Many independent schools now test on a computer between October and January of Year 6, usually with Quest Assessments or GL’s CAT4: maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, mostly multiple choice and often adaptive, sometimes with problem solving. Many add a short handwritten writing task of 20 to 45 minutes, and an interview.
How to prepare for the Online test
The Online entrance test (independent schools) covers maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Most families start steady preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5, building accuracy first and speed later, then sit timed papers through the summer before the test, which usually takes place in December.
For maths, secure the Key Stage 2 arithmetic, fractions, ratio and problem solving before moving to the multi-step questions that separate the strongest candidates.
For English, read widely every day and practise comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar; selective tests reward precise word knowledge.
Verbal reasoning is a set of learnable question types, such as letter codes, hidden words and word analogies. Learning each type, then practising it against the clock, lifts scores quickly.
Non-verbal reasoning is about spotting patterns in shapes: rotations, reflections, sequences and matrices. Short, regular sessions work better than long ones.
This test includes a piece of writing, so practise planning and writing a short story or description in a set time.
The test is taken on a computer, and adaptive tests get harder as answers go right, so practise on screen and keep moving rather than stopping on one question.