11+ Quest Admissions: A Complete Parent Guide to Preparing Your Child for Quest Assessments

Quest Assessment preparation made simple! If your child is targeting an independent school that uses an online Quest test format, you’ve found the right support. We’ve created the only comprehensive preparation resources that cover every possible component – from standard subjects like Maths and English to specialised sections like Creative Comprehension, Puzzles and Problem Solving and Creative Writing that other providers miss.

Why this matters: Our complete understanding of how all Quest elements work together means we can guide your child strategically, whatever combination their school chooses. You get expert preparation without the guesswork.

(Oh! And before we go any further, it’s worth clarifying that the 11+ Quest Admissions exam is completely different from the Quest Diagnostics assessment test, which is related to medical testing in the US. Quest Admissions is an education-specific exam used by independent schools in the UK.)

What is Quest Assessment?

Quest Admissions is a bespoke online entrance examination used by over 100 selective independent schools across the UK as part of their admissions process. Notable schools using Quest Admissions Assessments include Cheltenham Ladies College, City of London School, Dulwich College, Forest, Habs’ Boys’ and Habs’ Girls’ Schools, plus many more. The London Consortium Test is also created by Quest Assessment and used by schools such as Godolphin & Latymer, South Hampstead High School and the Francis Holland Schools. 

This article breaks down everything you need to know: how different schools actually use these tests, which specific skills matter most for your child’s success and the most effective preparation strategies using our comprehensive resources at Exam Papers Plus and on our sister site, Pretest Plus – yes, that’s us too!

What makes 11+ Quest tests different from traditional entrance exams?

Rather than lengthy written papers, Quest tests efficiently evaluate multiple abilities through shorter, focused modules that can include a combination of: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Creative Comprehension and Puzzles & Problem Solving.

This structure effectively operates as a Quest Learning Assessment, measuring not just core academic ability but also reasoning, creativity and problem-solving skills that traditional exams may overlook.

Schools choose which subjects to test and how long each section runs.

Quest tests are online and include adaptive questioning for some modules – meaning the difficulty adjusts based on your child’s responses, providing a more accurate picture of their abilities.

Schools can choose between a single online assessment (Part One only) or a two-part online process (Parts One & Two), depending on their admissions strategy. 

In addition, some schools also include a written English assessment, but this is set internally by the school and not by Quest. We will discuss how best to prepare for this style of assessment later on in this article. 

How does Quest’s adaptive technology work? 

The system intelligently adjusts difficulty during the Maths and Reasoning sections. When your child answers correctly, questions become more challenging to assess their upper ability limits. If they struggle, the difficulty stabilises to prevent discouragement and maintain confidence throughout the assessment.

This adaptive setup essentially functions as a Quest Assessment tool, helping schools build an accurate picture of each candidate’s ability level.

English, Puzzles and Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension are non-adaptive sections, which means a candidate can travel backwards and forwards between the questions within a section, answering them in any order they choose. All candidates will answer the same questions (although in English, if candidates are given different passages, then the corresponding set of questions will be different). 

Your child’s approach and exam technique should vary slightly between adaptive and non-adaptive sections.

How does the 11+ Quest Assessment subject breakdown actually work? 

Schools select subjects and modules from the following areas to create their own ‘bespoke’ tests.

Why is creative writing tested alongside 11+ Quest tests and why does it matter?

Some schools (for example, City of London, Dulwich College and Forest, plus others), also incorporate Creative Writing into their assessment process. If this is the case, you will need to prepare your child for this as well. This requires a full written prose response and is not part of the Quest assessment modules (which are completed online). Therefore, it should be prepared for and practised separately. 

Creative Writing is set and marked by the individual school.

A Creative Writing task requires the following skills:

11+ Creative Writing tasks reveal capabilities that multiple choice tests cannot capture. It requires students to generate original ideas, organise thoughts coherently and express themselves clearly within time constraints – all skills essential to academic success across many subjects taught at senior school. For example, it allows schools to observe how children handle multiple demands simultaneously and if they demonstrate the kind of higher-order thinking needed for GCSE and beyond. 

