100+ Free ISEB Common Pre-Test Practice Questions

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Which pair of words are antonyms (opposites)?

Ancient and modern

Old and aged

Modern and new

Ancient and old

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ISEB Common Pre-Test Exam

Ages 10-11

Typical candidate age (Year 6)

ISEB

4 sections

English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning

ISEB

~2h 15m

Total test length across all sections

ISEB test framework

Adaptive

Difficulty adjusts to each pupil's answers

ISEB

SAS 100

National average standardised age score

ISEB scoring

142 max

Highest possible standardised age score

ISEB scoring

70+ schools

UK independent schools using the pre-test

Atom Learning school list

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online, adaptive, all-multiple-choice 11+ exam for ages 10-11 with four sections (English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning) lasting about 2 hours 15 minutes. There is no fixed pass mark; results are age-standardised (average 100) and shared with the senior schools a pupil applies to.

Sample ISEB Common Pre-Test Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ISEB Common Pre-Test exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Read this sentence: 'The explorer was undaunted by the treacherous mountain path.' What does the word 'undaunted' most nearly mean?

A.Not discouraged

B.Extremely tired

C.Completely lost

D.Very angry

Explanation: 'Undaunted' means not made afraid or discouraged by difficulty or danger. The explorer pressed on despite the dangerous path. Context clues ('treacherous mountain path') signal courage rather than fatigue or anger.

2Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

A.The dogs' tails wagged as their owners arrived.

B.The dog's tails wagged as their owner's arrived.

C.The dogs tail's wagged as their owners arrived.

D.The dogs' tail's wagged as their owners' arrived.

Explanation: 'Dogs'' is a plural possessive (the tails belonging to several dogs), and 'owners' here is a plain plural needing no apostrophe. The first option places the apostrophe correctly and leaves the simple plural untouched.

3Choose the word that is the antonym (opposite) of 'expand'.

A.Contract

B.Stretch

C.Enlarge

D.Grow

Explanation: 'Expand' means to grow larger or spread out. Its opposite is 'contract', which means to become smaller or shrink. The other choices are synonyms of 'expand', not antonyms.

4Calculate: 3/4 + 2/3. What is the answer as a fraction in its simplest form?

A.17/12

B.5/7

C.6/12

D.5/12

Explanation: Convert to a common denominator of 12: 3/4 = 9/12 and 2/3 = 8/12. Adding gives 9/12 + 8/12 = 17/12, which is already in its simplest form (an improper fraction).

5Using the code where A=1, B=2, C=3 and so on, what does the number sequence 3-1-20 spell?

A.CAT

B.DOG

C.BAT

D.CAR

Explanation: Each number matches its position in the alphabet: 3 = C, 1 = A, 20 = T. Together they spell CAT. This is a standard verbal reasoning letter-to-number code question.

6A square has a perimeter of 36 cm. What is its area?

A.9 square cm

B.36 square cm

C.144 square cm

D.81 square cm

Explanation: A square has four equal sides, so each side is 36 divided by 4 = 9 cm. The area of a square is side multiplied by side: 9 x 9 = 81 square cm.

7Which of these is a correctly spelled word?

A.Nessecary

B.Neccessary

C.Necesary

D.Necessary

Explanation: The correct spelling is 'necessary' — one 'c' and two 's'. A useful memory aid is that a shirt has one Collar and two Sleeves. The other options double or misplace the letters.

8A figure rotates 90 degrees clockwise. An upward-pointing arrow (pointing North) is rotated this way. In which direction does it now point?

A.North (up, unchanged)

B.West (left)

C.South (down)

D.East (right)

Explanation: A 90-degree clockwise rotation turns a quarter turn to the right. An arrow pointing up (North) becomes an arrow pointing right (East). Rotation questions are common in the Non-Verbal Reasoning section.

9Read: 'Maya hesitated at the door, her hand trembling on the cold handle.' What does this sentence suggest about Maya?

A.She is angry and impatient

B.She is excited and happy

C.She is bored and tired

D.She is nervous or fearful

Explanation: The words 'hesitated' and 'trembling hand' are clues showing nervousness or fear. Inferential comprehension means using evidence in the text to work out something not stated directly. Maya's body language points to anxiety.

10What is 15% of 240?

A.30

B.24

C.40

D.36

Explanation: 10% of 240 is 24, and 5% is half of that, which is 12. Adding 24 + 12 gives 36. Alternatively, 240 x 0.15 = 36.

