What Is The ISEB Common Pre-Test?
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an entrance examination designed for UK independent senior schools. The pre-test is taken in Years 6 or 7 (when a child is aged between 10 and 12) and measures a child’s potential and attainment before they take the common entrance exam in Year 8.
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is taken online and can be taken in any location with an internet connection. However, the test is usually sat at the child’s current prep school. All questions are multiple choice, with five possible answers for each question.
Candidates are registered by the independent senior school(s) they have applied for. Results of the ISEB Pre-Test are available to all independent schools the candidate is registered for. Therefore, students only have to sit the test once. If the pre-test is sat more than once, only the first result will be counted.
ISEB stands for the Independent Schools Examination Board. ISEB prides itself in producing high quality examinations that are set by highly qualified and experienced teachers from the country’s leading schools. They are widely regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for assessment at 11+ and 13+.
Please use the guide below to learn more about ISEB’s Common Pre-Test.
Why Do Independent Schools Use Pre-Tests?
Independent schools use pre-tests to establish how each child is progressing a few years before they transfer schools. If a child does well in the pre-test, they will often be offered a place at their chosen senior school, dependent on their passing of the common entrance exam in Year 8.
However, it is up to each school how they use the pre-test results. Some oversubscribed schools only use them to cut down their list of potential candidates before the common entrance exam.
Which Subjects Are Covered?
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is made up of four exams:
English — tests comprehension, missing words in sentences, spelling and punctuation.
Maths — tests maths skills in line with the national curriculum.
Verbal reasoning — tests thinking and problem-solving with words
Non-verbal reasoning — tests thinking and problem-solving with shapes, diagrams and pictures.
How Long Are The Tests?
All four of the ISEB Common Pre-Test exams take two and a half hours to complete.
The English test takes 25 minutes.
The maths test takes 50 minutes.
The verbal reasoning test takes 36 minutes.
The non-verbal reasoning test takes 32 minutes.
The four tests can be taken together or separately, but once a section is started it must be completed in one go. The tests can be completed in any order.
Each test has a timer which counts down the time remaining for that section.
How Are The Tests Laid Out?
The four ISEB Pre-Test exams are taken online, however they are still treated like an exam. Silence is expected at all times and no outside help is allowed. A pen/pencil and paper can be used to help with working out answers.
Before each test, students are given a set of instructions to read carefully. These instructions explain to candidates how to navigate through the test, as well as how to answer each type of question. Each type of question is explained individually.
For every question, students click on their chosen answer from a choice of five and then press ‘next’ to submit their answer. Please note: Your child cannot go back to a question once they have submitted an answer and pressed the ‘next’ button.
The tests are all adaptive, meaning the questions each student faces in the exam might not be the same. The next question is given depending on previous answers submitted.
For the English test, the passage of writing will be visible on screen for each question page that refers to it. Students can use a set of arrow buttons under the text to navigate through it at any time.
For the verbal reasoning test, some question types will require more than one answer per question. If two answers are chosen and your child wishes to change one of their answers, they must first deselect a chosen answer before clicking on a new one.
A progress bar can be seen at the bottom of the screen at all times. The timer at the top of the screen shows students how much time they have remaining.
Which Schools Use The ISEB Common Pre-Test?
Not all independent schools take the ISEB Common Pre-Test. Some design their own pre-test and others do not use a pre-test at all.
A list of schools which use the ISEB Common Pre-Test can be found below. Please click the link of your chosen school for more information.
