Pupils are usually entered for CE assessments only if they have been offered a place at a senior school that is subject to passing the examinations, which are usually taken in the pupils’ current school.
Pupils at 11+ sit assessments in English, mathematics and science when they are in Year 6, usually for applications to girls schools. At 13+, pupils also sit assessments in these core subjects, alongside papers selected from a wide range of humanities, languages and classical subjects.
Read an introduction to ISEB CE assessments written by Durell Barnes, our former Chair of the Board, and a well-known and highly-respected member of the UK’s independent education community.
If your child currently attends an independent prep school in the UK or overseas which is a regular user of CE, it is most likely that they will be entered for the examinations by their school. If in doubt, please check with your child’s school. If your child currently attends a state school or is at an independent school which does not enter candidates for CE assessments, you can enter them using the registration form below. Please check which subjects and levels your child will be required to enter for directly with the senior school they are applying to.
If it is not possible for your child to take the examination at their present school or at an appropriate tutorial centre, you can make an arrangement with a private invigilator. This person should either be a Head or teacher at a local school, or a person of sufficient professional standing to ensure the integrity of the examination. The senior school that your child is applying to may also be able to provide invigilation.
Your child may be registered at a second-choice senior school, but you must have obtained agreement from that school. If your child fails to gain entry to the first-choice senior school, you will need to request that the scripts are forwarded by the first-choice school to the second-choice school.
Read our guide to registering pupils for full information.
Examination fees- 11+
Examination fee when taken in the UK – £130 Examination to be taken in the EU, including channel islands – £170 Examination to be taken outside the EU – £185
Examination fees- 13+
Examination fee when taken in the UK – £140 Examination to be taken in the EU, including channel islands – £200 Examination to be taken outside the EU – £220
CE at 11+
CE at 11+ examination dates for 2021-2024 CE at 11+ examination timetable for spring 2022 CE at 11+ examination timetable for autumn 2022
CE at 13+
CE at 13+ examination dates for 2021-2024 CE at 13+ examination timetable for spring 2022 CE at 13+ examination timetable for summer 2022 CE at 13+ examination timetable for autumn 2022
CASE at 13+
CASE dates for 2021-2024 CASE timetable for spring 2022 CASE examination timetable for summer 2022
All examination syllabuses are published below. Please note the dates from which the content of new syllabuses will be examined.
English syllabus Mathematics syllabus Science syllabus
Classics syllabus English syllabus French syllabus Geography syllabus German syllabus History syllabus Mathematics syllabus Science syllabus Spanish syllabus Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR) syllabus Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR) Roman Catholicism syllabus (for first examination in autumn 2020)
Most pupils in prep schools will be prepared for the CE and CASE assessments by their schools and this is usually all the preparation which is required.
Parents/guardians and tutors of pupils who are not in schools which regularly enter candidates for CE examinations will want to familiarise their children with the syllabuses and examination papers.
Past examination papers and a range of ISEB-endorsed textbooks and revision guides are available from the publishers listed below. Only those resources which carry the ‘Endorsed by ISEB’ logo are endorsed by us.
Practice papers for the 11+, 13+ and CASE assessments, plus a range of textbooks, revision guides and other materials are available from Galore Park.
Note: From 1 August 2022, all past CE examination papers will be sold by ISEB directly, from our new online shop. To be notified when this change happens, and to find out how to purchase past papers after 1 August 2022, please join our email list.
Galore Park: ISEB-endorsed publications are available to order through Galore Park.
Hodder Education: For other ISEB-endorsed textbooks and resources, visit Hodder Education.
Dragons Teaching: For Mandarin Chinese ISEB-endorsed textbooks and resources, visit Dragons Teaching.
Vocab Express: For online learning of language vocabulary, visit Vocab Express.
Oaka Books: For other ISEB-endorsed resources, visit Oaka Books.
The Parent Brief: Parents may find the following Independent School Entrance guide useful in how to apply to and choose an independent school.