Quest Assessment Part 1: The Complete Parent Guide (2026)

Quest Assessment Part 1 is a computer-based adaptive test used by over 100 selective independent schools across the UK for Year 7 (11+) entry. It covers four subjects — English, Mathematics, Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR), and Verbal Reasoning (VR) — and takes approximately 70 minutes in total, though the exact duration varies by school. Scores are age-standardised so that children born at different points in the year are assessed on a level footing. Part 1 is the core component of the Quest system; schools decide which modules to include and in what order, making it essential to check the specific requirements for each school your child is targeting.

This guide covers everything parents need to know: how each section works, which schools use it, how adaptive scoring functions, what Quest Part 1 is not (including the paper-based Bexley grammars version), how the London Consortium uses a related but distinct digital test, and how to build an effective preparation plan for 2026 entry.

What Is Quest Assessment Part 1?

Quest Assessment is an online admissions platform designed specifically for independent school entry in the UK. It was built to give schools a flexible, efficient alternative to lengthy written entrance papers, and is now used by well over 100 schools — from highly selective London day schools to leading national boarding schools.

Part 1 is the foundation layer of the Quest system. It tests core academic ability across four subject areas: English comprehension and grammar, Mathematics, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning. Schools can choose which combination of these four modules to include in their own version of Part 1, and how long each section runs. As a result, two schools may both describe their entrance exam as "Quest Part 1" while running slightly different tests. City of London School for Girls, for example, uses a 30-minute English module with SPAG questions and an adaptive Maths section, while Forest School uses a shorter 15-minute English module alongside additional Puzzles and Problem Solving content.

Part 2 — which covers Puzzles and Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension — is used by some schools in addition to Part 1. This guide focuses on Part 1, which is the near-universal requirement. For details on Part 2, see our Quest Assessment Part 2 guide.

Quest is entirely separate from the ISEB Common Pre-Test (which is used for 13+ boarding school pre-selection) and from GL Assessment (which produces the widely used 11+ papers for grammar schools). Quest is its own platform, owned and operated by Quest Admissions, with its own question bank and scoring algorithm. It is worth knowing this distinction because preparation materials, practice tests, and strategies differ between these three systems.

The Four Sections of Quest Part 1: A Detailed Breakdown

The following table shows the standard structure of Quest Part 1. Note that timing and inclusion of individual sections vary by school — always verify the exact format with your target school.

The total duration for the standard Part 1 format (English 30 min + Maths 20 min + NVR 10 min + VR 10 min) is 70 minutes. Schools that use the shorter 15-minute English section run Part 1 in approximately 55 minutes, sometimes adding a Puzzles and Problem Solving module to bring total test time back to around 70 minutes.

The English Section: What It Tests and How to Prepare

The English section of Quest Part 1 is non-adaptive, which means every child sitting the same school's version of the test sees the same questions in the same order. This is the one section where candidates can move back and forth between questions, revisiting answers before the time is up — a useful technique to teach your child to use deliberately.

The section is structured around a reading comprehension passage, which may be fiction or non-fiction. The texts are written specifically for Quest assessments, which means no child will have encountered them in previous reading. Questions test a range of higher-order reading skills: locating and retrieving factual information, making inferences, identifying the writer's purpose, understanding vocabulary in context, and recognising literary devices such as alliteration, metaphor, and simile. At some schools, a Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar (SPAG) component is built into the English module, testing verb tenses, parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms, and sentence construction.

Children who read widely and across different genres — fiction and non-fiction, classic and contemporary — consistently outperform those who have relied solely on comprehension practice booklets. Broad reading builds the vocabulary range and contextual awareness that the harder inference and vocabulary-in-context questions demand. That said, targeted practice with multiple-choice comprehension questions in a timed setting is still necessary, both to build familiarity with the format and to develop the habit of working quickly without sacrificing accuracy.

For the SPAG component, systematic grammar knowledge matters: children should be confident naming and identifying parts of speech, understanding tense and voice, and spotting punctuation errors. A useful test of readiness is asking your child to explain the difference between a simile and a metaphor, or to identify the subject and object in a complex sentence — not because these exact questions appear, but because facility with this kind of grammatical analysis is what the harder questions require.

The Mathematics Section: Adaptive Questioning and What to Expect

The Maths section of Quest Part 1 is adaptive, running for 20 minutes. This means the algorithm adjusts question difficulty in real time based on how your child is performing: a string of correct answers triggers harder questions to probe the upper ceiling of their ability, while incorrect answers stabilise the difficulty to prevent discouragement and keep the assessment informative.