Abbot's Hill School
Alleyn's School
Ampleforth College
Ardingly College
Bedford School
Benenden School
Berkhamsted School
Bloxham School
Bradfield College
Brentwood School
Brighton College
Bryanston School
Canford School
Caterham School
Channing School
Charterhouse
City of London Freemen's School
City of London School
Cranleigh School
Culford School
Dauntsey's School
Downe House School
Downside School
Dulwich College
Eaton Square Senior School
Epsom College
Eton College
Felsted School
Francis Holland School Regent's Park
Francis Holland School Sloane Square
Fulham School
Gateways School
Godolphin and Latymer School
Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools
Haileybury School
Hampton School
Harrow School
Headington School
Holmwood House School
Hull Collegiate School
Hurstpierpoint College
James Allen's Girls' School
Kew House School
King's College School Wimbledon
King's College Taunton
King's School Rochester
King Edward's School Witley
Knightsbridge Senior School
Lancing College
Latymer Upper School
Leeds Grammar School
Leys School
Lord Wandsworth College
Maida Vale School
Marlborough College
Mayfield School
Merchant Taylors' Boys' School
Mill Hill School
More House School
New Hall School
Northwood College
Northwood Senior School
Notting Hill and Ealing School
Oratory School
Palmers Green High School
Pangbourne College
Putney High School
Queen's College London
Queen's Gate School
Radley College
Reed's School
Roedean School
Royal Grammar School Guildford
Royal Hospital School
Royal Russell School
Seaford College
Sherborne School
South Hampstead High School
St Albans High School for Girls
St Augustine's Priory School
St Benedict's School
St Dunstan's College
St Edward's School
St Helen's School
St James Senior Girls' School
St Margaret's School
St Paul's School
St Swithun's School
Stowe School
Streatham & Clapham High School
Sutton Valence School
The Harrodian School
Thomas's Battersea Senior School
Tonbridge School
Tormead School
Trinity School
University College School
Uppingham School
Wellington College
Westminster School
Wetherby Senior School
Whitgift School
Wimbledon High School
Winchester College
Woldingham School
Worth School
How To Prepare For The ISEB Common Pre-Test.
11+ 5-Day Courses
Our full 5-day 11+ courses focus on teaching the key concepts and exam techniques for each of the 11+ disciplines we specialise in:
11+ Comprehension (Multiple Choice and Written Answer)
11+ Creative Writing
11+ Persuasive and Informative Writing
11+ Verbal Reasoning
All of our courses are designed to help students develop the critical foundation needed for each of their 11 Plus exams — for example, understanding effective exam technique and the mark scheme. We provide clear explanations, give students easy-to-remember exam techniques and show worked examples. Our courses are designed to ensure that students master the skills they need in order to achieve their full potential in their 11 Plus.
For the ISEB Common Pre-Test, we’d recommend our ISEB English Comprehension/Multiple Choice Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning courses.
Weekly Workshops
The Exam Coach runs two 45-minute 11+ tuition sessions every week. Weekly workshops are designed to be attended weekly (or whenever you can) to ensure continuous, steady progression. Workshops provide a good way to consistently practise the important 11 Plus skills each week. These sessions also give students an idea of what the learning experience on a full 5-day course would be like.
In our 11 Plus weekly workshops, your tutor will share some background information about themselves and our workshops with new students. This is followed by 40 minutes of teaching time. Weekly workshops usually run twice a week, usually on weekday evenings. The dates and times of these workshops change each week to ensure everyone can benefit from them.
The content within each workshop varies between 11+ creative writing, comprehension, verbal reasoning or English vocabulary. These classes are a great way to experience our tuition and let your child learn something new before booking one of our courses. Weekly tuition allows us to regularly top up your child’s knowledge during the year prior to their exams.
Practice Papers
ISEB provide no practice materials for their ISEB Common Pre-Test apart from their familiarisation test. The familiarisation test allows students to get used to the layout and questions types they will find in the exam. However, these tests are not marked or timed.
You can find the ISEB familiarisation test below:
ISEB FAMILIARISATION WALKTHROUGH
The best way to prepare for the ISEB Common Pre-Test is to practice the common question types that appear in the exam. Our ISEB Common Pre-Test practice papers below have been designed to aid students’ knowledge and understanding of the types of questions they may find in their pre-test exams. Answers and optional answering booklets are also provided.
ISEB COMMON PRE-TEST ENGLISH PAPER 1
ISEB COMMON PRE-TEST MATHEMATICS PAPER 1
ISEB COMMON PRE-TEST VERBAL REASONING PAPER 1
We would also recommend setting up a visual timer for your child whilst they use these papers. This will give them a greater understanding of how much time they will have in the exam and how they can use the timer to keep track of time whilst working.
Finally, as the ISEB Common Pre-Test is created by GL, the questions and question types found in this exam are very similar to those which appear in the 11+ GL exams. You can find some free 11+ GL practice papers below:
GL ENGLISH PAPER 1
GL MATHEMATICS PAPER 1
More 11+ GL papers can be found here and a free 11+ paper is sent out weekly via our email newsletter. You can sign up below.