if they answer correctly, the next question may become more challenging, and if they struggle, the following question will be a bit easier. This adaptive design ensures that each child is challenged at the right level without being overwhelmed, allowing the test to home in on their ability level efficiently.

Subjects catered for

  • English
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning (VR)
  • Non-verbal reasoning (NVR)
  • Interview preparation

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FAQs

Children typically sit the ISEB Pre-Test in Year 6 (at about 10–11 years old), usually during the autumn term of that school year. The testing window generally runs from October through early spring, with most schools scheduling the Pre-Test between October and January of Year 6. Importantly, the Pre-Test is a shared assessment – your child only needs to take it once, and their results can be securely sent to all the schools you’re applying to that require the exam.

Most families begin in Year 5. Aim to have core skills secure by the end of Year 5, then sharpen technique over the summer so your child is ready for the ISEB Pre-Test in autumn of Year 6.

  • Early start (Year 4): light foundations – daily reading, number facts, gentle reasoning games.
  • Standard plan (Year 5): 1–2 focused sessions/week building English, Maths, Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning; mini-mocks in late spring; full mocks in summer.
  • Late start (Early Year 6): targeted triage on high-yield topics, online adaptive Pre-Test practice, and exam-behaviour routines.

For many selective schools, the Pre-Test serves as a first screening stage in the 11+ admissions process. Schools use the results to shortlist candidates for the next round: pupils who score well may be invited to proceed to additional written exams or attend an assessment day/interview at the school later in the year.

Some schools – especially highly competitive ones – use the Pre-Test results as one factor alongside references to decide who moves forward, while others might make offers based largely on the Pre-Test alone (often followed by an interview) without requiring further written exams. Each school has its own approach, so it’s a good idea to check the specific process of your target schools.

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