ISEB PRE-TESTS | INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

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The ISEB Common Pre-Tests are a set of four online, adaptive admissions tests used by leading independent schools as part of their admissions process.

Pupil registration is completed by parents and guardians via the Guardian Admin Portal.

Tests take place from October to June each year, with the majority of tests completed in October and November.

Registration for tests taking place in the 2024-25 academic year will open in August 2024. Register your interest to be kept up to date.

If your child needs to take the ISEB Pre-Tests this academic year (before June 2024) you can still register them on the Guardian Admin Portal. Parents of children who will take the tests from October 2024 must wait until August 2024 to register them.

Parent webinars

Book your place on our parent and guardian webinars designs to support families with children taking the ISEB Pre-Tests in the coming academic year, 2024-25.

Explore the collection of webinars and book your free ticket.

Pre-Tests Admissions Toolkit

Visit our Admissions Toolkit designed to support families with registering and preparing for the ISEB Pre-Tests.

Go to the Admissions Toolkit

Preparation resources

Access a range of support materials for families including familiarisation and preparation resources, as well as resources to support your child’s wellbeing.

See preparation resources

What are the ISEB Common Pre-Tests?

ONLINE 11+ ADMISSIONS TESTS USED BY LEADING INDEPENDENT SENIOR SCHOOLS

The ISEB Pre-Tests, sometimes referred to as ‘the 11+’, the ‘Pre-Tests’, or ‘the ISEB’ are a set of four multiple-choice, adaptive, online tests used by leading independent schools as part of the admissions process in Year 7, or delayed entry in Year 9.

The tests cover English, mathematics, verbal reasoning (VR) and non-verbal reasoning (NVR) and will take 2 hours 15 minutes to complete.

Your child will most likely take the ISEB Pre-Tests once during their Year 6 for Year 7 entry (11+), however, some senior schools, such as Eton and Harrow, use the Pre-Tests as a precursor to Year 9 entry (13+).

The testing session runs from the start of October until end of June each academic year. Your child will take the test once during this period. Results are age-standardised so that appropriate comparisons can be made between younger and older applicants and between dates of testing.

You can explore our Pre-Tests Admissions Toolkit to access dedicated information and support for families working towards the ISEB Pre-Tests.

THE PRE-TESTS ARE:

1

ONLINE

Children take the ISEB Pre-Tests through a specially developed online test player that utilises cutting edge AI technology.

2

CUSTOMISABLE

The test player includes a range of customisable features to ensure a positive test experience for your child, including colour overlays and font options.

3

SHARED

The ISEB Pre-Tests are a shared assessment, which means that a child's results can be accessed by all of the senior schools who require them. This means that children only have to take the tests once.

4

ADAPTIVE

The ISEB Pre-Tests are adaptive, so children are presented with questions based on their previous answers. This means children don't spend time answering questions that are too hard or too easy, and the test can be shorter while still giving an accurate score.

5

AGE STANDARDISED

The results are age-standardised against a sample of pupils applying for independent school admission across the academic year, ensuring that there is no disadvantage for younger children, or those who take the tests earlier in the testing period.

6

FLEXIBLE

The ISEB Pre-Tests offer a flexible test experience and can be taken at any point between October and June in one academic year as determined by the senior school.

Registration and preparation

Parents and guardians will be able to register their children for the 2024-25 ISEB Pre-Tests session through the Guardian Portal from August 2024.

GUIDES AND INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

The ISEB Pre-Tests Information for Parents/Guardians

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Preparing your child for the ISEB Pre-Tests

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The step-by-step process for SEND

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SEND Guidance

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Test Framework

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The Pre-Tests Admissions Toolkit

Registration information and support resources for families

Explore our toolkit of dedicated information for families preparing for the ISEB Pre-Tests, from important information about registration, to information about preparation, and a range of useful support materials.

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