1.3 Adaptive Delivery & Test-Day Strategy

How an adaptive test works

In an adaptive test, the system selects questions using the pupil's earlier responses. Two children can therefore receive different questions and different numbers of questions. ISEB explains that accuracy and consistency matter more than the number completed. A high score can still be achieved with some incorrect answers. Work carefully throughout the test rather than trying to force the software onto a supposedly valuable question path.

ISEB does not publish the detailed selection and scoring algorithm needed to calculate a score yourself. There is no official rule here that the first five or eight answers determine a permanent band, that a particular run of correct answers repairs an error, or that encountering a hard question proves success. Treat the next question as a fresh task. A mistake is a reason to refocus, not a reason to panic.

The two navigation rules

The tests have no skip button and no back button. You must choose an answer to move on, and you cannot return to change an earlier submitted response. The practical lesson is to read, work, check and then advance. Get used to this in the official walkthrough, which also demonstrates the screen controls.

A useful checking sequence is:

1. Read the instruction: find the opposite, complete the series, choose what must be true, or calculate a named quantity.
2. Work out an answer using the information provided.
3. Compare it with the available choices and check units, direction or wording.
4. Select and submit the intended answer, then concentrate on the next task.

This is a study routine, not a new rule imposed by ISEB. Adapt it to the question. A short vocabulary item may need a quick meaning check; a multi-step calculation may need several lines of rough work.

Manage time without inventing a question quota

The four standard limits are English 40 minutes, mathematics 40 minutes, non-verbal reasoning 30 minutes and verbal reasoning 25 minutes. Because the number and difficulty of questions can vary, dividing a guessed question total into the time limit does not produce a reliable pace for every pupil.

Practise keeping a steady rhythm. If you are making progress on a calculation, finish it carefully. If repeated attempts produce no new idea, eliminate clearly unsuitable choices, select the best remaining answer and move on. There is no universal 30-second or 90-second deadline for an individual item. Do not rush through the last part of a test merely to increase a completion count.

Worked elimination example: A question asks for the length of ribbon remaining after several cuts. One option is longer than the original ribbon; another has square-centimetre units. Both conflict with the task. Now check the arithmetic for the remaining choices. Elimination supports reasoning; it does not justify guessing before reading the problem.

With four equally plausible choices, a random selection has probability one in four of being correct. If sound reasoning removes two wrong choices and the remaining two are equally plausible, that becomes one in two. Actual questions do not promise equal plausibility, and a numerical guessing probability is not a scoring formula.

Rough work helps across all four tests

The centre provides pen or pencil and paper for rough work, which is not marked. Use it when it helps you think clearly:

Mental methods are useful for calculations you can perform reliably. Written methods are useful when several values must be tracked. Choose a method that preserves accuracy rather than insisting all mathematics must be done mentally or all of it must be written down. Make notes only as permitted by the invigilator; do not assume you have a separate period for preparing reference tables.

Screen settings and access arrangements

The test player offers coloured overlays, adjustable font size and a timer that can be hidden. Explore these in advance so the child knows which settings are comfortable. Hiding a timer does not stop time. The centre can give a five-minute warning; do not rely on an invented flashing warning feature.

For SEND, 25% extra time may be approved where appropriate and agreed with senior schools. Parents request arrangements through registration and should check the evidence required by those schools. A diagnosis alone is not a promise of a particular arrangement. EAL does not itself bring extra time; an agreed bilingual paper dictionary or other support may be relevant. Use only the arrangements approved for the pupil.

Test-day decisions

Follow the invigilator's instructions about signing in and selecting the correct test. Check the displayed name. If the screen stops responding, you feel unwell or something interrupts the test, raise your hand and tell the invigilator promptly. Do not attempt an independent restart or leave the test page. The invigilator handles pauses and reporting.

Calculators, textbooks and unapproved reference materials are not available for ordinary test use. Confirm any approved access aid beforehand. Once a test ends, sit quietly and wait for instructions. The test may stop before the time limit, so compare neither your finish time nor your question count with another pupil's.

Sources checked 18 October 2026: ISEB on adaptive testing and ISEB's administering and troubleshooting guide.