A Guide to Quest Entrance Assessments

If you are applying to a selective school that uses Quest bespoke online assessments, please read on to find out what your child can expect and how they can prepare.

Information About Quest Online Entrance Exams

Over 100 senior schools use an online Quest entrance assessment as part of their admissions process, including Brighton Girls, Dulwich College, City of London School, Gordonstoun and Sherborne Girls. If you are trying to determine whether your chosen school does, please get in touch with us. We understand that it can be difficult sometimes to know what entrance assessment your child will sit.

The tests are bespoke, meaning each school selects the subjects they want to be tested and how long they want each section to last. You will need to find out the specific details of your child’s Quest online assessment from the school you are applying for or you can ask us.

You can expect the Quest entrance exam to be shorter than many other entrance exams and to test a broader range of skills.

Registering for the Quest Online Entrance Exam

Unlike the ISEB Pre-test, you do not need to register directly with Quest. Instead, register with your chosen school and they will take care of the rest for you.

What you and your child will need to do, however, is become familiar with the format of the assessment.

Format of the Quest Online Entrance Exam

Part One

Part One is adaptive, meaning the questions will become more challenging if your child is answering them correctly. If your child is struggling with the questions, they will not become harder. This approach is designed to ensure children stay calm and positive.

Part One will include English and maths. It may include verbal and non-verbal reasoning, dependent on the school. Please have a look at the following details for the sections:

English: The English component will test what your child has learned in their English lessons at school (i.e. what is covered by the national curriculum) and will include a reading comprehension.

The comprehension will assess your child’s ability, amongst other things, to do the following using a given passage:

• Extract information
• Make inferences
• Understand the meanings of words in context
• Identify literary devices, such as alliteration and metaphors

The passage could be fiction or non-fiction. It will have been written specifically for your child’s Quest entrance exam, meaning no candidate will have seen it before.

There may also be questions in the English section to test your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Please don’t worry. With time and effort, your child can master the skills needed for this section.

Maths: The maths section will have questions on what your child has been taught in their maths lessons at school. The topics covered will be:

• Geometry
• Measurement
• Numbers
• Statistics
• Arithmetic

They will face questions that involve straightforward calculations and questions that involve several steps to reach the correct answer, designed to evaluate their problem-solving skills.

You can be confident that your child’s maths skills will come on in leaps and bounds with the right resources and regular practice.

Verbal reasoning: If your child’s Quest online exam includes verbal reasoning questions, their ability to solve problems using written information will be assessed. They will be at an advantage if they have a wide vocabulary,  are able to think logically and have had experience of a wide range of VR questions.

Non-verbal reasoning: If your child’s online exam includes non-verbal reasoning questions, their ability to solve problems by analysing visual information will be assessed. Spatial awareness is essential for this section. It can involve visualising how an object would look from different angles, imagining it rotating or folding, or figuring out how pieces fit together.

Verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning are not part of the national curriculum. Your child might need to become familiar with the types of questions they will be asked in these sections. For this reason, please make sure they work through practice tests. They will soon be able to confidently navigate this part of the exam.

Part Two

Part Two is not adaptive, meaning your child will answer the same questions as other candidates. Some candidates will manage to answer more questions in the given time period than others.

Your chosen school might not include Part Two, so please do check.

Whereas Part One follows a format similar to other entrance assessments, Part Two is unique. Here are details about the sections in Part Two:

Puzzles and problem solving: In this section, your child will face interactive puzzles. They will need to use their skills and demonstrate resilience to work through the puzzles logically.

Creative comprehension: This section will have a theme and a range of sources that fit the theme. Sources could include a map, a graph and a news article, for example. There are usually 6-7 sources for candidates to absorb and analyse.

Your child will have to answer questions about the sources, including some questions that involve looking at more than one source. Thinking critically and being able to analyse information quickly are key skills needed to perform well in this section.

Like with all the sections, working through practice tests will significantly enhance your child’s performance on the day.

FAQs About the Quest Online Assessment

Does it include creative writing?

The Quest entrance exam does not include creative writing, but some schools may opt to include a creative writing section that they write themselves. Please check with your targeted school. 

