ISEB Common Pre-Test 11 Plus (11+) Guide: Schools, Format and Dates

About the ISEB Common Pre-Test 11 Plus (11+) test

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online admissions assessment used by leading independent senior schools across the UK. It is set by ISEB, the Independent Schools Examinations Board, and is sat once by each child rather than separately for every school on their list.

Because so many independent schools use the same test, a child’s results can be shared with every school that requires them, simply by giving each school the child’s Applicant ID. This is quite different from the grammar-school 11+, where each area or consortium sets its own paper. Always check your target school’s own admissions page to confirm whether the ISEB Common Pre-Test is part of its process, since not every independent school uses it, and some accept it as one route among several.

Key information for 2027 entry to ISEB Common Pre-Test schools at 11 Plus (11+)

• Test provider: ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board)
• Format: four online, adaptive, multiple-choice tests, covering English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, taken on a computer rather than on paper
• Total test time: 2 hours 15 minutes across the four sections (English 40 minutes, mathematics 40 minutes, verbal reasoning 25 minutes, non-verbal reasoning 30 minutes)
• Year group: most schools test in Year 6, though some also test in Year 7, and a smaller number use the same test for delayed entry in Year 9
• Registration: parents register directly with ISEB through its Guardian Portal, which typically opens in June 2026; live testing then runs from September 2026 through to late May 2027
• Results: shared automatically with every school that requires them once a child has sat the test, so there is no need to sit it again for a second school
• Free familiarisation: ISEB itself publishes a free preparation toolkit for families alongside a paid Prep Pack

Which schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

These are the schools currently using the ISEB Common Pre-Test for 2027 entry, together with what happens after Stage 1. Each school then runs its own further stages, so check the specifics for your own target school.

Caterham School

Caterham School (Surrey) uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, as Stage 1. Candidates who pass then attend Caterham’s own EDGE Experience Day, combining a maths paper with an EDGE paper testing writing, critical thinking, innovation and collaborative tasks, alongside informal interviews. Registration typically closes in early November 2026, with the ISEB test sat in November or December 2026, the EDGE day in January 2027 and results following in February 2027.

James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS)

JAGS (Dulwich) uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test as Stage 1, followed by a Welcome Morning combining a one-to-one interview, a creative writing task and a group activity. Registration typically closes in early-to-mid November 2026, with the Welcome Morning held across the autumn term and results in February 2027.

Woldingham School

Woldingham School (Surrey) uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, alongside a short creative writing task, an interview and a school reference. Registration typically runs in September 2026, with the test in November 2026 and results following in December 2026.

St Paul’s Girls’ School (SPGS)

St Paul’s Girls’ School has moved Stage 1 of its 11+ process to the ISEB Common Pre-Test from 2027 entry, replacing its previous computer-based assessment. Candidates can sit the test on site at SPGS, at their current school if it is an approved ISEB centre, or at another approved ISEB centre, with a deadline of mid-November 2026. Stage 2 is a set of written assessments in December 2026, followed by interviews and offers in the new year. See our full St Paul’s Girls’ School 11 Plus guide for the complete process.

Sevenoaks School

Sevenoaks School works a little differently. Rather than administering the ISEB Common Pre-Test itself, it accepts either an ISEB code from a Pre-Test a child has already sat for another school, or a qualifying grammar school 11+ score, as the route into its own Assessment Day. That day combines maths, English and a group discussion. Families whose shortlist includes both an ISEB school and Sevenoaks should check whether one sitting of the ISEB Common Pre-Test can cover both.

Exam format for the ISEB Common Pre-Test at 11 Plus (11+)

The ISEB Common Pre-Test always covers the same four areas, whichever school a child is applying to, which makes it one of the more predictable 11+ formats to prepare for.

The four sections

• English (40 minutes) – reading comprehension and grammar
• Mathematics (40 minutes) – based on the National Curriculum for maths up to the end of Year 5
• Verbal reasoning (25 minutes) – word meaning, comprehension, reasoning and logic
• Non-verbal reasoning (30 minutes) – pattern and shape-based reasoning

All four sections are taken on a computer, either in one sitting or across more than one session, for a total standard test time of 2 hours 15 minutes. Children with extra time arrangements approved by the senior school receive an additional 25% across each section.

