ISEB Pre-Test Tutors for Independent School Entry

ISEB pre-test tutors work with children on the Common Pre-Tests, the online, adaptive, multiple-choice assessments in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics that many independent senior schools use in admissions at 11+. ISEB says the tests are based on the national curriculum and that extra preparation is not required, so tutoring remains a family's choice, usually made to build familiarity with the screen and the question styles.

Most pupils sit the tests in Year 6 or Year 7, only once, and the results go to every senior school on the application list. Because each school sets its own deadlines, and some add interviews or papers of their own, preparation tends to follow the school list and the entry year. A tutor can fit lessons around that timetable, starting from the child's own work.

How are the Common Pre-Tests structured?

The Common Pre-Tests comprise four sections: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics, each answered by choosing from options on screen. ISEB's assessments page lists them as one of three assessment families, alongside Common Entrance and the ISEB Project Qualification (iPQ). The English test covers reading comprehension and grammar, and the four tests can be sat together on one day or spread over several, as ISEB's Common Pre-Tests page explains.

English and mathematics assess attainment in topics taught in class, whilst verbal and non-verbal reasoning assess potential using question types that may be unfamiliar to pupils, according to ISEB's guidance for schools. Classroom topics therefore need consolidating, and the reasoning styles need meeting early.

How does the adaptive format change the way a child answers?

After each answer the adaptive system selects the next question at a suitable difficulty, so pupils may see different questions and different numbers of questions. ISEB describes multiple-choice tests taken online, in which the questions adapt to the child's earlier answers.

Pupils cannot go back to change earlier answers, and textbooks, calculators and mobile devices are not allowed, with centres providing pen or pencil and paper for rough work. A tutor can therefore practise committing to an answer, setting out working neatly on paper and moving on from a question that is not yielding, since a return visit is impossible. Feedback on timed answers shows where a child lingers and where eliminating options would save time.

Which year groups sit the Pre-Tests?

Pupils usually take the Pre-Tests in Year 6 or Year 7, and senior schools can use them for Year 7 entry or for deferred entry into Year 9. ISEB treats the Year 9 route as the same Pre-Tests used as a precursor to 13+ entry, with Eton and Harrow named as schools doing this.

A parent or guardian registers the pupil through the Guardian Portal, which creates an Applicant Profile and an Applicant ID that schools use to receive results. Invigilation takes place at prep schools in the UK or abroad, or at approved third-party centres such as the British Council. Schools set their own test deadlines and decide when within the testing window a pupil sits.

Which English and verbal reasoning skills usually need work?

English preparation tends to centre on reading a passage closely, vocabulary in context and grammar, whilst verbal reasoning adds word-based question styles that ISEB notes may be unfamiliar to pupils. Both reward careful reading of what a question actually asks.

In one-to-one lessons a tutor can begin with the child's own written answers and practice attempts, and work out whether errors come from reading speed, gaps in vocabulary or a misread question. Targeted practice then follows that pattern, and feedback on timed answers shows whether the method holds at pace.

Worked examples of each verbal question style, with the reasoning spoken aloud, help a child recognise the type within seconds and choose a method before the options on screen become distracting.

Which maths and non-verbal reasoning skills usually need work?

Mathematics assesses attainment in topics taught in class, so work often begins with arithmetic fluency, fractions, percentages and multi-step problems, checked against recent schoolwork.

Non-verbal reasoning relies on visual patterns, sequences and shape transformations, which may be unfamiliar. A tutor can teach a systematic way of describing what changes between shapes, such as rotation, reflection, size or number, so that each answer comes from a stated rule.

Diagnosis uses the child's own worked solutions; where a method breaks down, a short run of similar questions repairs it, and a later timed set confirms it. Because the system adapts, strong accuracy on easier questions leads to harder ones, which makes secure methods on demanding problems worth building.

How is preparation usually sequenced?

Preparation usually moves from diagnosis to method to pace. Early sessions check reading comprehension, mathematical methods and reasoning, then secure the weakest areas and introduce timed sets once methods hold.

ISEB recommends familiarisation to reduce anxiety and ease navigation of the digital platform, and the free Pre-Tests Walkthrough lets pupils experience the test player and try its accessibility features, as set out on ISEB's page on preparing for the Pre-Tests. Mock tests fit best late in the run-up, once methods are secure.

Families can send their child's year group and target schools through the tutor enquiry form, so the order of work follows each school's deadlines.

Which practice materials does ISEB provide?

ISEB sells a paid Prep Pack covering all four sections, with more than 65 resources produced by the exam board, and publishes free PDF guides including Preparing Your Child for the ISEB Pre-Tests, the Test Framework, a SEND Step-by-Step Guide and SEND Guidance.

Bond Online Premium Plus is the only practice platform ISEB endorses, according to ISEB's practice platform page. An AI-powered adaptive product from Bond (Oxford University Press) built with CENTURY, it includes ISEB-provided questions and mock tests, whereas ISEB does not vouch for the accuracy of other third-party platforms.

A tutor can work through this material in a structured order and explain the questions that go wrong.

How do schools use the results, and what else might they ask for?

Schools view results in the Senior School Portal, can download them as a .csv file and are told to consider any specific needs when assessing an applicant. Reported measures include the Standardised Age Score (SAS), stanine, percentile rank and group rank, plus a mean SAS. The guides to the ISEB Common Pre-Test and to understanding ISEB Pre-Test scores set out the format and how results are read.

A school may use the Pre-Tests alongside an interview, its own papers or a school visit, and preparation for those stages differs. Overseas applicants may be asked for a different test; see UKiset tutors and the comparison of ISEB Pre-Test or UKiset.

Tutor checks, fees and booking for Pre-Test preparation

Tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are on the DBS Update Service, with fees starting from £50 per 50-minute session and varying with tutor level and subject; the tuition fees and pricing information sets out current arrangements. Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London, with progress reports after sessions and a dedicated point of contact for each family.

Each placement opens with an introductory session with the matched tutor, and a re-match costs nothing extra if the fit is wrong. To book, families send an enquiry through the enquiry form, and Taylor Tuition replies with tutor recommendations.

Related preparation guides

Read the ISEB Common Pre-Test guide for the format, timeline and subject breakdown.

See understanding ISEB Pre-Test scores for how results are reported.

For the wider route, see 11+ entrance exam tutors and 13+ Common Entrance tutors.

To discuss a match, find an ISEB Pre-Test tutor and include the school list and entry year in your enquiry.