The Complete Guide to the ISEB Common Pre-Test (2026)

What Is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

ISEB stands for the Independent Schools Examinations Board, the body that also administers the Common Entrance examinations used by many independent schools at 11+ and 13+. The Common Pre-Test (CPT) is a separate assessment from Common Entrance: it is designed to be taken earlier, typically in Year 6 or Year 7, and its purpose is specifically to act as a preliminary screening tool.

The key characteristics that distinguish the ISEB Common Pre-Test from other entrance assessments are:

**It is online.** Unlike the paper-based GL Assessment 11+, the ISEB is completed on a computer or tablet. Children type or click their answers in an interface that closely resembles educational software.

**It is adaptive.** The ISEB uses computer-adaptive testing technology, which means the difficulty of questions presented to each child adjusts dynamically based on their answers. If a child answers a question correctly, the next question is slightly harder. If they answer incorrectly, the next question is slightly easier. This adaptive mechanism means two children sitting the test simultaneously will encounter very different question sets, even though their final scores are expressed on the same standardised scale.

**It is taken at the child's own school.** In most cases, the child does not travel to a test centre or to the target independent school. The exam is administered at the child's current prep school (or, in some cases, at a designated testing centre if the child is at a state primary). The target school then receives the results directly from ISEB.

**It is a screening tool, not a final admissions decision.** Schools use the ISEB to decide which applicants to invite forward. A high score does not guarantee a place; it guarantees consideration at the next stage.

Which Schools Use the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

The number of schools using the ISEB Common Pre-Test has grown steadily since its introduction. Not all independent schools use it: some prefer their own bespoke papers, and others do not screen applicants formally until the interview stage. The list below covers the most prominent schools known to use or accept ISEB scores as of 2026.

**Leading boarding schools using ISEB**

Eton College, Harrow School, Winchester College, Charterhouse, Rugby School, Marlborough College, Radley College, Sherborne School, Tonbridge School, Oundle School, Shrewsbury School, Uppingham School.

**Leading girls' boarding schools using ISEB**

Cheltenham Ladies' College, Benenden School, Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, Roedean School, Queenswood School, St Mary's Calne.

**Leading London day schools using ISEB**

Westminster School, St Paul's School, St Paul's Girls' School, Dulwich College, King's College School Wimbledon.

**Important caveats**

School admissions policies change from year to year, and not all schools accept ISEB scores from every year group or for every entry point. Always verify directly with the admissions office of each target school whether they require, accept, or prefer the ISEB for the specific year of entry you are targeting.

Some schools that list ISEB as an option also accept their own pre-test papers as an alternative. Others make the ISEB mandatory for all applicants. A small number of schools use ISEB scores alongside (rather than instead of) their own first-round papers.

**Schools that do NOT use ISEB**

Many highly selective independent schools do not use the ISEB at all. These schools set their own entrance examinations entirely and do not accept ISEB scores as a substitute. Always check the admissions requirements of each individual school.

How Is the ISEB Different from the 11+ Grammar School Test?

Families preparing for both grammar school entry and independent school entry often confuse the ISEB with the grammar school 11+ examination. They test overlapping content but are structurally very different assessments.

| Feature | ISEB Common Pre-Test | GL Assessment 11+ | |---|---|---| | Format | Online, computer-adaptive | Paper-based, fixed difficulty | | Taken where | Child's own school | Test centre or grammar school | | Year group | Year 6 or Year 7 (varies by school) | Year 6 only | | Purpose | Independent school first-round screening | Grammar school entrance | | Adaptivity | Yes: difficulty adjusts per answer | No: all children see same questions | | Sections | 4 sections in one session | 4 separate papers, sometimes split days | | Duration | Approximately 2 hours to 2.5 hours | Approximately 3-4 hours total across papers | | Scoring | Stanine scale (1-9) plus standardised score | Standardised Age Score (60-142) | | Results recipient | Schools receive scores directly | Parents receive results letter |

**Why the adaptive format matters for preparation**

The most important practical difference is adaptivity. In a GL Assessment 11+, every child in a sitting sees the same questions. A child who revises the standard question types will encounter exactly those types in the test. In the ISEB, a child who answers early questions correctly will be presented with progressively harder questions. This means that consistent accuracy is more important than speed, and that preparation focused purely on recognising common question patterns is insufficient: children must be comfortable operating at increasing levels of difficulty under time pressure.