What “adaptive” means for your child

Each section adjusts its questions based on how your child has just answered. Get a question right, and the next one gets a little harder; get one wrong, and the next one is a little easier. In practice, this means your child will not spend time stuck on questions that are far too hard, or coasting through questions that are far too easy. It also means two children sitting the same test on the same day are likely to see different questions, so there is little value in comparing question-by-question notes with a friend afterwards. It is important to note that scores are standardised for age, so a child born later in the school year is not compared directly against the raw marks of an older classmate.

Where the test is sat

Most children sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test at their own current school, provided it is an approved ISEB test centre, rather than travelling to the school they are applying to. Where a child’s current school is not an approved centre, the target school itself or another approved centre can usually be used instead. Your child’s invigilation centre will confirm the exact date and arrangements once registration is complete.

How the ISEB Common Pre-Test differs from the London 11+ Consortium’s online assessment

Parents researching independent-school entry sometimes assume every school’s online admissions test is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, but that is not always the case. The London 11+ Consortium, a group of thirteen independent schools, uses its own online assessment built with Quest Assessments rather than the ISEB Common Pre-Test. Our Quest 11 Plus guide covers that test in full.

The two tests share some surface similarities, since both are computer-based and include adaptive elements, but they differ in several ways that matter for preparation:

• The ISEB Common Pre-Test covers exactly four sections: English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The London 11+ Consortium’s assessment covers six: maths, non-verbal reasoning, English, verbal reasoning, problem solving and creative comprehension
• The ISEB Common Pre-Test is a genuinely shared assessment used by many independent schools nationally, sat once and shared by Applicant ID. The London 11+ Consortium’s assessment is specific to its thirteen member schools
• The London 11+ Consortium’s assessment is a single 100-minute sitting on set dates in late November or early December each year. The ISEB Common Pre-Test can be sat on any date within a much wider window, from September through to late May

A child applying to both an ISEB school and a London 11+ Consortium school will need to prepare for, and sit, both tests separately, since a result on one does not carry over to the other.

ISEB Common Pre-Test familiarisation materials

ISEB publishes its own free preparation toolkit for families on its website, giving an overview of the four sections and what to expect on test day. ISEB also sells a paid Prep Pack of additional resources, and has a partnership with Bond Online Premium Plus for further test-style practice. These are useful for showing your child the general shape of an adaptive, computer-based test, alongside your wider subject practice.

Checking your own school’s test requirements

Not every independent senior school uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, and some, like Sevenoaks School, accept it as one entry route rather than administering it directly. Other schools use a bespoke test of their own, or an online assessment built by a different provider such as Quest Assessments. A school describing its test as “computer-based” or “adaptive” is not necessarily using the ISEB Common Pre-Test, since several providers use similar language for very different tests.

Always check the current admissions page for each school on your shortlist before you register or begin preparation, since the format, timing and number of stages can vary considerably even among schools that do use the ISEB Common Pre-Test.

ISEB Common Pre-Test 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Make sure you are confident with the Key Stage 2 maths syllabus up to the end of Year 5, since that is exactly what the maths section is based on!
• Practise verbal and non-verbal reasoning regularly, even the question types that feel unfamiliar at first. A bit of practice makes a big difference!
• Read widely in the run-up to the test. This builds the vocabulary you need for both the English section and verbal reasoning.
• Don’t worry if a question suddenly feels harder partway through a section. That usually means you are doing well, since the test adjusts to match how you are answering!
• Read every question and instruction carefully on screen before you answer, just as you would on paper.
• Keep an eye on the on-screen timer for each section, and move on if you get stuck, rather than losing time on one question.
• Don’t leave any answers blank! It is always worth a sensible guess if you are unsure.

How to prepare your child for the ISEB Common Pre-Test 11 Plus (11+) exam

Start with ISEB’s own free familiarisation toolkit, so your child sees the general shape of an adaptive, on-screen test before the day itself. From there, the most useful preparation is regular practice across all four areas, since every ISEB Common Pre-Test school tests the same English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning combination.

Because the test is adaptive, your child should expect the questions to keep getting harder as they answer correctly, right up to the edge of their ability. Practising a broad range of difficulty across all four subjects, rather than only the easier end, is the best way to prepare for that.

For ISEB Common Pre-Test preparation, we recommend the following packs: