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Which Schools Use the ISEB Common Pre-Tests?
53 UK senior schools verified against their own published admissions material as using the ISEB Common Pre-Tests at 11+ (Year 7) or 13+ (Year 9), out of 88 tracked — plus the schools that have since moved to another provider, and what they use instead.
What it means when a school “uses the ISEB Common Pre-Tests”
The Common Pre-Tests are a set of four online, adaptive tests — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — taken in Year 6 or Year 7 and used by senior schools as an early stage of selection for entry into Year 7 (11+) or deferred entry into Year 9 (13+). When a school on this page “uses” them, it means the Pre-Test sitting feeds into that school’s admissions process, usually as a first filter before the school’s own assessments and interviews.
The defining feature is the shared sitting: unlike a school-specific entrance exam, a child sits the Pre-Tests once in an academic year and that single result is shared with every ISEB school the family applies to. Results go to the senior schools; parents are reported not to receive the scores themselves. For 2026-27, the live testing window runs from 1 September 2026 to late May 2027, and children sit the tests at their own school, at a senior school they are applying to, or at an approved invigilation centre.
Register once, free
Parents register on ISEB’s Guardian Portal at no charge and receive an Applicant ID to give to every senior school they apply to.
One sitting, shared results
The child sits the four adaptive tests — English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning — once, and every school on the list accesses the same result.
Once per academic year
The Pre-Tests can only be taken once in an academic year, so the single sitting has to cover every ISEB school your child applies to that year.
Each school sets its own deadline
ISEB runs the testing window; deadlines belong to the schools. For 13+ boarding entry, deadlines are reported to fall around October–November of Year 6 at many schools.
The 53 schools that use the Pre-Tests, by entry point
Every school in this list names the ISEB Common Pre-Test in its own published material — an admissions page, policy or PDF (one is named in ISEB’s own materials instead) — checked on 31 August 2026. The search and filters below also reach the two sections that follow it: the schools that no longer use the Pre-Tests, and the unverified listings.
Showing 53 of 53 schools that use the Pre-Tests
Also matching, further down this page: 28 schools that no longer use the Pre-Tests, 7 unverified listings.11+ entry (Year 7)
18 schools
Schools where the Pre-Tests sit inside the 11+ admissions process, for entry into Year 7.
| School | Location | Entry | Gender | Day / Boarding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St John's School Leatherhead Leatherhead Surrey | Leatherhead Surrey | 11+ (Year 7) | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 18 August 2026 |
Wycombe Abbey High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
St Paul's Girls' School Hammersmith London | Hammersmith London | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
James Allen's Girls' School (JAGS) Dulwich London | Dulwich London | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Lady Eleanor Holles School Hampton London | Hampton London | 11+ | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Berkhamsted School Berkhamsted Hertfordshire | Berkhamsted Hertfordshire | 11+ (Year 7) only | Diamond (boys/girls taught separately) | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Birkdale School Sheffield South Yorkshire | Sheffield South Yorkshire | 11+ | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Harrodian School Barnes London | Barnes London | 11+ (Year 7) only | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Kew House School Kew London | Kew London | 11+ (Year 7) | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Maida Vale School Maida Vale London | Maida Vale London | 11+ (Year 7) | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
New Hall School Chelmsford Essex | Chelmsford Essex | 11+ (Year 7) | Diamond (boys/girls taught separately) | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Palmers Green High School Palmers Green London | Palmers Green London | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Royal Grammar School Guildford Guildford Surrey | Guildford Surrey | 11+ (Year 7) | Boys (going co-ed from 2027) | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
St Albans High School for Girls St Albans Hertfordshire | St Albans Hertfordshire | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Streatham & Clapham High School Streatham London | Streatham London | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Tormead School Guildford Surrey | Guildford Surrey | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Walthamstow Hall Sevenoaks Kent | Sevenoaks Kent | 11+ (Year 7) | Girls | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Ibstock Place School Roehampton London | Roehampton London | 11+ (Year 7) | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
13+ entry (Year 9)
19 schools
Schools that use a Year 6 or Year 7 sitting of the Pre-Tests as the first stage of deferred entry into Year 9.
