How to Prepare for the ISEB 11 Plus Exam
If your child is applying to NLCS, St Paul’s, Westminster, Eton, Habs Girls, City of London or any of
the 50 plus highly selective independents that use the ISEB Common Pre Test, this exam is what stage
1 of their selection process looks like.
It is different from GL and CEM in some important ways. Here is what to know, and how to prepare
your child for it.
What is the ISEB Common Pre Test?
The ISEB Common Pre Test is an online adaptive test developed by the Independent Schools
Examinations Board. It is taken in November of Year 6 (or earlier in some independent schools) and
used as a stage 1 filter for academically selective independents. Children who score well are invited to
sit stage 2 papers (often in January of Year 6), which include written English, written maths and
interviews.
The test covers four sections:
- English (comprehension, vocabulary)
- Maths (KS2 content)
- Verbal reasoning (drawn from standard question types)
- Non verbal reasoning (patterns, sequences, spatial reasoning)
The test takes around two and a half hours total, broken into the four sections. Most children sit it on
a school computer or tablet at their current school.
What "adaptive" actually means
Unlike GL or CEM papers, the ISEB Pre Test adapts in difficulty as your child works through it. If
your child answers a question correctly, the next question is harder. If they answer incorrectly, the
next question is easier. The final score reflects not just how many questions they got right, but the
difficulty of the questions they reached.
Implications for preparation:
- Every question matters. There are no “easy” questions to skim through.
- Pace is critical. The test is timed; running out of time before reaching harder questions caps
the score. - There is no benefit to dwelling on a single hard question. Move on.
- The test reveals true ability more than rote pattern recognition. Children with strong
underlying skills perform better than children who have only drilled past papers.
How ISEB differs from GL and CEM
Format
GL and CEM are paper based. ISEB is online and adaptive. Children who are not used to working at
length on a screen can underperform on ISEB simply because of the unfamiliar medium.
Question style
GL is heavily standardised. CEM is varied but mostly paper based. ISEB sits between the two: clear
question types, but presented adaptively in a digital interface.
Stakes
GL grammar school exams are usually the entire selection process. CEM (in Habs Boys) is part of a
two stage process. ISEB is explicitly a stage 1 filter; the schools that use it then put your child through
stage 2 written papers and interviews. So the ISEB result is necessary but not sufficient.
What ISEB schools also assess
Most ISEB schools weight stage 2 (written papers, interview, sometimes a school report) heavily
alongside the pre test. NLCS interviews are a major selector. St Paul’s tests are demanding.
Westminster places a high bar on its own written maths and English. The pre test gets you into the
room; stage 2 wins or loses the place.
Year by year preparation for ISEB
Year 4: foundations
Reading, vocabulary, times tables, mental maths. As for any 11+. ISEB specific advice: get your child
comfortable with reading on a screen for short periods, since the test is digital.
Year 5 autumn: standard 11+ work
Cover the standard 11+ syllabus across the four subjects. Use paper based resources for the bulk of the
teaching; the underlying skills are the same regardless of format.
Year 5 spring and summer
Begin online practice via platforms specifically modelled on the ISEB Pre Test. Atom Learning, ISEB’s
own familiarisation tools and one or two other reputable online providers offer adaptive practice. Add
this alongside paper based work, but do not replace paper work entirely; stage 2 papers will still be on
paper.
Year 5 summer holiday
Final consolidation phase. ISEB sits in November of Year 6, so the summer holiday is a major run up
window. Mix paper and online practice.
Year 6 autumn (the final 8 to 12 weeks)
Online practice intensifies. Your child should be sitting full ISEB style mock pre tests in their final
weeks, ideally on the same kind of device they will use on the day. After the November test, focus
shifts to stage 2 preparation: written maths and English, plus interview practice for invited
candidates.
ISEB specific tips that lift scores
1. Build screen reading stamina
Children who are tired by 30 minutes of on screen work cannot perform well on a two and a half hour
adaptive test. Build screen stamina through regular online practice from spring of Year 5 onwards.
2. Train pace, not perfectionism
On an adaptive test, dwelling on one question costs you the chance to reach harder questions. Train
the habit of moving on when stuck. Better to attempt and miss than to leave time unused.
3. Practise on a real device
If your child will sit the test on a tablet, do online practice on a tablet. If on a laptop, on a laptop. The
interface differs, and unfamiliarity costs marks.
4. Do not neglect stage 2
Many parents over invest in pre test preparation and arrive at stage 2 underprepared. The pre test
gets you to the door; the written papers and interview win the place. Plan stage 2 prep alongside, not
after.
What schools use ISEB
The list runs to 50 plus, including many of the most selective London independents. Always check
current admissions pages, but commonly:
- Day independents: NLCS, St Paul’s, Habs Girls, Westminster, KCS Wimbledon, City of London
(note: City of London also runs its own December papers), UCS, Highgate, More House - Boarding schools: Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Charterhouse, Marlborough, Sherborne,
Wellington
Many of these schools combine the ISEB result with their own stage 2 papers and interviews. NLCS
and Westminster, for example, weight their own assessments heavily.
Resources for ISEB preparation
- ISEB’s own familiarisation tool, free on their website. Essential.
- Atom Learning for adaptive online practice modelled on ISEB style
- Standard 11+ workbooks for the underlying skills (Bond, CGP)
- Mock tests from providers offering ISEB style adaptive online mocks
- Stage 2 specific past papers from individual target schools, where available
Our weekly workshops cover the underlying skills the ISEB tests, with the Sunday English Masterclass
adding the writing fluency that stage 2 demands. For interview preparation, our Sunday Interview
Training is designed specifically for the most selective London independents.
Frequently asked questions
When is the ISEB Pre Test?
Most children sit the ISEB Pre Test in November of Year 6. Some schools allow earlier sitting (October of Year 6, or summer of Year 5 in a few cases). Confirm the exact window with each target school.
Can my child sit the ISEB Pre Test more than once?
Generally no. The pre test is sat once, and the score is shared with all the schools your child has applied to. There are some specific exceptions for medical reasons or technical failure, but the assumption is one sitting.
Should I use Atom Learning?
Atom is widely used for ISEB preparation and is well aligned with the format. It is one of several reputable adaptive platforms. Use it as a tool alongside paper based work and proper teaching, not as a complete preparation strategy.
What happens after the ISEB Pre Test?
Schools shortlist candidates based on pre test scores (and sometimes school reports and references). Shortlisted candidates are invited to stage 2: written papers, interviews, sometimes group activities, in January of Year 6. Offers typically come in February.
Is the ISEB Pre Test "easier" than GL?
Different rather than easier. The format is gentler in some ways (no separate answer sheet, immediate next question) but harder in others (adaptive difficulty means high scoring is harder to achieve). Pace and underlying skill matter more than question type recognition.