The content draws from the Key Stage 2 national curriculum through to approximately Year 5 level. Topics covered include number and place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, measurement (length, mass, volume, time), geometry (properties of shape, angles, symmetry), and data interpretation through graphs and charts. The Maths section combines multiple-choice questions with free-response items, where children type in a numerical answer rather than select from options. Both formats appear within the same 20-minute window, so practising both is important.

The adaptive nature of the Maths section has a critical implication for preparation: a child who knows the material well enough to answer early questions correctly will quickly face questions at a higher level of difficulty. This is actually a positive feature of the system — it means children who have prepared thoroughly are given more opportunity to demonstrate the full range of their ability. However, it also means that a child who has reached a plateau in their preparation (correct at one level, shaky at the next) will have that boundary exposed with precision. Consistent, honest practice that moves gradually into harder territory is more effective than drilling at a comfortable level for long periods.

Key Maths topics to prioritise for Quest Part 1: multi-step word problems requiring more than one operation, fraction and percentage calculations including mixed numbers, angle properties in regular and irregular polygons, interpreting data from compound bar charts and line graphs, and mental arithmetic speed for the four operations up to and including long multiplication and division.

Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR): Patterns, Sequences, and Spatial Thinking

The NVR section runs for 10 minutes and is adaptive. Non-Verbal Reasoning questions test a child's ability to identify patterns, continue sequences, and reason about visual and spatial information — skills that are not explicitly taught in the standard primary school curriculum and that depend more on innate reasoning ability than on knowledge acquired in lessons.

The most common question types in Quest NVR include: identifying which shape or figure comes next in a visual sequence, selecting the odd one out from a group of shapes that share a hidden rule, identifying shapes that are rotations or reflections of a given figure, finding the code that relates to a series of shapes and symbols, and completing matrices where shapes follow logical horizontal and vertical rules.

Because NVR is less directly tied to curriculum content, many children find it unfamiliar at first — and this unfamiliarity can create disproportionate anxiety. The most effective preparation is structured exposure to NVR question types with worked examples, allowing children to recognise the underlying categories of reasoning each question tests. Once children understand, for example, that rotation questions require them to track which faces or corners have moved and by how much, they can work through the question type systematically rather than guessing.

The 10-minute time pressure is significant. At a typical pace of around one minute per question, children will face approximately 8–12 questions. Speed comes with practice, but accuracy is the priority: because the section is adaptive, answering quickly but incorrectly on the first two questions places the child at a disadvantage for the rest of the section.

Verbal Reasoning (VR): Word Logic and Language Patterns

The VR section also runs for 10 minutes and is adaptive. Unlike English comprehension (which tests reading and language understanding through a passage), Verbal Reasoning tests a child's ability to work with language as a logical and rule-based system — to spot patterns in words, decode letter sequences, identify relationships between pairs of words, and follow instructions expressed in a written code.

Common VR question types in Quest Part 1 include: letter and number sequences where the pattern must be identified and continued; word analogies (A is to B as C is to ?); finding the word that connects two separate pairs; letter codes where an operation transforms one word into another; identifying hidden words within a longer string of letters; and completing sentences by selecting the word that fits the meaning most precisely.

Children who read widely and have a broad vocabulary tend to find the word-based VR questions more straightforward. The sequence and code questions are more purely logical and benefit from systematic practice. A useful technique for code questions is to treat them like a puzzle with a finite set of possible transformations (move forward one letter, reverse the word, move backward two letters) and eliminate options methodically rather than trying to guess the rule from the answer choices.

As with NVR, the adaptive nature of the VR section means early questions are decisive. A child who answers the first three questions correctly will be given significantly harder questions than one who stumbles early. Pacing is important: children should aim to spend no more than 60–75 seconds on any single question and should use the process of elimination actively rather than trying to work out every answer from first principles.

Which Schools Use Quest Assessment Part 1 for 11+ Entry?

Quest Admissions is used by over 100 selective independent schools across the UK. Most use Part 1 as the primary online component of their admissions process, sometimes alongside a school-set written English paper or interview. The following schools are among those confirmed to use Quest for 11+ entry for 2026 and beyond — always verify directly with each school, as configurations can change year on year.

London and South East independents: Dulwich College, City of London School for Girls, Forest School, Whitgift School, Trinity School Croydon, Haberdashers' Boys' School, Haberdashers' Girls' School, Surbiton High School, Chigwell School, Merchant Taylors' School Northwood, Putney High School, Croydon High School, Notre Dame School, Royal Russell School, and Wetherby Senior School. The 14 schools in the London Consortium also use a Quest-built digital assessment (see below). Configurations differ far more than the shared platform suggests, and the differences change what a child should practise: Ewell Castle School in Surrey runs 75 minutes across four sections and sets no non-verbal reasoning at all, while Royal Russell splits its 70 minutes as English 30, Maths 20, verbal reasoning 10 and non-verbal reasoning 10.

