What are the ISEB pre-tests?
Understanding the ISEB Pre-Tests: A Parent’s Guide
If your child is applying for a place at a selective senior school, you may have come across the term ISEB Pre-Tests. For many parents, these tests can feel mysterious and stressful — but with the right information, you’ll see they’re simply a tool schools use to assess potential, not just current knowledge.
What are the ISEB Pre-tests?
The ISEB (Independent Schools Examination Board) Pre-Tests are computer-based assessments taken by children in Year 6 or Year 7. They are designed to give senior schools an early picture of a child’s academic ability before the 13+ Common Entrance exams.
In other words, they’re a screening test. Schools use them to decide who to offer conditional places to, ahead of the more formal entrance exams later on.
Who takes them?
They are mainly required by selective independent senior schools in the UK, especially those with many applicants. Not every school uses them, but many of the well-known boarding and day schools do.
The format
The Pre-Tests are completed online, usually at the child’s current school (or sometimes at an approved test centre). They last about 2 hours 15 minutes in total and are adaptive, which means the questions adjust in difficulty depending on how well the pupil is doing.
There are four sections:
English (25 minutes)
Reading comprehension
Grammar and vocabulary
Spelling and punctuation
Mathematics (50 minutes)
Number fluency
Problem-solving
Geometry, algebra, data handling
Verbal Reasoning (36 minutes)
Logic and problem-solving with words
Spotting patterns in language
Applying rules to written information
Non-Verbal Reasoning (32 minutes)
Shape and pattern recognition
Spatial awareness
Visual logic puzzles
How are they marked?
The tests are adaptive, so every child is working at their own level. Results are automatically standardised against national averages for age, meaning they give schools a fair way to compare candidates from different schools and backgrounds.
What do schools do with the results?
The results help schools decide:
Which children to invite for interviews or further assessments.
Whether to offer conditional places (usually dependent on later success at 13+).
How can parents help?
Familiarisation: While the Pre-Tests don’t require specialist knowledge beyond the curriculum, being comfortable with the style of questions can boost confidence.
Invest in tutoring: Finding a tutor for the ISEB Pre-Tests can boost your child’s confidence and familiarity with the exam format, helping them perform to their full potential during this important stage of school admissions.
Encourage Reading: A strong vocabulary helps in English and Verbal Reasoning.
Build Problem-Solving Skills: Maths puzzles and logic games can be great practice.
Stay Calm: Remind your child that these are not about “passing or failing” but about showing potential.
Final thoughts?
The ISEB Pre-Tests are simply one stage in the admissions journey, not the whole story. Schools know children develop at different rates, so the results are viewed alongside interviews, references, and later exams. With gentle preparation and reassurance, your child can approach them with confidence.