The tests have been carefully created and continuously reviewed to offer senior schools detailed and accurate information about prospective pupils’ attainment and potential.
Often taken in Year 6 or Year 7, the Pre-Tests include four subjects covering mathematics, English (reading comprehension and grammar), verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The four assessments can be taken together on the same day or split into multiple days.
Registration for the Pre-Tests is completed by the pupil’s parent or guardian via the Guardian Portal. Registration for tests taken in the upcoming 2024-25 academic year is now open; guardians can visit the Pre-Tests Admissions Toolkit for more information and guidance.
Live testing for the 2024-25 academic year can commence from 3 September 2024. Individual senior schools will have their own test deadlines, and ISEB recommends that parents speak to their current and prospective schools to confirm any additional deadlines.
Parents and guardians: Sign up to the Pre-Tests 2024-25 mailing list for important information, support and resources.
The ISEB Pre-Tests are administered and coordinated through three easy to use admin portals, the Guardian Portal, Invigilation Centre Portal and Senior School Portal.
The pupil's parent or guardian uses the Guardian Admin Portal to create an 'Applicant Profile' and 'Applicant ID', which they will share with senior schools and invigilation centres. Parents/guardians can also upload evidence of SEND or access arrangements through this portal.
An invigilation centre is where pupils will complete their Pre-Tests assessments. It could be a current junior/prep school in the UK or internationally or an approved third-party centre, such as a British Council. All invigilation centres will use their admin portal to view applicant details and schedule and launch tests.
All senior schools who use the ISEB Pre-Tests as part of their admissions process will have access to the Senior School Admin Portal. Schools can set test deadlines through this portal, view applicant details once guardians share the required Applicant ID, and view results once the tests are completed.
Click the links to visit the Guardian, Invigilation Centre or Senior School Admin Portals.
The ISEB Pre-Tests are a ‘shared assessment‘ providing a set of four online entrance tests used by a wide range of independent senior schools, allowing pupils to sit the tests once and have their results shared with all of the senior schools they have applied to.
Wellbeing: Pupils applying to multiple schools only need to sit the tests once, and their results are shared with all the senior schools they have applied to and shared their unique Applicant ID with. This means that pupils do not have to miss lesson time to sit separate tests or prepare for a range of differing tests, which could lead to undue stress or anxiety.
Results: Pupils anywhere in the UK and overseas can sit the ISEB Pre-Tests, meaning senior schools can make comparisons across all applicants. Senior schools are able to compare results from all of their applicants, no matter where or when they sat the tests, as they are ‘common’ to all pupils. The results are standardised against a sample of pupils applying for independent school admission, giving consistency across each cohort of pupils.
Flexibility: The tests can be taken anytime between the Autumn and Spring term of that academic year. Senior schools can set their deadlines to ensure they see the results in time, with results available immediately after a pupil completes their tests. If a senior school receives a late application from a child who has already sat the ISEB Pre-Tests in the current academic year they can access their test results easily and do not need to make additional bespoke test arrangements. If a late applicant has not already sat the ISEB Pre-Tests in the current academic year ISEB can support a school to do so, and the complex age-standardisation ensures results can be compared with the rest of the cohort.
Our ISEB Pre-Tests are designed to give senior schools information about prospective pupils’ attainment and potential. Senior schools can use the tests for entry into Year 7, or for deferred entry into Year 9. Find out more about the features of the tests and how they are administered.
Families with children applying to senior schools may be required to take the ISEB Pre-Tests as part of their admissions process. Find out more about what parents and guardians need to know about supporting children with the tests.
An invigilation centre is where pupils will complete their ISEB Pre-Tests and could be a current junior/prep school in the UK or internationally or an approved third-party centre, such as a British Council. Find out more about acting as an invigilation centre for the Pre-Tests in the UK and globally.
The system is very user friendly, and you and your team have been fantastic! It (the ISEB Pre-tests) has given me the ability to work at a quicker pace and being able to check candidates accounts has been extremely helpful when I have needed to help parents. Libby Willett Assistant Registrar, Wellington College
The system is very user friendly, and you and your team have been fantastic! It (the ISEB Pre-tests) has given me the ability to work at a quicker pace and being able to check candidates accounts has been extremely helpful when I have needed to help parents.
Assistant Registrar, Wellington College
"We have found the ISEB Pre-Tests to be a really child-friendly and effective way of pre testing pupils. We have great links with the senior schools who buy the Pre-Tests and they are easy to organise in our ICT suites. They are demanding yet do not totally faze the children. It also means no stressful trips to senior schools. If only every school used them..." Adrian Downie Director of Studies, Ashfold School
"We have found the ISEB Pre-Tests to be a really child-friendly and effective way of pre testing pupils. We have great links with the senior schools who buy the Pre-Tests and they are easy to organise in our ICT suites. They are demanding yet do not totally faze the children. It also means no stressful trips to senior schools. If only every school used them..."
Director of Studies, Ashfold School
"At Headington we have been impressed with the accuracy and level of fine detail that the Pre-Tests provides us with. We have been particularly delighted with the flexibility and ease of arrangements of taking the tests and Prep schools have been increasingly keen to work with us on a time frame that is mutually convenient to both schools." Caroline Jordan Headmistress, Headington School
"At Headington we have been impressed with the accuracy and level of fine detail that the Pre-Tests provides us with. We have been particularly delighted with the flexibility and ease of arrangements of taking the tests and Prep schools have been increasingly keen to work with us on a time frame that is mutually convenient to both schools."
Headmistress, Headington School
To access a range of support articles, videos and FAQs about using the Admin Portals, registering pupils, and administering the tests, visit our ISEB Pre-Tests Knowledge Base. You can also contact us with any queries you might have by submitting a ticket.
