The ISEB Pre-Test is an adaptive, online exam used by independent schools across the country as part of the admissions process for entry into Year 7 or Year 9. The exam is designed to assess your child’s academic ability and potential. Your child will be tested on their English, mathematics, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning.
Our approach to ISEB Pre-Test Mock Exams
The exam itself will be a computer test and it is possible to buy computer-based mock exams which mimic the real thing, however these cost £50+ per sitting and you are only allowed to sit each test once.
Our solution to help children familiarise themselves with the question types, difficulty level and time constraints is to produce paper-based mocks. Children can sit four paper-based mocks for the same price as one sitting of an online mock. They will be exposed to four times as many questions and be able to get a real feel for what will be required on the day itself.
Having done this, if parents also wish to buy a computer-based mock from a supplier, they can do so in the knowledge their child can make best use of it as they will have had time to improve their skills and get used to the different question types and time constraints.
To buy our realistic ISEB mock packs, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Format of the ISEB Pre-Test Exams
The table below details the format of the ISEB Pre-test exam. It is split into 4 sections. The whole exam is completed in one sitting and takes 2 hours 15 minutes in total. All questions are multiple choice, with 5 answer options. ISEB does not provide any practice questions in their exams, so it is even more important to familiarise your child with the question types before they sit the exam. The best way to do this is by doing multiple mock exams at home.
| Section 1 | English
Part 1 = Comprehension Part 2 = Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar |
Part 1 will test your child on poetry and fiction and non-fiction texts.
Part 2 will have 3 types of questions: Cloze sentences, shuffled sentences, and ‘find the SPAG error’ |
40 minutes |
| Section 2 | Maths | A wide range of maths topics are covered. The questions are challenging, but they remain based on the Year 5 national curriculum. | 40 minutes |
| Section 3 | Non-Verbal Reasoning | Your child will be tested on their pattern recognition skills, and their spatial reasoning. They will be presented with many different question types. | 30 minutes |
| Section 4 | Verbal Reasoning | Your child will be tested on their vocabulary and problem-solving skills. They will be presented with many different question types. | 25 minutes |
Schools Currently Using the ISEB Common Pre-Test
- Abbot’s Hill School
- Ampleforth College
- Bedford School
- Benenden School
- Berkhamsted Senior School
- Birkdale School
- Bloxham School
- Bradfield College
- Brighton College
- Canford School
- Caterham School
- Charterhouse
- Cranleigh School
- Culford School
- Downe House School
- Eaton Square Upper School
- Eton College
- Fulham School
- Gateways School
- Haberdashers’ Monmouth School
- Harrodian Senior School
- Harrow School
- Hoe Bridge School
- Holmwood House Senior School
- Hurstpierpoint College
- James Allen’s Girls’ School
- Kew House School
- King Edward’s School Witley
- King’s College Taunton
- King’s School Canterbury
- King’s School Rochester
- Lady Eleanor Holles
- Lancing College
- Leeds Grammar School
- Leys School
- Maida Vale School
- Marlborough College
- New Hall School
- Oratory School
- Palmers Green High School
- Pangbourne College
- Radley College
- Reed’s School
- Royal Grammar School Guildford
- Seaford College
- Sherborne School
- St Albans High School
- St Dunstan’s College
- St Edward’s School
- St John’s Leatherhead
- St Paul’s School
- St Swithun’s School
- Stowe School
- Streatham & Clapham High School
- Sutton Valence School
- Tonbridge School
- Tormead School
- Tranby School
- Walthamstow Hall
- Wellington College
- Westminster School
- Winchester College
- Woldingham School
- Wycombe Abbey
Learning Street’s ISEB Pre-Test Mock Exam Packs
We are the only providers of affordable, paper-based mocks for the ISEB Pre-Test. We believe that giving your child multiple mock exams is the best way to familiarise your child with the wide range of question types they may come across during the real thing. This is especially important for ISEB Pre-tests, which provide no practice sections.
Our mock packs are designed to give your child a realistic exam experience and are priced reasonably so that you can buy multiple mocks, and give your child a better chance to succeed in the real exams. The mock packs include everything you need: all answers, invigilation notes and marking guidance. They also include advice on what your results might mean in terms of potential entry success.
Click on the links below to access our mock packs.
ISEB Common Pre-Test Mock Exam 1
ISEB Common Pre-Test Mock Exam 2
ISEB Common Pre-Test Mock Exam 3
