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ISEB Pre-Test Maths: The End-of-Year-5 Anchor Explained
Year 5 curriculum anchor, no calculator, and an adaptive stretch for strong candidates
The Maths Section (40 minutes)
Content is anchored to the national curriculum up to the end of Year 5 — the test is typically sat early in Year 6, earlier than most other 11+ exams. No calculator is allowed (rough paper is provided), and the mix spans quick arithmetic fluency through to multi-step problem solving.
1 · Number & place value
Read, write, order and compare numbers to 1,000,000
Rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000
Negative numbers in context — counting through zero
Roman numerals to 1,000
2 · Four operations
Formal written methods: column addition/subtraction, long multiplication, short division
Mental strategies and estimation to check answers quickly — no calculator
Multiples, factors, common factors, prime, square and cube numbers
Multi-step word problems that chain two or three skills together
3 · Fractions, decimals & percentages
Equivalent fractions; comparing and ordering
Improper fractions and mixed numbers; adding and subtracting fractions
Multiplying fractions by whole numbers
Decimals to three places; percentage basics and FDP equivalents
4 · Measurement
Converting metric units; approximate imperial equivalences
Perimeter and area, including composite rectilinear shapes
Money and best-value problems
Time: 12/24-hour clock, durations, timetables
5 · Geometry
Properties of 2D shapes; 3D shapes from 2D representations
Angles: at a point, on a straight line, and missing angles in shapes
Position and direction: reflection and translation
6 · Statistics
Line graphs, tables and timetables
Sum, difference and comparison questions from charts and data
7 · Exam craft (adaptive-specific)
Every answer is final — check before confirming, because there is no going back
Fluency first: quick, accurate mental arithmetic buys thinking time for the multi-step problems
Use the rough paper — working on paper prevents on-screen slips
Don’t panic if questions get harder: that usually means the test is responding to good answers
Maths topic checklist (Year 5 anchor)
Practise it for real: ISEB-style mocks
Our ISEB-style Maths section ramps from fluency questions into multi-step problems, timed to the real 40 minutes — with an SAS-style score estimate at the end.
Rehearse the Pre-Test Experience Calmly
Forward-only, difficulty-ramping ISEB-style mocks with a free walkthrough — unlimited sittings in every plan, with a 7-day free trial.