Furthermore, Creative Writing reveals personality, imagination, emotional intelligence and cultural awareness – qualities that help schools build diverse, dynamic communities. This helps them select the correct balance of students for their school and year cohort.

And finally, when many candidates score similarly on multiple choice tests, Creative Writing helps schools identify which children possess the sophisticated communication skills and intellectual flexibility that will thrive in their academic environment.

Which schools test which Quest subjects?

We recommend that you always check with your target school’s website to get as much information as you can about the format. If you’re unsure, please contact us and we will happily advise. 

We currently have online resources for the following schools:

We have included some examples of how a test is typically constructed:

Example 1 Forest School*

Example 2 – City of London School*

How is the online Quest assessment marked and scored?

All questions are marked automatically by a computer and scores are then age adjusted using a Quest-proprietary algorithm to provide a SAS (Standardised Age Score).

SAS is used to score many 11+ exams. It’s a way to remove variables from test scores so results can be compared fairly and ensures students aren’t disadvantaged based on when they were born in the year.

A student’s SAS is calculated by taking into account:

• The number of questions they answered correctly
• The number of questions on the test
• The difficulty of the questions they answered 
• Their age in years and months (e.g. 10 years and 9 months)

First, an attainment estimate is calculated by taking into account the number of questions answered correctly, giving equal weighting to each. The difficulty of each question answered correctly is also factored in, together with the time allocated for the exam. 

Next, these scores are adjusted based on the student’s age at the time they sat the exam. For example, if a student with a September birthday and a student with a June birthday both achieve a raw score of 100, the older (September-born) student may end up with an SAS of 117, and the younger (June-born) may be given an SAS of 120.

We don’t include SAS scores in our practice tests because Quest keeps its exact scoring methodology confidential, making it impossible to provide accurate SAS calculations. Rather than give you potentially misleading numbers, we take a more practical approach.

Instead, we draw from data collected across thousands of students who’ve used our Pretest Plus practice tests and provide targeted score guidance tailored to your child’s specific school choices. This real-world insight helps you understand exactly what performance levels your child should be working toward, based on actual admission outcomes rather than theoretical calculations.

We provide you with honest, actionable feedback that directly relates to your child’s chances at their target schools – without the confusion of potentially inaccurate standardised scores.

Your 11+ Quest Assessment Preparation Strategy

Success comes from consistent, focused preparation that addresses your child’s specific needs. Regular practice in weaker areas builds both competence and confidence, while familiarity with question formats increases test-day efficiency.

Think of this approach as your Quest for Learning Assessment map; a clear pathway guiding your child from initial practice, through targeted skill-building, to confident performance on exam day.

Our Recommended Approach

Why this approach works

When preparing for an exam, you want to take the most strategic and targeted approach.

Put simply, the above plan is the most effective and straightforward way to prepare for 11+ Quest Exams.

You maximise your child’s valuable preparation time by focusing on exactly the right areas.

You minimise stress and time-wasting by avoiding material that your child either doesn’t need to know or already knows well.

The key principle: Practice materials should closely mirror actual assessment formats and specific question types, with regular timed sessions building the stamina and confidence your child needs to perform at their best when it matters most.

We have listed a number of specific products in this article, which you can use to help prepare your child, but please reach out to our expert team if you have any more questions at any stage. We’re here to provide as much tailored advice as you need. 

We’re with you every step of the way! Navigating preparation for a school that uses Quest Assessment as part of its admissions process doesn’t have to feel overwhelming when you have the right support. That’s exactly why we’ve built comprehensive resources covering every possible component – from core English, Maths, VR and NVR through to the specialised Creative Comprehension, Puzzles & Problem Solving and Creative Writing sections that you can’t get elsewhere. 

We’re the only complete solution for Quest preparation, which means we understand how all these assessment pieces fit together. This holistic perspective allows us to guide your child’s development strategically, ensuring they’re genuinely ready for whatever combination their target schools choose to include.

Our expertly crafted practice materials on Exam Papers Plus and Pretest Plus reflect years of research and real-world testing experience. We know these assessments inside and out, and more importantly, we know how to help children succeed with them. From your first practice session to test day confidence, we’re here to make this journey as smooth and successful as possible.