If your target schools are independent senior schools, there's a good chance you'll meet the ISEB Common Pre-Tests. Here's what they are and how to prepare sensibly.
What is it?
The ISEB Common Pre-Tests are online, adaptive assessments used by many leading independent senior schools to shortlist candidates, usually sat in Year 6 for 11+ entry, and by some schools as an early stage for 13+ entry. "Adaptive" means the difficulty adjusts as your child answers: get a question right and the next one is a little harder, get it wrong and the test eases off. This is worth explaining to children in advance, because it means the test is supposed to feel difficult for everyone. A child who expects to find every question comfortable can be rattled by a test designed to find the edge of their ability.
What does it cover?
Four areas: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, taking around two and a quarter hours in total (often split across sittings, depending on the school's arrangements). The content tracks the national curriculum for English and Maths, while the reasoning sections test pattern-spotting and vocabulary in ways school lessons don't directly teach.
The one-sitting advantage
A useful feature for families applying to several schools: results are shared. Your child sits the test once, and every participating school you apply to can access the same result. That reduces the exam load considerably compared with sitting separate papers for each school, and it's one reason so many senior schools have adopted it.
It also raises the stakes of that single sitting, which is why calm, familiar preparation matters more than volume.
How to prepare
Because the test is online and adaptive, some practical points differ from paper exams. Children should practise on a screen, not just on paper: reading comprehension passages on screen and answering with mouse and keyboard is a distinct skill, and the exam shouldn't be the first time they do it. Official familiarisation materials exist, and it's worth using them so the interface holds no surprises.
Beyond format, preparation is the same as for any strong 11+ exam: secure arithmetic, wide reading and vocabulary, comprehension technique, and systematic coverage of verbal and non-verbal reasoning question types. Because the test adapts, there's no pass mark to aim at; the goal is simply for your child to perform at their genuine best, which is mostly a matter of solid foundations and low anxiety.
A note on timing
Schools set their own deadlines and testing windows, generally running from the autumn of Year 6. Check each target school's admissions page for when they need the test sat by, and register in good time. The schedule is one of the easiest things to get wrong and one of the most stressful, so pin it down early.
Where I fit in
I prepare children for the ISEB Pre-Tests alongside GL and school-specific exams, covering all four tested areas and, just as importantly, the confidence and technique to handle an adaptive online test calmly. If you'd like to talk through your child's starting point, the easiest first step is a free 15-minute phone chat.