What Is Quest Assessments?
Quest Assessments — sometimes just called "Quest" or "Quest Admissions" — is one of the fastest-growing names in UK 11+ admissions, and one a lot of parents haven't come across yet if their target school only switched recently.
Quest is owned by Atom Learning, the education-technology company better known for its 11+ tutoring and practice-paper platform. Quest itself is a separate arm of the business, producing two distinct products: Quest Progress (standardised progress tests used internally by schools, not part of admissions) and Quest Admissions — the actual entrance exam parents encounter, which is the focus of this guide.
Quest Admissions is now used by over 100 independent schools and a growing number of state grammar schools for Year 7 entry. That dual usage genuinely surprises parents who assume Quest is independent-school-only — it isn't, and getting this right matters for anyone researching their specific target school.
Key Takeaways
- Quest Assessments is owned by Atom Learning, confirmed directly on Atom's own corporate site.
- Used by both independent schools (100+) and a growing number of grammar schools — including Tiffin School and all four Bexley grammars.
- Two-part structure: Part 1 (English, Maths, Reasoning) and Part 2 (puzzles, creative comprehension) — schools can use either or both.
- Format varies by school — some deliver it as a paper-based fixed test, others as an online, partly adaptive one.
- Designed to measure potential, not rehearsed content — broad preparation tends to work better than narrow drilling.
Quest Assessments Exam Format
This is where Quest genuinely differs from a single, standardised format like GL Assessment: the exact structure depends on which school you're applying to.
The exam is built from two parts:
- Part 1 — English, Maths, and Reasoning (Verbal and Non-Verbal), the more familiar, traditional component.
- Part 2 — puzzle-based problem-solving and creative comprehension, a newer, more distinctive component designed to assess how a child thinks and reasons, not just what they've learned.
Some schools use both parts; others use only Part 1, or a bespoke selection tailored to what they want to assess. Delivery format also varies: grammar school consortiums using Quest — like the Bexley Selection Test — tend to run it as a paper-based, multiple-choice exam, with a question booklet and separate answer sheet. Many independent schools, by contrast, use Quest's online format, which includes some adaptive elements (question difficulty shifting based on performance), particularly within the Part 2 puzzle-solving section.
Always check directly with your target school. Because Quest's format is genuinely school-dependent rather than fixed, general advice about "the Quest exam" can only go so far — confirm which parts and which delivery format your specific target school uses before you start preparing.
Subjects Tested
📖 English
Reading comprehension using bespoke, unseen texts, plus grammar and vocabulary.
- Comprehension of original fiction/non-fiction
- Vocabulary and word meaning
- Grammar and spelling
🔢 Mathematics
Key Stage 2 curriculum up to the end of Year 5.
- Arithmetic, number, geometry
- Measurement and statistics
- Multi-step reasoning problems
🗣️ Verbal Reasoning
Word, letter and number-based logic.
- Codes, patterns, analogies
- Not part of the school curriculum
- Rewards wide vocabulary
🧩 Non-Verbal & Part 2
Spatial reasoning, plus Quest's distinctive components.
- Shape, pattern, spatial logic
- Puzzle-based problem-solving (Part 2)
- Creative comprehension (Part 2)
Which Schools Use Quest Assessments?
Quest's school list continues to grow, so treat this as a representative snapshot rather than exhaustive — always confirm directly with your target school.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Independent — day & boarding | Harrow School, Westminster School, Dulwich College, Whitgift, City of London School, Cheltenham Ladies' College, Magdalen College School, and many more |
| Grammar (state-funded) | Tiffin School, Colyton Grammar School, and all four Bexley grammar schools (Bexley Selection Test) |
The grammar school side is the newer, faster-growing category — worth watching if your local area's exam board has changed recently, since Quest is one of the providers grammar consortiums are increasingly moving toward, alongside GL Assessment.
Quest vs GL, CEM & ISEB
| Quest Admissions | GL Assessment | ISEB Pre-Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Varies by school — paper or online | Paper-based, fixed | Online, fully adaptive |
| Structure | Two parts, school chooses | Separate paper per subject | Four fixed sections |
| Distinctive feature | Puzzle-solving & creative comprehension | Predictable, published familiarisation materials | Fully adaptive, no back button |
| Used by | Independent + growing grammar list | Majority of state grammars | 50+ independent senior schools |
For the full detail on the other boards, see our guides to GL Assessment and the ISEB Common Pre-Test.
How to Prepare for Quest Assessments
Because Quest blends traditional subject testing with newer, less formulaic components, broad preparation tends to work better than narrow drilling on one fixed format:
- Build solid English and Maths foundations first. The Maths content runs to the end of Year 5 — make sure that's genuinely secure.
- Develop Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning systematically. Neither is taught in most primary schools, so dedicated practice from Year 4–5 pays off.
- Read widely for the creative and comprehension components. Quest's texts are bespoke and unseen, so familiarity with format matters more than memorising specific content.
- Practise genuine problem-solving, not memorised techniques, for the puzzle-based Part 2 section — Quest is explicitly designed to reward how a child thinks.
- Confirm your target school's exact format early — which parts they use, and whether it's paper-based or online — so your preparation matches what your child will actually face.
ExamTutor's Independent 11+ practice papers build the core English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning skills that underpin Quest's Part 1 — with a tutor-led video walkthrough for every question — giving your child a strong foundation before tackling school-specific Quest preparation. You can also download a free sample paper to see the approach firsthand.