About the ISEB Common Pre-Test Exam

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online, computer-adaptive assessment sat by pupils aged 10-11 (Year 6, sometimes Year 7) who are applying to leading UK independent senior schools, including members of the London Consortium and many day and boarding schools. It covers four multiple-choice sections — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — and a single sitting can be shared between several schools. Results are reported as age-standardised scores so younger pupils are not disadvantaged.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

About 2 hours 15 minutes total: Maths 40 min, English 40 min, Non-Verbal Reasoning 30 min, Verbal Reasoning 25 min

Passing Score

No fixed pass mark — results are reported as a Standardised Age Score (SAS) with 100 as the national average; competitive schools typically look for 120+

Exam Fee

Paid for by parents at the registering senior school (fees vary by school); coaching and mock tests are separate paid extras (Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB))

ISEB Common Pre-Test Exam Content Outline

25%

English

Reading comprehension (literal and inferential), vocabulary in context, grammar (parts of speech, tenses, agreement, pronouns), spelling, punctuation, homophones and figurative language

25%

Mathematics

Place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio and proportion, simple algebra, time and money, measurement, perimeter, area, angles, coordinates, averages and probability (KS2 to end of Year 5)

25%

Verbal Reasoning

Synonyms, antonyms, odd-one-out, letter and number codes, hidden and compound words, letter sequences, analogies and short logic and ordering puzzles

25%

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Series, analogies, odd-one-out, matrices, shape codes, reflections, rotations, symmetry, nets of 3D shapes and other 2D and 3D spatial tasks (described in text on this site)

How to Pass the ISEB Common Pre-Test Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No fixed pass mark — results are reported as a Standardised Age Score (SAS) with 100 as the national average; competitive schools typically look for 120+
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: About 2 hours 15 minutes total: Maths 40 min, English 40 min, Non-Verbal Reasoning 30 min, Verbal Reasoning 25 min
Exam fee: Paid for by parents at the registering senior school (fees vary by school); coaching and mock tests are separate paid extras

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ISEB Common Pre-Test Study Tips from Top Performers

1Practise on screen and against the clock — the real test is timed, online and has no back button, so children must commit to an answer and move on

2Build vocabulary every day; both the English and Verbal Reasoning sections reward pupils who know advanced words like 'meticulous', 'reluctant' and 'scrutinise'

3Master KS2 maths up to the end of Year 5 — fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, area, angles and averages all appear regularly

4Drill each Verbal Reasoning question type separately (codes, analogies, odd-one-out) then mix them under time pressure

5For Non-Verbal Reasoning, learn to spot common transformations — rotation, reflection, adding or removing elements and nets of 3D shapes

6Because the test is adaptive, accuracy on early questions matters; teach children to read carefully and avoid careless slips rather than rushing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

It is an online, computer-adaptive 11+ assessment used by many UK independent senior schools to shortlist applicants aged 10-11. It has four multiple-choice sections — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — and a single sitting can be shared with several schools.

How long is the ISEB Pre-Test and how many questions are there?

The whole test takes about 2 hours 15 minutes: Maths 40 minutes, English 40 minutes, Non-Verbal Reasoning 30 minutes and Verbal Reasoning 25 minutes. Because it is adaptive, the number of questions varies from pupil to pupil — there is no fixed total.

What does 'computer-adaptive' mean for the ISEB Pre-Test?

The software adjusts the difficulty of each question to match how the pupil is performing — answer well and the questions get harder. There is no back button, so answers cannot be changed, and no question can be skipped because the Next button only appears after an answer is chosen.

How is the ISEB Common Pre-Test scored?

Each pupil receives a Standardised Age Score (SAS) based on accuracy and adjusted for their exact age in months. The average is 100, the maximum is 142, and most candidates score between 85 and 115. There is no single pass mark — each school decides what it wants, with competitive schools often looking for 120+.

Which schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test?

Over 70 leading UK independent schools use it, including members of the London Consortium and well-known senior schools. Many also follow up the pre-test with their own interviews, reasoning papers or further assessments at 11+ or 13+.

When do pupils sit the ISEB Pre-Test?

Most pupils sit it in the autumn or spring term of Year 6 (ages 10-11), though some schools assess in Year 7 for 13+ entry. The test is usually taken at the pupil's current school or the senior school they are applying to.