| School | Location | Entry | Gender | Day / Boarding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eton College Windsor Berkshire | Windsor Berkshire | 13+ | Boys | Boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 18 August 2026 |
Harrow School Harrow London | Harrow London | 13+ | Boys | Boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 18 August 2026 |
Charterhouse Godalming Surrey | Godalming Surrey | 13+ (Year 9), pre-tested in Year 6 or Year 7 | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Radley College Abingdon Oxfordshire | Abingdon Oxfordshire | 13+ | Boys | Boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Tonbridge School Tonbridge Kent | Tonbridge Kent | 13+ | Boys | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Brighton College Brighton East Sussex | Brighton East Sussex | 13+ (Year 9) | Co-ed | Day & boarding (boarding from Fourth Form) | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
St Edward's School Oxford Oxford | Oxford | 13+ (Shell/Year 9) only | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Marlborough College Marlborough Wiltshire | Marlborough Wiltshire | 13+ | Co-ed | Boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Bradfield College Bradfield Berkshire | Bradfield Berkshire | 13+ (Year 9) | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Hurstpierpoint College Hassocks West Sussex | Hassocks West Sussex | 13+ (Year 9) | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Lancing College Lancing West Sussex | Lancing West Sussex | 13+ (Year 9), Advance (Pre-Test) Programme | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
King's School Canterbury Canterbury Kent | Canterbury Kent | 13+ (Year 9), prep-school route | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Bedford School Bedford Bedfordshire | Bedford Bedfordshire | 13+ | Boys | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Mayfield School Mayfield East Sussex | Mayfield East Sussex | 13+ (Year 9) deferred entry option only | Girls | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
The Oratory School Woodcote Oxfordshire | Woodcote Oxfordshire | 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Seaford College Petworth West Sussex | Petworth West Sussex | 13+ (Year 9) | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Ardingly College Haywards Heath West Sussex | Haywards Heath West Sussex | 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Dauntsey's School Devizes Wiltshire | Devizes Wiltshire | 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Headington Rye Oxford (formerly Headington School) Oxford | Oxford | 13+ (Year 9), UK prep-school candidates | Girls | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Both 11+ and 13+ entry
16 schools
Schools listed for both entry points — one sitting can serve either route in the year it is taken.
| School | Location | Entry | Gender | Day / Boarding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire | Crowthorne Berkshire | 13+ (also 11+ entry) | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 18 August 2026 |
Westminster School London | London | 11+ & 13+ | Boys (co-ed sixth form; fully co-ed from 2028) | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Benenden School Cranbrook Kent | Cranbrook Kent | 11+ & 13+ | Girls | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
St Paul's School Barnes London | Barnes London | 11+ & 13+ | Boys | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Sevenoaks School Sevenoaks Kent | Sevenoaks Kent | 11+ & 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 18 August 2026 |
Downe House School Thatcham Berkshire | Thatcham Berkshire | 11+, 12+ & 13+ | Girls | Boarding & day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Cranleigh School Cranleigh Surrey | Cranleigh Surrey | 11+ (Year 7); 13+ pre-testing now mainly CAT4 | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Caterham School Caterham Surrey | Caterham Surrey | 11+ (Year 7), with 13+ deferred entry via the same assessments | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Hoe Bridge School Woking Surrey | Woking Surrey | 11+ and 13+ | Co-ed | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
King Edward's School Witley Godalming Surrey | Godalming Surrey | 11+ & 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Reed's School Cobham Surrey | Cobham Surrey | 11+ (Year 7) & 13+ (Year 9) | Boys (co-ed sixth form; girls into Year 7 from 2027) | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
St Swithun's School Winchester Hampshire | Winchester Hampshire | 11+ & 13+ | Girls | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Sutton Valence School Maidstone Kent | Maidstone Kent | 11+ & 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Woldingham School Woldingham Surrey | Woldingham Surrey | 11+ (Year 7) and 11+ with deferred 13+ entry only | Girls | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Cranmore School West Horsley Surrey | West Horsley Surrey | 11+ and 13+ (Pre-Test entry) | Boys at 11+ and 13+ (co-ed ages 2-6) | Day | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Epsom College Epsom Surrey | Epsom Surrey | 11+ & 13+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Uses the Pre-Tests checked 31 August 2026 |
Schools that no longer use the ISEB Common Pre-Tests
28 of 28 schools
All 28 of these schools reached this directory on a list of ISEB Pre-Test schools, but when we checked their own admissions pages on 31 August 2026 the Pre-Test was gone — some say so in as many words, others now name a different assessment. They are not part of the directory above, and their pages here exist to give you the correct answer, not an ISEB one. Each row shows what the school uses instead and links to the page we read it on; providers do change, so confirm with the school before you plan.
