Entry by Early Pre-Testing for Year 9 Boarders

In the Spring Term of Year 6 we invite all registered prospective boarding pupils to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test Assessment, prior to joining The Leys in Year 9. Tests should be completed by the end of March. The on-line assessment will comprise Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics, which lasts approximately two and a half hours in total. It is important to stress that no special preparation is required, as the pre-tests are designed to identify potential, as well as attainment. The aim is to provide parents with the security of a boarding place at an early stage and the time to make appropriate plans for their sons or daughters.

The entry process also includes an interview with the Headmaster and a confidential report from your child’s current school in Year 8.

No further assessment will be required, unless you wish to apply for a Scholarship.

Further Information

• The tests are taken online, usually in the candidate’s current school, and consist of multiple-choice tests in mathematics, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning
• Senior schools will register candidates for the Common Pre-Tests. Currently there is no additional charge for this but a candidate must be registered with The Leys first
• It is important to inform prospective senior schools if your child has already taken the Common Pre-Tests
• The tests take about two-and-a-half hours to complete (English 25 minutes, mathematics 50 minutes, non-verbal
  reasoning 32 minutes, verbal reasoning 36 minutes) and can be taken together or at separate times
• For overseas candidates, testing centres can be used if prior permission has been granted from the senior school
• Verbal reasoning question styles include common words, antonyms, word combinations, letter transfer, number codes
• Non-verbal reasoning question styles include shape analogies, classes like, horizontal codes
• English question styles include reading comprehension, sentence completion, spelling and punctuation
• Mathematics content is in line with the National Curriculum; candidates are assessed on National Curriculum topics
  taught up to the end of Year 5
• No special preparation is required for the Common Pre-Tests, which are designed to identify potential as well as
  attainment. Practice tests are not available. Each question is answered by choosing an answer from a selection shown on the screen. Each question must be answered and candidates cannot go back to previous questions.
• While taking the tests, candidates are able to track their progress within the test (number of questions answered in relation to overall number of questions)
• A familiarisation test is available which demonstrates the look and feel of the tests

SEND Candidates

• The Common Pre-Tests are accessible to candidates with a range of special educational needs or disabilities.
• Reasonable adjustments may be applied, the nature of which will depend on the candidate’s specific needs. In individual cases, schools may decide that not all test elements are a suitable form of assessment for a particular candidate
• Parents and/or prep schools should always inform senior schools about a candidate’s specific needs, provide a report from a suitably-qualified professional, where relevant, and discuss with the senior school what provision or adjustments will be made when assessing the candidate for entry

EAL Candidates

• The Common Pre-Tests are accessible to candidates for whom English is an Additional Language.
• Reasonable adjustments may be applied, the nature of which will depend on the candidate’s specific needs. For EAL candidates, this may include the use of a standard bilingual paper dictionary. In individual cases, schools may decide that not all test elements are a suitable form of assessment for a candidate whose first language is not English
• Parents and/or prep schools should always inform senior schools about a candidate’s specific needs, and discuss with the senior school what provision or adjustments will be made when assessing the candidate for entry