National independents: The Perse School Cambridge (see our Perse School 11+ guide for full details), Cheltenham Ladies' College, Oxford High School, Norwich High School for Girls, Norwich School, Sherborne Girls, St Albans School, Bishop's Stortford College, King's Ely, Magdalen College School, and Abingdon School, among many others. One caveat on that list: the Bishop's Stortford College entry traces to commercial exam publishers rather than to the College or to a Quest parent-guidance page, and the College itself names no provider — our Bishop's Stortford College 11+ page sets out what the school actually publishes.

For Dulwich College specifically, the Quest Part 1 online assessment is followed by a written English paper set and marked by the school itself — see our Dulwich College 11+ preparation guide for the full format and timeline.

The schools above are all independent (fee-paying). Grammar schools use different assessments — typically GL Assessment or CEM — with one notable exception. The Bexley grammar school consortium uses a paper-based version of the Quest test, which is fundamentally different from the online digital Part 1 described in this guide.

Bexley Grammar Schools: The Paper-Based Quest Exception

The Bexley grammar school consortium — comprising Bexley Grammar School, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, Townley Grammar School, and Beths Grammar School — uses a paper-based Quest assessment for its 11+ selection process. This is administered on paper at a test centre, not online, and is structured differently from the digital Part 1 used by independent schools.

This distinction matters for preparation. The paper-based Bexley Quest test is a fixed-difficulty exam: all candidates see the same questions in the same order, and there is no adaptive algorithm adjusting difficulty in real time. The skills tested (English, Maths, VR, NVR) overlap substantially with online Quest Part 1, but the experience of sitting the test — the pacing, the interface, the strategy of answering in a non-adaptive format — is meaningfully different.

Families targeting Bexley grammar schools should ensure their child practises specifically with paper-based materials. The overlap in subject content means that preparation for the online Quest Part 1 will still build useful skills, but it should be supplemented with paper-based practice to build the stamina and pacing strategies the Bexley format requires. Bexley registration typically opens in the summer term of Year 5 for tests in September of Year 6 — check the London Borough of Bexley admissions website for the current year's dates.

The London Consortium: Quest's Elite Girls' Schools Test

The London Consortium is a group of 14 elite independent girls' schools that jointly use a single digital assessment for Year 7 entry. The test is co-developed with Quest Admissions and runs for approximately 100 minutes in total — significantly longer than the standard Quest Part 1 used by individual independent schools. Consortium member schools include Godolphin & Latymer, South Hampstead High School, and the Francis Holland Schools, among others.

The London Consortium test includes English comprehension, Creative Comprehension (which involves cross-referencing multiple source materials including maps, graphs, timetables, and data tables), and Problem Solving. It operates on a unified system: a child registers for and sits just one test, and the result is shared with all 14 member schools she has registered for. The advantage is simplicity — one test date, one set of results. The risk is amplified pressure: a single poor performance affects the shortlist at all 14 schools simultaneously.

The Creative Comprehension component of the Consortium test is the element that most differentiates it from standard Quest Part 1. Children are presented with 6–7 interconnected sources on a central theme and must cross-reference them to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. This requires rapid information synthesis, the ability to move between source types quickly, and comfort with formats (maps, timetables, statistical tables) that children may not have encountered in standard comprehension practice. Dedicated preparation using Consortium-specific practice materials is strongly recommended.

The London Consortium test is sometimes described informally as a "Quest test," and it does use the Quest platform. However, its format, duration, and cognitive demands are distinct enough from standard Quest Part 1 that families should treat it as its own preparation challenge, not simply a longer version of Part 1.

How Quest Assessment Part 1 Is Scored

All Quest Part 1 answers are marked automatically by the platform's algorithm. Scores are then converted into a Standardised Age Score (SAS) for each subject, which adjusts for the child's exact age in years and months at the time of sitting the test. This is the same scoring methodology used by many 11+ assessments, including GL Assessment, and is designed to ensure that a child born in June is not disadvantaged relative to a child born in September simply because of a difference in age when they sit the same exam.

Here is how the SAS calculation works in practice: consider two children who both answer 90% of questions correctly. Child A has a birthday in September (older), and Child B has a birthday in June (younger, nearly a year's difference in a Year 6 cohort). Because Child B has achieved the same raw score at a younger age, their SAS will be slightly higher — the scoring algorithm recognises that their performance is relatively stronger given their age. In a typical Quest Part 1, an SAS of 100 represents average performance for a child of that age; most selective schools will be looking for scores significantly above 100, though few publish exact thresholds.

