The exam at a glance
For children joining Year 7 at Cranleigh School in September 2028, the main academic assessment is the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This is the standard online pre-test used by many independent schools and, for Cranleigh, it sits alongside the school’s wider admissions process rather than acting as the only decision point.
The test covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because it is an adaptive online assessment, the level of difficulty changes in response to a child’s answers. In practical terms, that means children need both secure core skills and enough confidence to keep moving at a sensible pace. Accuracy matters, but so does working calmly under time pressure.
Cranleigh’s admissions information says that Year 6 pupils sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in October or November before entry, usually at their own prep school. The school also says that applicants are interviewed by the Head as part of the admissions process. Parents should therefore think of Cranleigh’s 11+ process as a combination of registration, school records, the online pre-test and an interview.
The school’s prep admissions page does not, on the pages reviewed, set out a minute-by-minute test-day timetable for external candidates. If your child is not at a prep school that routinely hosts the ISEB Pre-Test, it is sensible to ask Cranleigh admissions early in Year 6 exactly where and how the test will be arranged for your child.
- Board: ISEB Common Pre-Test
- Format: online, adaptive, tightly timed
- Subjects: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Stage of entry: Year 7
- When usually taken: in Year 6, in the autumn before entry
- Other assessment elements: interview and school report/reference as part of the admissions process
Registration and key dates
Cranleigh runs its own admissions process for Year 7 entry. The school’s admissions pages say families should register with the school, and that registration is completed through an online registration form. The school publishes a general admissions contact email and telephone number for parents who need help with the process.
For Year 7 entry, Cranleigh says that children are normally registered in Year 5, and that the Year 7 assessment takes place in the autumn term of Year 6. The school also states that Year 6 pupils sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in October or November before entry. For 2028 entry, that means the test window is expected in autumn 2027.
At the time of writing, we could not find a published Cranleigh page giving the specific 2028 entry registration opening date, registration deadline, test date or results date. Because Cranleigh does not appear to publish those details this far ahead on the pages reviewed, parents should treat the timing above as the school’s usual pattern and check the admissions page regularly for the live cycle.
What parents can do now:
- Attend or book an open event. Cranleigh advertises open mornings on 9 and 10 October on its prep admissions page.
- Contact admissions and ask to be notified when the 2028 Year 7 registration window opens.
- Complete the school’s online registration form once the relevant cycle is live.
- Ask your child’s current school whether it can host the ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6, as Cranleigh says the test is usually sat at the child’s own prep school.
- Check what supporting information Cranleigh will require, such as a school report or reference, as these are commonly part of independent school admissions and Cranleigh states that a report from the child’s current Head is considered.
If you want a simple place to watch for updates, see The Cranleigh School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/cranleigh-school and Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=cranleigh-school.
Who can apply: catchment and admissions
Cranleigh Prep is an independent co-educational school, so there is no state-school catchment area in the grammar-school sense. Applications are not limited by a local authority boundary. Instead, offers are made through the school’s own admissions process.
The school’s prep admissions page says that entry is based on a combination of factors including current school reports, interview and assessment. For Year 7, Cranleigh specifically refers to the ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6. The same page also says that applicants are interviewed by the Head, and that a report from the child’s current Head is considered.
On priority, the school states that sibling applications are considered favourably where Cranleigh academic standards are met. Cranleigh also publishes that discounts are available for the third and subsequent children attending the school. Those points matter for families already connected to the school, but they do not replace the normal academic and pastoral admissions checks.
The prep fees page shows both day and boarding places for Years 7 and 8. For 2026/27, the school publishes fees of £30,480 per year for day pupils and £36,795 per year for boarding pupils, both inclusive of VAT.
We did not find a published figure on the pages reviewed for the exact number of Year 7 places, nor a published cut-off score, pass mark or offer rate. Cranleigh does not appear to publish those figures openly, so parents should not rely on forum claims. The safest approach is to speak directly with admissions about likely availability in the year you are applying.
A month-by-month preparation plan
For Cranleigh’s Year 7 entry, a calm and steady build-up usually works better than an intense last-minute push. Because the ISEB Common Pre-Test is adaptive and timed, children need broad familiarity across all four subjects rather than a narrow drilling of one paper style.
