What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?
4 min read · updated 2026-09-01
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is the online exam many UK independent schools use for 11+ and 13+ entry decisions. One sitting, shared across multiple schools, taken in Year 6 or 7 depending on entry point.
Format and subjects
It is a multiple-choice online test covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, each around 20-25 minutes. The questions are adaptive: difficulty adjusts based on answers, so accuracy early matters disproportionately.
One test, many schools
The key advantage for families: the student sits the pre-test once and results are shared with every registered school using it. Registration runs through the target schools, and the test is usually taken at the child's current prep school.
How to prepare
The content is curriculum-based plus reasoning, so preparation mirrors 11+ practice: timed reasoning drills, maths fluency, and adaptive-format practice. Because the test is adaptive, early accuracy is trained explicitly. Schools then often add their own interview or further papers.
FAQs
Is the ISEB Pre-Test the same as the 11+?＋
It overlaps in skills but differs in format: online, adaptive and multiple choice, usually sat earlier than grammar school 11+ papers. Practice should match the format being sat.
Which schools use the pre-test?＋
A large and growing list of independent senior schools. Each school's admissions page confirms whether it uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test.
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