What Subjects Does the ISEB Common Pre-Test Cover?

The ISEB Common Pre-Test assesses four subjects across four separate sections, all completed in a single online session.

**Verbal Reasoning** 35 questions, 22 minutes. Verbal Reasoning tests the ability to understand and analyse word relationships, sequences, codes, and language patterns. Question types include identifying the odd word out, completing analogies, letter sequences, and word codes. The adaptive mechanism means that a child who performs strongly in early questions will encounter more complex analogy types and more obscure vocabulary as the section progresses.

**Non-Verbal Reasoning** 35 questions, 20 minutes. Non-Verbal Reasoning assesses the ability to identify patterns, relationships and sequences using shapes, matrices, and spatial figures rather than words. Question types include identifying which shape completes a sequence, selecting the odd shape out from a set, and applying rules to transform shapes. This section does not require literacy, making it a purer test of abstract reasoning ability.

**Mathematics** 35 questions, 30 minutes. The Maths section covers the National Curriculum to a standard broadly comparable with Year 6 content, but the adaptive element means that high-performing children will face problems requiring Year 7 or Year 8 level reasoning. Topics include number and place value, fractions and decimals, ratio and proportion, algebra (basic), geometry, measurement, and data handling. Mental calculation speed is important because calculators are not permitted.

**English** 35 questions, 25 minutes. The English section tests reading comprehension and vocabulary. Children read a passage and answer multiple-choice questions on its meaning, language use, inference, and vocabulary. This section is less amenable to traditional reasoning preparation and benefits most from wide reading and vocabulary development over time.

Total: 140 questions across approximately 1 hour 37 minutes of active testing time, plus administration time. Most schools schedule a half-day session for the test.

How Is the ISEB Common Pre-Test Scored?

The ISEB Common Pre-Test uses two reporting mechanisms: a standardised score and a stanine.

**Standardised score**

Like the grammar school 11+, ISEB scores are age-standardised: children who sit the test at a younger age within the eligible window are not penalised relative to older children. The standardised score reflects performance relative to the national cohort of children who sat the test in the same period.

**Stanine scale**

The stanine (short for standard nine) is a nine-point scale that groups children into performance bands:

| Stanine | Percentage of candidates | Description | |---|---|---| | 9 | Top 4% | Very much above average | | 8 | Next 7% | Above average | | 7 | Next 12% | Slightly above average | | 6 | Next 17% | Average to above | | 5 | Middle 20% | Average | | 4 | Next 17% | Average to below | | 3 | Next 12% | Slightly below average | | 2 | Next 7% | Below average | | 1 | Bottom 4% | Very much below average |

The stanine is a blunt instrument: two children with meaningfully different raw scores may sit in the same stanine band. Schools typically use the underlying standardised score (not just the stanine) when making decisions, but the stanine provides a quick-read summary.

**How results are distributed**

ISEB results are sent directly to the schools the child nominated before sitting the test. Parents receive a copy of the results. Schools do not share their specific score thresholds publicly, and decisions about who to invite forward are made by each school based on its own criteria, which may weight subjects differently.

What Is a Good ISEB Score?

ISEB does not publish school-specific cut-off scores, and the schools themselves do not publish the scores required to progress to the next stage. What constitutes a good score depends on the target school's selectivity.

**For the most selective boarding schools (Eton, Winchester, Westminster, St Paul's)**

These schools receive applications from a large pool of highly prepared candidates. Children who progress to interview and written papers at these schools typically achieve stanine 8 or 9 in most sections. A stanine 7 in one section may be considered if it is offset by stanine 9 in another, but consistent high performance across all four sections is required for the most competitive schools.

**For other ISEB-using schools**

Many excellent independent schools that use the ISEB are less uniformly competitive than the handful of schools named above. A profile of stanines 6 to 7 may be sufficient to progress at these schools, particularly when combined with a strong school report, good interview performance, and evidence of character and extra-curricular breadth.