January to March in Year 5
- Aim for 1 to 2 hours a week in short sessions.
- Focus on secure basics: arithmetic fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, times tables, fractions, spelling patterns and mental maths.
- Begin light verbal and non-verbal reasoning exposure so the question styles do not feel strange later on.
- Read widely and discuss books aloud; this helps both English and reasoning.
April to June in Year 5
- Increase gently to 2 to 3 hours a week.
- Work topic by topic in Maths and English, filling gaps before worrying about speed.
- Introduce short, timed bursts: for example, 8 to 10 questions in a few minutes.
- Keep reasoning practice varied rather than repetitive.
July to August before Year 6
- Keep work light but regular: around 2 hours a week is enough for many children.
- Use mixed practice across all four subjects.
- Start completing small sets on screen where possible, since the real test is online.
- Do not overload the summer. Confidence matters.
September in Year 6
- Move to 3 to 4 hours a week, split across several sessions.
- Begin more realistic timed practice.
- Review mistakes carefully: was the problem knowledge, reading the question, or rushing?
- If your child has an interview, start gentle conversation practice about school life, interests and why they would like Cranleigh.
October to November in Year 6
- This is the likely testing window named by Cranleigh, so keep preparation tidy and focused rather than heavy.
- Use one or two full mixed practice sessions a week, not endless papers.
- Prioritise sleep, routine and confidence.
- In the final week, scale back. A tired child rarely performs at their best on an adaptive test.
When should timed papers start? For most children, start short timed sets in late Year 5 or the summer before Year 6, then build up to fuller mixed practice in September of Year 6. Earlier than that, it is usually better to strengthen underlying skills first.
Subject by subject: what to practise
English
For the ISEB Common Pre-Test, English preparation should centre on reading carefully, understanding meaning and handling language accurately under time pressure. Practise comprehension from short passages, vocabulary in context, grammar, punctuation, sentence sense and spelling patterns. The most useful home habits are regular reading, discussing word meanings, and getting used to selecting the best answer quickly without second-guessing every choice.
Good practice includes reading fiction and non-fiction, answering concise questions, and reviewing why an answer was right rather than only marking scores. Encourage your child to spot clues in the wording and to avoid spending too long on one item.
Maths
Maths preparation should be broad and secure. Children need confidence with number, the four operations, place value, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measurement, shape, data handling and simple problem solving. Because the test is timed and adaptive, fluent mental maths is especially helpful.
Practise short mixed sets rather than only one topic at a time. If a child is accurate but slow, work on speed with familiar content. If they are quick but careless, train them to read key words, estimate sensibly and check obvious slips.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning usually rewards strong vocabulary, pattern-spotting in language, and careful attention to instructions. Children should be comfortable with synonyms, antonyms, letter and word relationships, codes, sequences and other language-based reasoning tasks commonly seen in ISEB-style familiarisation.
Build vocabulary steadily rather than cramming lists. Five or ten new words a week, properly revisited, is more useful than trying to learn hundreds at once. Quick instruction-following matters too, so expose your child to a range of question types.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning focuses on visual logic rather than school-taught content. Children should practise recognising sequences, similarities, rotations, reflections, symmetry, shape changes and spatial patterns. The key skill is learning to compare shapes methodically instead of guessing.
When reviewing mistakes, ask what changed each time: shape, size, position, shading, number or direction. That habit helps children become systematic, which is especially useful when the clock is running.
Practice papers and mock exams
Practice papers are most useful when they are used to build familiarity and confidence, not just to produce scores. For Cranleigh, that means keeping the ISEB Pre-Test format in mind: online, adaptive and timed across four subjects.
- Start with untimed or lightly timed practice so your child learns the question styles.
- Move gradually to shorter timed sets before attempting fuller mixed sessions.
- Practise on screen where possible.
- Review every mistake by category: knowledge gap, vocabulary gap, misread question, timing issue or nerves.
- Repeat weak areas a week later to make sure improvement sticks.