How is it marked?

Part One and Part Two consist of multiple-choice questions marked by a computer.

If your child has to complete a creative writing task, it will be marked by an examiner.

Is it fair if my child answers more challenging questions in the adaptive Part One than other candidates?

Please do not worry about this. The scoring will be entirely fair. The more challenging questions will be worth more marks.

If my child excels in the entrance exam, will they be offered a place at our chosen school?

It will undoubtedly make a massive difference to the chances of your child being offered a place at a selective school, but the school will look at other criteria, such as the quality of a report from your child’s current school and your child’s communication skills in an interview. You can check your chosen school’s admissions criteria on their website.

Is the Quest online assessment accessible?

It is accessible. Children with special educational needs can have a break and be given extra time. Text can be converted to speech for children with a visual impairment, and the colours used are colour-blind friendly and appropriate for SEND candidates. Additionally, each question is worded clearly. Please let your chosen school know of any requirements your child has when you register with them.

Results of the Quest Online Entrance Assessment

Your chosen school will use your child’s test results and data to help decide whether to offer them a place.

If your child is offered a place and you accept it, the school can use your child’s results and data from the test to tailor their teaching to meet your child’s needs. The school will know which areas your child will need support in and which areas they will need to be challenged in. Some schools use the Quest online assessment not as an entrance test but to receive information about their pupils’ progress, identifying gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.

Data the school will receive will include your child’s age-standardised score, a breakdown of your child’s performance in subtopics, what your child did well and how they could have done better.

Staff will thoroughly understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses before they even start at the school!

You will want your child to perform to the best of their ability. To do this, they will need to prepare.

How To Prepare for the Quest Online Entrance Assessment

Please do not worry if there are areas you think your child struggles with. With targeted practice, they can improve their skills in a short space of time. Their confidence will soar as their scores in practice tests gradually improve.

The secret is to use resources that cover everything your child needs to know for their Quest online assessment. We recommend using practice tests that closely resemble the actual test.

Your child will be able to answer questions quickly and efficiently once they are used to the types of questions that will come up.

You might be thinking this is all very well, but how do I know where to get resources and practice tests from? This is where we come in. We are here to help your child excel in their entrance exam. After thorough research, we have produced practice tests that will enable your child to ace the Quest entrance exam.

Resources and Practice Tests for the Quest Online Entrance Assessment

We have online practice tests that closely resemble the Quest online entrance assessment your child will sit at their chosen school. Our Quest online practice tests have the following advantages:

• They are highly accurate, which makes them an ideal resource when preparing for the Quest online assessment.
• The modules in each test can be taken separately so your child can focus on one area at a time.
• Explanations are provided for every question so your child can learn from any mistakes they make.
• You will get feedback that will help you identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses. You can then allocate study time to work on the areas your child finds more challenging.
• You will be provided with statistics that enable you to see how your child is performing compared to other children in their peer group.
• You even have the option for your child to have 25% extra time. Please only choose this option if you know they will have 25% extra time in the actual entrance exam.

In addition, our expert teachers run small-group walkthrough workshops and online clinics at various points of the year, focusing specifically on the Quest assessment.

More Top Tips

Here are some of our top tips to help your child prepare:

• Help them devise a study timetable that will ensure they have covered everything they need to know by the time they sit the entrance exam.
• Start study sessions well before the exam so they can be short and frequent. Children cannot focus for long periods of time. Thirty minutes is the ideal length (did we hear your child breathe a sigh of relief?!).
• Ensure they have a quiet and comfortable place to work.
• Schedule study sessions at times they will be energised and not hungry. We all know how hard it is to focus if our eyelids are heavy or our stomach is rumbling!
• Be flexible. There might be times they are not in the mood to study.

We hope that you find our resources useful. If you have any questions about them, the Quest assessment  or about your chosen school’s admissions process, then please get in touch with us. We will always help if we can.

We wish your child all the best in their entrance exam and future educational journey.

The information in this post was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. Please be aware that it is possible there will be future changes.

Please note that Pretest Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of any entrance exams.