**Section weighting**

Some schools place greater emphasis on Mathematics or English. A school with a strong STEM tradition may weight Maths more heavily; a school with a strong literary culture may look closely at English performance. There is no published weighting, but a child's weakest section deserves focused attention in preparation.

**The honest answer**

The only reliable interpretation of an ISEB score is the stanine and standardised score relative to the national cohort. What matters for any specific school is where your child's score sits within the applicant pool for that school in that year, which is not knowable in advance. Preparation should aim to maximise performance across all four sections rather than targeting a specific threshold.

What Is the ISEB Pass Mark?

There is no single published pass mark for the ISEB Common Pre-Test. The test does not issue a pass or fail: it produces a profile of four stanine scores and corresponding standardised scores. Each school then applies its own criteria to decide which children to invite to the next stage.

This distinction matters in practice. A child who achieves stanine 7 across all four sections is likely to progress at many schools using the ISEB. The same child may not progress at Eton or Winchester, where the applicant pool is exceptionally strong. Conversely, stanine 5 to 6 performance may be sufficient for a highly regarded school that uses the ISEB as a broad filter rather than a stringent screen.

**What schools look at beyond the score**

It is important to understand that the ISEB score is typically one input among several. Most schools also consider the head teacher's reference from the child's current school (usually a confidential assessment of character, effort, and social contribution), the written report from the child's current school regarding academic performance in class, and in some cases, the child's own personal statement or covering letter from the parents.

A child with a borderline ISEB score and an exceptional head teacher's reference may still be invited for interview. A child with a high ISEB score but a concerning school report may face questions at interview. The ISEB is the opening filter, not the final word.

How to Prepare for the ISEB Common Pre-Test

Preparing for the ISEB requires a different approach from preparing for the GL Assessment 11+ because of the adaptive format. The key insight is this: in an adaptive test, your child will always eventually reach questions that are difficult for them. The goal of preparation is to raise the level at which that difficulty threshold appears.

**Start with the fundamentals, not question-type drilling**

Because the adaptive algorithm will move your child beyond standard question types if they perform well, memorising the patterns of standard questions is insufficient. Children need to understand the underlying principles of verbal reasoning, non-verbal pattern recognition, and mathematical reasoning well enough to apply them to unfamiliar problem formats.

**Timed practice under realistic conditions**

The ISEB is sat on a computer with strict time limits per section. Practising with paper and pencil alone is inadequate preparation. Children should use online platforms that replicate the format, including the experience of reading on a screen and using a mouse or trackpad to select answers.

**Verbal Reasoning: breadth of vocabulary**

Because the adaptive element in VR will introduce more sophisticated vocabulary as a child's score improves, wide reading across a range of genres and non-fiction subjects is one of the most effective long-term preparation strategies. Vocabulary cannot be built in weeks; it requires consistent reading over months and years.

**Non-Verbal Reasoning: pattern recognition speed**

NVR is the section where consistent practice produces the clearest gains in a shorter time frame. Regular timed practice with matrix-style problems, shape sequences, and rotation questions builds the pattern recognition speed required.

**Mathematics: mental arithmetic and Year 7 preview**

For children targeting the most selective schools, preparing only to Year 6 curriculum level is insufficient. Early introduction to Year 7 topics, including basic algebra and more complex ratio problems, is advisable. Mental calculation fluency should be drilled daily.

**EdifyPod Nexus for ISEB preparation**

EdifyPod Nexus includes dedicated ISEB preparation tracks for Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English, with adaptive practice that mirrors the test's own difficulty-adjustment mechanism. Progress is tracked per subject and per skill, giving parents clear visibility of where their child's preparation profile is strong and where it needs work.

ISEB Preparation Timeline: Year 4 to Year 6

The timeline below assumes a child targeting Year 9 boarding school entry via the ISEB, with the test typically taken in Year 6 or the autumn of Year 7.

**Year 4 (ages 8-9): Foundation building**

No formal ISEB preparation is needed yet. This is the phase for building the foundations: wide reading, a strong mathematics curriculum, and plenty of reasoning puzzles (logic games, code-breaking activities, spatial puzzles). Children who read widely and reason frequently in Year 4 will be significantly better placed in Year 6.

