PARENT GUIDE
ISEB, GL and Quest: How the Three Main 11+ Exam Boards Compare
If you’re starting to prepare a child for 11+ entry, one of the first — and most confusing — hurdles is working out which exam they’ll actually be sitting. Grammar schools and independent schools don’t all use the same test. Three names come up again and again: GL Assessment, ISEB, and Quest. Each has its own format, philosophy, and approach to assessing children, and knowing the differences early can save months of misdirected preparation.
The quick overview
Each board tests academic readiness and reasoning, but they differ in delivery, adaptivity, curriculum coverage, and the schools that use them.
GL Assessment
ISEB
Quest
Used mainly by
State grammar schools
Independent schools
Independent schools
Format
Mostly paper-based
Fully online, adaptive
Online, partly adaptive
Curriculum coverage
Full KS2 to Year 6
Year 5 curriculum
Up to end of Year 5
Difficulty
Fixed for everyone
Adjusts in real time
Adaptive in some sections
Typical timing
Autumn of Year 6
October–December, Year 6
Varies by school
GL Assessment: the grammar school standard
GL Assessment is the exam most 11+ candidates for state grammar schools will encounter, including in areas such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire. It is largely paper-based and fixed-difficulty: every child sits the same questions in the same order, typically in September of Year 6. Schools can choose from English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and official practice materials make structured preparation comparatively predictable. Focused practice helps children become familiar with the established range of question types.
ISEB: the independent school pre-test
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is used by many independent schools as part of their 11+ and 13+ entry process. It is entirely online and fully adaptive: questions become harder or easier depending on how a child is answering, so no two children necessarily see the same paper. It tests the Year 5 curriculum rather than the full KS2 syllabus, and its question styles are noticeably similar to GL Assessment’s. Because it is adaptive, accuracy early in each section matters: a strong start gives a child access to harder, higher-scoring questions.
Quest: the newer, flexible adaptive test
Quest Admissions is now used by more than 100 selective independent schools. It is a flexible platform rather than one fixed exam, so each school can configure it differently. Part 1 usually covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning; Part 2, used by fewer schools, can add Puzzles & Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension. English is typically non-adaptive, while Maths and the reasoning sections are usually adaptive. Quest also uses age-standardised scoring, and some schools combine it with an interview, an ISEB stage, or their own written assessment.
Where they overlap
Despite their differences, the three boards share more common ground than their reputations suggest. English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning recur in some form across all three. Each is anchored in primary-school learning, relies heavily on multiple-choice questions, and rewards broad literacy, numeracy, and reasoning skill far more than last-minute cramming. Adaptive formats may reduce the value of narrow drilling, but none of the boards is truly tutor-proof.
Where they genuinely diverge
The clearest distinctions are fixed versus adaptive difficulty, delivery method, curriculum depth, and predictability. GL is fixed-difficulty and mostly paper-based, with a traditional preparation route supported by published materials. ISEB is fully adaptive and online, while Quest is a hybrid that is adaptive in some sections and fixed in others. ISEB and Quest generally stop at Year 5 content, whereas GL typically reaches the end of Year 6. As a rule of thumb, GL is the grammar-school exam; ISEB and Quest are usually independent-school exams — but exceptions and mixed admissions routes are common.
The one rule that matters most
Because individual schools configure these tests differently — choosing which subjects to include, which parts are adaptive, and whether to add their own written elements — the board name alone does not tell you everything. Check the specific admissions page of each target school to confirm the assessment board, subjects, and format. Preparation aimed at the wrong format wastes time that could be spent on core skills matched to the exam format.