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What are 11+ pre-tests?
The GL Assessment Pre-Test is taken at ages 11 and 12. Hence, GL Assessment’s assessment is an 11+ Pre-Test from the fact that it is
– Age-standardized measure of ability and attainment.
– For Year 6 / 7 pupils. Pre-Tests are commissioned
– A multiple- choice GL Assessment.
– An adaptive assessment. This means that there is a GL Assessment Pre-Test item bank and algorithms designed to:
– Randomise both the questions provided
– and the order in which these are asked on any pupil’s GL Assessment Pre-Test.
– Questions may become more difficult reflecting individual pupil abilities (on each GL Assessment Pre-Test subject).
Which subjects are in the GL Assessment Pre-Test?
The 2.5 hour admin time is subdivided into the following subjects for the GL Assessment Pre-Test:
- Non-Verbal Reasoning (32 mins)
- English (25 mins)
- Verbal Reasoning (36 mins)
- Mathematics (50 mins)
Private school applicants also often take the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) Common Pre-Test on a computer at school.
How the ISEB Pre-test works
Prep schools have their own arrangements for the administration of the Pre-Test, with candidates encouraged to sit the test between 1st October and 1st February of Year 6. It is important to note that the test is age-standardized and candidates are therefore at no disadvantage if they sit the exam earlier, rather than later.
If your son or daughter is offered a senior school place after completing these tests, they will normally still be required to sit the Common Entrance examinations in Year 8.
Senior schools will inform parents if they use the Common Pre-Tests and will register the candidates. Parents do not need to register their children for the Common Pre-Tests. This is the current list of senior schools using the ISEB Common Pretest.
Children applying to multiple schools using the Common Pre-Test will only take one test per academic year. The set of results obtained will be shared with all schools registering that candidate. In the very unlikely event of a candidate taking the tests more than once within a single academic year, the school(s) will be informed and the first set of results will stand.
Those who successfully pass the pretest will be called back to sit a second-round assessment; this is certainly the case for most of the competitive London day schools and well-regarded boarding schools. Some schools solely use the pretest as their entry assessment criteria and do not have a second round.
Why is pre-tests Practice so important?
The best way to prepare for private school entrance exams is by using past papers. Firstly, sitting an entrance exam is stressful. If your child knows to expect, they will be a lot calmer on the big day.
This will allow them to work to the best of their ability. Another reason is that if your child has practised answering similar questions under timed conditions, they will get used to working quickly and accurately.
Finally, taking past papers will reveal the types of questions your child consistently gets wrong. By focusing on common mistakes, you can target your child’s practice and make the best use of his or her preparation time.
Private school entrance exams are as unique as the schools setting them.
Difficulty levels will vary, as will the types of questions featured. However, the majority of private school entrance exams test children on Maths and English/verbal ability.
The MATHS part of a private school entrance exam could cover a very wide range of Maths entrance exam topics. The majority of private school Maths entrance exams include Number, Measures, Algebra, Indices.
Most private schools provide examples of past papers to prospective applicants. Once you’ve identified the format of the entrance exam your child will be sitting, use similar past papers to give your child further practice.
Introduction to the ISEB Exam
- ISEB, or the Independent School Examination Board, provides sets of Common Pre-tests for senior school students in year 6 or 7, when the students are aged 10 to 12.
- While candidates who are aged 6 take the 11+ Common Entrance Exam, those who are aged 8 years take the 13+ Common Entrance Exam for admittance to the senior school of their choice.
- The ISEB tests are considered entrance tests for students by many prep or senior schools and the marks achieved therein help students to gain admittance to independent schools.
- As these tests are age-standardised exams, students start to prepare for them at a very young age in readiness for joining their senior school.
- ISEB tests are held online by the school administration in which the pupil currently studies. They include multiple choice questions in English, mathematics, non-verbal and verbal reasoning.
- As it is the responsibility of the senior school students to inform the parents about the Common Pre-tests, parents do not need to register.
- The ISEB is taken once a year for those children applying to several senior schools.
What happens to my ISEB results?
The scores for the ISEB tests are shared with all the senior schools that the candidate is registered with.
Hence, the parents need to inform the administration of each senior school about the test their child took before admission.
How long is the ISEB common entrance test?
The total time:
- Given to complete the test is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- This is allotted as follows:
- 25 minutes for the English section.
- , 50 minutes for the Maths section.
- 32 minutes for the Non-verbal reasoning section.
- And the remaining 36 minutes for the verbal reasoning section.
Students can take the tests together or separately. However, each section needs to be completed within the given time allotted to the respective section.
Overseas candidates can take the exam at the testing centres accepted by the senior schools.
Good luck with your ISEB practice tests!