**Year 5 (ages 9-10): Structured introduction**

Begin structured practice in Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning from around the second half of Year 5. Aim for two to three short sessions per week (20 to 30 minutes each) rather than marathon revision sessions. Introduce the four ISEB subject areas informally and identify any clear relative weaknesses.

**Year 5 summer term onwards: Timed practice**

Introduce timed practice across all four ISEB subjects. Begin using online platforms that replicate the test format. Simulate sitting times without interruption to build concentration stamina.

**Year 6 autumn term: Full preparation**

By autumn of Year 6, preparation should be in full swing. Aim for four to five sessions per week, alternating between subjects. Focus on weakest subjects without neglecting strengths, since the adaptive algorithm will reach your child's ceiling in every section. Mock tests under timed, computer-based conditions are essential in this phase.

**Year 6 spring term: Consolidation and confidence**

In the two to three months before the test, shift from learning new content to consolidating accuracy, speed, and composure. Avoid cramming in new material. Focus on reviewing error patterns from practice tests and building the child's confidence in their ability to handle unfamiliar questions calmly.

What Happens After the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

The ISEB is the beginning of an independent school admissions process, not the end. For children applying to selective boarding schools for Year 9 (13+) entry, the post-ISEB process typically unfolds as follows.

**Stage 2: Invitation to interview**

Schools review ISEB scores (along with school reports and any supplementary information) and invite a selected group of candidates for interview. Interview invitations are typically sent in the autumn or spring term of Year 7, depending on the school's timetable.

**Stage 3: Interview**

Interviews at boarding schools vary considerably in format. Some schools conduct a single interview with a member of the senior staff; others run multiple interviews with subject specialists. Most interviews are conversational rather than formally academic, and schools are looking for intellectual curiosity, communication skills, and character as much as academic knowledge. Some schools also conduct a group activity session alongside individual interviews.

**Stage 4: Written papers (Common Pre-Test schools)**

Some schools, particularly those using the ISEB as a pre-filter for Year 9 Common Entrance, ask candidates to sit written papers at the school during the interview visit. These papers test English composition and Mathematics at a level above the ISEB screening test.

**Stage 5: Conditional offer or registration**

Following the interview (and any written papers), schools issue either an unconditional place or a conditional offer. For 13+ entry, conditional offers are typically contingent on achieving a specified grade in Common Entrance, which is sat in Year 8. The ISEB is therefore part of a multi-year admissions process that spans Year 6 to Year 8.

**If your child does not progress from the ISEB**

Not progressing from the ISEB screening stage is a common outcome given the high competition for places at the most selective schools. Review the results across all four sections to identify whether a particular subject profile needs strengthening. Consider whether alternative schools using the ISEB (where competition is less extreme) are appropriate. Reapplication in a subsequent year may be possible; check individual school policies.

ISEB for 13+ Entry: Boarding School Admissions Explained

The ISEB Common Pre-Test was originally designed specifically for 13+ boarding school entry. Understanding the full 13+ admissions pathway is important context for families targeting Year 9 boarding school entry at schools such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester, or Rugby.

**The 13+ entry pathway**

Year 9 boarding school entry typically follows this sequence:

1. Registration with target schools (often as early as Year 3 or Year 4 for the most oversubscribed schools) 2. ISEB Common Pre-Test (Year 6 or Year 7, depending on school) 3. Interview at the school (Year 7) 4. Provisional place offered (Year 7) 5. Common Entrance or school scholarship examinations (Year 8) 6. Confirmation of place (conditional on Common Entrance grades, Year 8) 7. Entry to Year 9 (September after Year 8)

**Registration timelines are earlier than most families expect**

For Eton, Harrow, and Winchester, registration is recommended by Year 3 or Year 4 (ages 7-9). Some schools have soft caps on registration numbers and may close their lists for oversubscribed years. Families who register in Year 5 may find that their preferred schools are no longer accepting new registrations for that year's cohort.

**ISEB vs. 11+ for the same child**

Many families pursuing both grammar school entry (11+, Year 6) and boarding school entry (ISEB, Year 6 or 7) are simultaneously preparing for both. The preparation overlaps significantly in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Mathematics, but the formats differ: the 11+ is paper-based and fixed-difficulty, while the ISEB is online and adaptive. Children should experience both formats in their practice before either test is sat.