| School | Location | What it uses now | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
Winchester College Winchester Hampshire | Winchester Hampshire | the school's own General Ability Testing (GAT), delivered as a Cambridge Insight adaptive assessment checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Sherborne Boys (Sherborne School) Sherborne Dorset | Sherborne Dorset | Quest Assessments checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Stowe School Stowe Buckinghamshire | Stowe Buckinghamshire | CAT4 (UKiset for candidates whose first language is not English) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Ampleforth College York North Yorkshire | York North Yorkshire | the school's own Ampleforth entrance test (a computer-based CEM assessment) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Abbot's Hill School Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | Quest Admissions checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Bloxham School Banbury Oxfordshire | Banbury Oxfordshire | the school's own assessments; at 13+ the candidate's existing CAT4 or MidYIS score checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Brentwood School Brentwood Essex | Brentwood Essex | GL Assessment Adaptive Admissions Tests (AAT) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
LPS Mayfair (formerly Eaton Square Senior School) Mayfair London | Mayfair London | no entrance exam at all (Discovery Days plus existing CAT4/MidYIS data from the current school) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Fulham School (Senior) Fulham London | Fulham London | no senior intake - the senior school is in phased closure checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Gateways School Leeds West Yorkshire | Leeds West Yorkshire | the school's own Entrance & Scholarship Assessment Day checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Holmwood House Senior School Colchester Essex | Colchester Essex | the school's own online entrance assessment (English and Maths plus an interview) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
King's School Rochester Rochester Kent | Rochester Kent | ISEB Common Entrance at 13+ (not the Pre-Test); the school's own assessment at 11+ checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
The Leys School Cambridge Cambridgeshire | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | Quest checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Pangbourne College Pangbourne Berkshire | Pangbourne Berkshire | an unnamed short online assessment at the school's November assessment morning checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Royal Hospital School Holbrook Suffolk | Holbrook Suffolk | the school's own Maths and English papers plus GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
St Dunstan's College Catford London | Catford London | GL Assessment checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
King's College School Wimbledon Wimbledon London | Wimbledon London | the school's own papers checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Dulwich College Dulwich London | Dulwich London | the school's own bespoke online tests checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Leweston School Sherborne Dorset | Sherborne Dorset | no selective test - interview, head's reference and school reports checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
City of London School City of London | City of London | the school's own bespoke online assessment checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
City of London School for Girls City of London | City of London | Cambridge Select Insight (Cambridge University Press & Assessment) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Highgate School Highgate London | Highgate London | the school's own entrance examinations (third parties add a GL Assessment NVR paper) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
University College School (UCS) Hampstead London | Hampstead London | the school's own entrance examinations checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Latymer Upper School Hammersmith London | Hammersmith London | the school's own papers checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Alleyn's School Dulwich London | Dulwich London | the school's own papers (the Reasoning paper is reported to come from GL Assessment) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Emanuel School Battersea London | Battersea London | the school's own written papers (verbal reasoning based on GL Assessment papers) checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Haberdashers' Boys' School Elstree Hertfordshire | Elstree Hertfordshire | QUEST Assessments checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Haberdashers' Girls' School Elstree Hertfordshire | Elstree Hertfordshire | Quest Admissions checked 31 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 Source |
Historic and unverified listings
These 7 schools are listed as ISEB Pre-Test users by third-party directories, but their own admissions pages never name the provider either way — several describe an unnamed online assessment. We could neither confirm nor rule out the Pre-Test, so they are kept out of the directory above. If one of them is on your list, check its own admissions pages or email its admissions office first.
| School | Location | Entry | Gender | Day / Boarding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canford School Wimborne Dorset | Wimborne Dorset | 13+ | Co-ed | Boarding & day | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
Culford School Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | 11+ | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools Monmouth Wales | Monmouth Wales | 13+ (Year 9) | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
King's College Taunton Taunton Somerset | Taunton Somerset | 11+ (into King's College Prep) / 13+ (into King's College) | Co-ed | Day & boarding | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) Leeds West Yorkshire | Leeds West Yorkshire | 11+ (Year 7) | Co-ed | Day | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
Tranby Anlaby (Hull) East Yorkshire | Anlaby (Hull) East Yorkshire | 11+ | Co-ed | Day | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
RGS Surrey Hills (formerly Box Hill School) Mickleham Surrey | Mickleham Surrey | 11+ & 13+ (plus 16+) | Co-ed | Day & boarding (including weekly and flexible boarding) | Unverified not named on the school’s own pages — ask the school |
See what an adaptive online pre-test feels like
Our free ISEB-style walkthrough mirrors the online, adaptive, forward-only format across English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, so children can meet the question styles and pacing before the real thing.
ISEB-style practice, independent of ISEB — not affiliated with or endorsed by ISEB.