Schools do not disclose the exact SAS required for progression to the next stage of admissions. Based on experience at Leading Tuition and results across hundreds of children we have supported, competitive candidates at the most selective schools (Dulwich, CLS Girls, Perse, Habs) typically achieve SAS scores in the range of 115–130+. Less selective Quest-using schools may invite candidates with SAS scores from 105–110 upwards. These are indicative ranges, not official figures — the key point is that there is no pass/fail cutoff disclosed to families; the school uses the scores holistically alongside other information.

Because the Maths, VR, and NVR sections are adaptive, the final SAS also takes into account the difficulty of the questions your child was routed to, not just the number of correct answers. Two children who answered the same number of questions correctly may receive different SAS scores if one was presented with harder questions (because they answered earlier questions more accurately). This is a feature, not a bug — it means a child who performs very well in the early questions and is directed to harder content is rewarded for that difficulty in their final score.

Quest Part 1 vs ISEB Common Pre-Test and GL Assessment

Families new to selective school admissions often encounter all three of these systems at once, and the differences matter for preparation. Here is a clear comparison.

Quest Part 1 vs GL Assessment: GL Assessment produces the most widely used 11+ test papers in the UK, administered by local authorities for grammar school entry across Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, parts of London, and many other areas. GL Assessment papers are paper-based, fixed-difficulty (everyone sees the same questions), and typically administered at a school or test centre in the autumn of Year 6. Quest is entirely online, includes adaptive sections, is primarily used by independent schools for paid-for entry, and can be taken at home or at school depending on the school's instructions. The subject areas overlap — both test English, Maths, VR, and NVR — but the format experience is quite different, and a child preparing for Quest who also has GL Assessment grammar school tests in the pipeline will need to practise both paper-based and online formats.

Quest Part 1 vs ISEB Common Pre-Test: The ISEB Common Pre-Test is used for 13+ entry to leading independent boarding and day schools. Children sit it in Year 6, but they are being pre-selected for Year 9 entry two years later. Quest Part 1 is used for 11+ entry (Year 7). There are exceptions in both directions: Epsom College uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test to decide Year 7 entry outright, closing registration on 31 October of Year 6. Both are adaptive, computer-based tests covering English, Maths, VR, and NVR. A child who is preparing for both in the same Year 6 autumn term (a common situation for families targeting both Year 7 and Year 9 entry at different schools) can integrate much of their preparation, but should be aware that the ISEB tests are typically administered at the child's current prep school while Quest may be sat at home.

How to Prepare for Quest Assessment Part 1: A Strategy Guide

Effective preparation for Quest Part 1 requires a different approach from standard 11+ practice — the adaptive format changes what works and what does not.

Start early and build depth, not just speed. Because the Maths, VR, and NVR sections are adaptive, the algorithm will expose the ceiling of your child's preparation quickly. A child who has thoroughly understood the material will be directed to harder questions and given the opportunity to demonstrate higher ability. A child who has drilled the same question types repeatedly without building genuine understanding will reach their ceiling faster. Aim to start structured preparation no later than September of Year 5 for tests typically held in October or November of Year 6. This gives 12–14 months to build depth in all four subject areas.

Use online practice platforms, not just paper-based books. Because Quest is entirely computer-based, your child needs to be completely comfortable reading questions on screen, clicking to answer, and pacing themselves through a digital format. Screen fatigue, mouse accuracy, and the absence of the ability to write working in the margin of a paper are all factors that paper-based practice does not address. Dedicated online platforms that replicate the Quest interface are significantly more effective as primary preparation tools. Paper-based resources remain valuable for building content knowledge and understanding, but the final preparation phase should be primarily online and timed.

Treat the non-adaptive English section differently from the adaptive sections. Because children can move backwards and forwards in the English section, the optimal strategy is different from the Maths, VR, and NVR sections. Teach your child to move through the English passage quickly on first read, answer the questions they find straightforward immediately, mark any they are unsure about, and return to the harder questions at the end with the remaining time. In the adaptive sections, this is not possible — once a question is submitted, the next question is generated based on that response. Spending too long on one adaptive question is costlier than spending too long in the non-adaptive English section.

Simulate full test conditions from October of Year 5 onwards. Full mock tests under timed conditions, including the full duration of all four sections, build the stamina children need for the real assessment. By the spring of Year 6, children should be completing one full mock test per month, with detailed review of every question answered incorrectly. Reviewing wrong answers is more valuable than simply taking additional tests without analysis.

Know your school's specific Quest configuration. Check the school's admissions page for the exact list of sections and time allocations. Some schools include Puzzles and Problem Solving as an additional module; others include a school-set written paper after the online Quest component. Building your preparation around the actual format of the schools your child is targeting is more efficient than preparing for every possible Quest module.

Frequently Asked Questions About Quest Assessment Part 1