Radley College assesses 13+ candidates in two stages: the online ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6, followed by an Assessment Day at the school for shortlisted boys. The pre-test is the academic filter, but the Assessment Day, with its interview and short written exercise, is where character and fit are judged. Knowing what each stage involves, and what it rewards, is the difference between focused preparation and effort spent on the wrong thing.
- Stage 1
- ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat in Year 6, online and adaptive
- Subjects
- English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Total time
- About 2 hours 15 minutes
- Stage 2
- Radley Assessment Day for shortlisted boys
- Assessment Day
- An interview and a short written exercise
Stage 1: the ISEB Common Pre-Test
The first stage is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, which your son sits in Year 6, usually at his current school. It is the same standardised, online test that many leading boys' schools use as an early screen, so boys generally sit it once and have the result shared with several schools. Radley uses it as the academic filter: a strong pre-test result earns an invitation to the Assessment Day, where the place is decided. Because the test is age-standardised, it measures your son against other boys of exactly the same age in months, so a summer-born boy is not disadvantaged against an older classmate. Our dedicated guide to the ISEB Common Pre-Test covers it in full.
Pre-test format and timings
The pre-test is taken on a computer, is adaptive, and covers four sections with the approximate timings below.
| Section | Time | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| English | 40 min | Comprehension, grammar, spelling and vocabulary |
| Mathematics | 40 min | Curriculum maths and applied problem-solving |
| Verbal Reasoning | 25 min | Logic and reasoning with words |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | 30 min | Pattern, sequence and spatial reasoning |
| Total | ~2h 15m | Usually taken in one sitting at the current school |
Stage 2: the Radley Assessment Day
Boys who do well at pre-test are shortlisted and invited to an Assessment Day at Radley, and this is where the school forms its real view. The day centres on an interview with a senior member of staff and a short written exercise, and it usually includes a tour of the school and houses so that a boy can get a feel for the place. Radley is clear about what it is looking for: kind, talented and ambitious boys who will thrive in a boarding environment. The interview is a genuine conversation rather than a test of facts, and the written exercise gives a sense of how a boy expresses himself without the pressure of a formal exam. Our guide to the Radley interview covers this stage in detail.
How Radley weighs the two stages
It helps to understand that the pre-test and the Assessment Day do different jobs. The pre-test is the academic filter that decides who is shortlisted, so a strong result is what earns the invitation to Radley. The Assessment Day then judges character and fit, the qualities that a written test cannot reveal. This means a boy needs to clear the academic bar at pre-test and then come across well in person, rather than relying on either alone. A boy who tests brilliantly but seems unsuited to boarding, or who interviews warmly but is academically short of the mark, is not the complete candidate Radley is looking for. The practical takeaway is to prepare for both stages, treating the pre-test as the route in and the Assessment Day as where the place is genuinely won.
How to prepare
Radley is looking for genuine ability and a boy who will flourish in a full-boarding community, not one coached until the spark has gone. The foundation is secure maths and English built early, which matters far more than last-minute drilling. Reasoning improves with familiarity, so short, regular practice on verbal and non-verbal reasoning is more effective than occasional long sessions. Wide reading helps in the English paper, the written exercise and the interview alike. Because the pre-test is timed, adaptive and on-screen, some online practice under realistic conditions is worth doing so the format holds no surprises. For the Assessment Day, the most useful preparation is the kind that builds confidence in talking about ideas and interests, since the interview rewards exactly those qualities. A boy who is used to discussing books and ideas at home, and who has experience of being away from home, is well placed for a boarding interview.
Give your son the best possible shot at the Radley assessment
Our tutors prepare boys specifically for the ISEB Pre-Test and the Radley Assessment Day, with an approach that is targeted, calm and tailored to your son. Book a free diagnostic to see where he stands.
Book a free diagnosticWhat to avoid
The first thing to avoid is over-coaching. Radley's staff are experienced at spotting a heavily drilled boy, and the Assessment Day interview is designed to see past a rehearsed performance. The second is treating the pre-test as the whole assessment. It is the first stage, and the Assessment Day, with its interview and written exercise, carries real weight in deciding a place. The third is neglecting reasoning, which families often treat as an afterthought even though it makes up half of the pre-test.
