The ISEB Pre-Tests are designed for senior schools to use as one part of their admissions process. They enable pupils to demonstrate their ability and potential through four tests:
The Pre-Tests are shared tests, meaning that pupils only need sit the tests once and their results can be shared across multiple senior schools.
Senior schools are then able to use the results from the tests as part of their admissions process.
Pupils can sit the four tests at the same time or separately.
Tests can be taken between the beginning of October and the end of June, but can only be sat once by a pupil in any academic year.
The tests are designed for pupils in Years 6 and 7. Some senior schools use the tests for admissions into Year 7, whilst others use it for entry into Year 9.
The Mathematics and English tests are broadly based on the National Curriculum, meaning the tests are suitable for all pupils seeking entry into Senior Schools.
Applicants can also take the tests overseas.
The tests have been designed with fairness and equity, with accessibility features built into the online testing platform.
For further information about how the tests and questions have been designed to improve the user experience for pupils with SEND refer to the SEND Guidance for the Pre-Tests.
The four tests are all online, adaptive, multiple-choice tests. An adaptive test is one where the questions are chosen to be the most suitable for each pupil. The system assesses the pupil’s ability after each response and selects the next question to have the most appropriate level of difficulty. This means that a pupil does not need to spend time answering questions that are too hard or too easy for them and the whole test can be shorter while still providing an accurate score.
In an adaptive test, each pupil receives a path through the questions that is unique to them and pupils may be presented with a differing number of questions. The system does not allow them to go back and change previous answers, for example, if they think they have made a mistake. We ensure that the length of the test is optimised to provide an accurate score for every pupil and can anticipate when an answer might have been selected at random and is not characteristic of the child’s general ability.
Senior schools receive the scores as age-standardised scores. It does not matter what age a pupil is or what time in the academic year they sit the tests, the score is adjusted for age and placed on a scale which makes a comparison with a standardisation sample taken from the independent schools’ sector (the average is 100).
In the very unlikely event of a candidate taking the tests more than once within a single academic year, the first set of results will stand.
English Test Format
The English test assesses two distinct areas of knowledge: Reading Comprehension and Grammar.
Reading Comprehension Content
Pupils will be presented with several short passages (between 300 – 500 words) each with a series of multiple-choice questions. The questions and the passages are adaptive, giving a more personalised route through the Reading Comprehension. Selected passages are age-appropriate and could be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.
Questions will assess knowledge covering the following domains:
Grammar content
Pupils will be assessed on their knowledge of English grammar: vocabulary, punctuation, grammar and spelling.
Vocabulary – knowledge of word meaning, word families, prefixes and suffixes.
Punctuation – knowledge of how punctuation should be used.
Grammar – knowledge of what is grammatically correct, rather than complex terminology (pupils will be expected to be able to identify nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions); clauses; formal and informal language; verb agreement; sentence structure. In most questions, pupils will be asked ‘What is grammatically correct?’ rather than having to recall the names of specific tenses.
Spelling – knowledge of spelling patterns and common exception words.
Questions will assess a pupil’s knowledge of mathematics topics from the National Curriculum Programme of Study up until the end of Year 5:
Some questions will assess mathematical fluency in the form of arithmetic questions, others will require solving mathematical problems, possibly including more than one of the topics.
The Verbal Reasoning test measures a pupil’s comprehension, reasoning and logic. The ISEB Common Pre-Tests focus on using letter, word and language-based questions. Pupils will be assessed on their knowledge of vocabulary and definitions. The test will identify the following:
The ISEB Test Walkthrough will give examples of some of the types of questions that might be used to assess these aptitudes, other question types might be used during the test.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning test assesses logic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills using figures and diagrams. There will be instructions before each question to explain how to answer the question.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning test contains two types of questions:
ISEB Pre-Tests: Test Framework
Parents, guardians, and families can find an ever-growing resource of information and support by visiting the ISEB Families Hub. For specific information about the ISEB Pre-Tests, visit the ISEB Pre-Tests Information for Families page on our website, where you will find exam resources, information and FAQs, as well as important news and updates.