For school-specific support, use these links:
- Free Cranleigh School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers): /schools/cranleigh-school-mock-tests
- The Cranleigh School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/cranleigh-school
- Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=cranleigh-school
If you use mock exams, treat them as a confidence-building rehearsal. One or two well-timed mocks are usually plenty. The goal is to learn how your child manages instructions, pacing and concentration, then adjust preparation calmly. Too many mocks can dent confidence and crowd out the slower work of fixing gaps.
On the day
Keep the morning simple. Your child does not need last-minute teaching. They need food, time, quiet reassurance and a clear sense of what will happen next.
- Make sure your child has had a normal night’s sleep and a steady breakfast.
- Leave plenty of time so arrival or login does not feel rushed.
- Remind them that an adaptive test is meant to become challenging; meeting harder questions does not mean they are doing badly.
- Encourage them to keep moving. One difficult question should not steal time and confidence from the next five.
- If the test is being hosted by your child’s current school, keep the rest of the day calm if possible.
- For interview preparation, remind your child to listen carefully, answer naturally and speak about their interests with warmth rather than trying to sound overly polished.
The best final message is usually: read carefully, stay steady, and move on if you need to.
After the exam: results, allocation and appeals
After the assessment, Cranleigh considers the full admissions picture, including the pre-test result, interview and school report. Independent schools do not follow the local-authority National Offer Day system used by state secondary schools, so families should expect communication directly from the school.
On the pages reviewed, we did not find a published Cranleigh timetable stating the exact results date for Year 7 applicants or the deadline for accepting an offer. We also did not find a published formal appeals timetable in the state-school sense. If your child is applying, ask admissions when decisions are usually released, how waiting lists are managed and what the school’s process is if a family wishes to request feedback.
In general, once decisions are issued, families may receive an offer, a waiting list place or an unsuccessful outcome. If your child is wait-listed, polite and occasional contact with admissions is reasonable, especially if Cranleigh remains your first-choice independent option.
What has changed recently
From the official pages reviewed, we did not find an announced recent change in the last two years to Cranleigh’s Year 7 test board or core assessment format. The current admissions information reviewed continues to describe Year 7 assessment in the autumn term of Year 6 with the ISEB Common Pre-Test in October or November, alongside interview and school report.
The clearest recent published update we found is on fees: Cranleigh’s prep fees page lists 2026/27 fees for Years 7 and 8 as £30,480 for day pupils and £36,795 for boarding pupils, inclusive of VAT.
Frequently asked questions
What exam does Cranleigh School use for 11+ entry?
For Year 7 entry, Cranleigh uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, covering English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
When do children sit the Cranleigh Year 7 test?
Cranleigh says Year 6 pupils sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in October or November before entry, with the wider assessment process taking place in the autumn term of Year 6.
Does Cranleigh have a catchment area?
No state-style catchment area is published. Cranleigh is an independent school and runs its own admissions process.
Are siblings given priority at Cranleigh?
The school says sibling applications are considered favourably where Cranleigh academic standards are met.
How much are Cranleigh Prep Year 7 fees?
For 2026/27, Cranleigh publishes Years 7 and 8 fees of £30,480 per year for day pupils and £36,795 per year for boarding pupils, inclusive of VAT.
Does Cranleigh publish a pass mark for Year 7 entry?
We did not find a published pass mark, cut-off score or offer threshold on the official pages reviewed. Parents should check directly with the school rather than relying on unofficial claims.
Sources
- Cranleigh Prep Admissions: How to Join: Year 7 is an entry point; children are normally registered in Year 5; Year 7 assessment takes place in the autumn term of Year 6; Year 6 pupils sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in October/November before entry; applicants are interviewed by the Head; a report from the child’s current Head is considered;
- ISEB Common Pre-Tests: The Common Pre-Test is an online, adaptive assessment used for school entry and covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Preparing for other schools in Surrey
- ACS Cobham International School · practice papers
- ACS Egham International School · practice papers
- How to prepare for the Caterham School 11+ · practice papers
- Charterhouse · practice papers
- City of London Freemen's School · practice papers
- How to prepare for the Claremont Fan Court School 11+ · practice papers
Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.