CEM Select
Athena Tuition can support candidates with the CEM select, just email us at enquiries@athenatuition.co.uk, call us on 0208 133 6284, or have a read below for more information about the test.
Or use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Introduction
The CEM Select is an online assessment created by the Centre of Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM). The test assesses Verbal Reasoning, Non Verbal Reasoning and Numerical ability and features in the selection process for a number of independent and grammar schools in the UK.
The test contains a variety of question types, including drag and drop, autocompletes and multiple choice and his highly time pressured.
Essential Information
- The test is taken by pupils aged between 10 and 12 years old, during Year 6 or 7.
- It comprises six individual components; Comprehension, Anagrams, Missing Words, Shuffled Sentences, General Mathematics and Pictures.
- The individual tests must be completed in one sitting, but each test can be taken separately.
- The tests are taken online with multiple choice answers.
- The tests are timed. It takes approximately 1 hour to complete all six tests.
- Pupils are registered for the test by the senior school for which they are entered.
Taking the CEM Select
The CEM Select comprises six individual tests. Each test must be completed in one sitting, but they can be taken separately and in any order.
Each assessment has a different time limit. The time remaining will be shown at the top of the screen during the test, as well as a progress bar which shows how many questions have been answered.
The time limit does not include the time taken to set up and log in to the test, but does include the time taken for the candidate to read the instructions for the test. Familiarity with the test in advance can therefore leave more time for completing the questions.
The candidate is given a choice of five different answers for each question. They must click on their chosen answer and click ‘Next’. Once they have clicked ‘Next’, they are unable to return to previous questions to change their answers.
The test will be taken under formal exam conditions. Candidates will be required to complete the test in silence. Teachers will help to ensure that the test is being completed correctly but will not be able to assist with answering the questions.
Comprehension
- Time limit: 12 minutes 50 seconds.
- In this section, you are required to read a passage and then answer some questions about it.
- The passage will be on the left and the questions will be on the right.
- You can use your mouse or trackpad to scroll through the passage.
- For each question, choose the correct answer choice by clicking on it.
- You can change your answer by clicking on another answer choice.
- If you wish, you can skip questions and come back to them later.
- Use the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons to move to the next or previous question.
- There are 23 questions in total. Answer as many as you can.
- If you finish answering the questions before the time is up, go back and check your answers.
Anagrams
- Time limit: 9 minute 50 seconds.
- This section focuses on anagrams.
- Each question contains a sentence. The letters in one of the words in the sentence are jumbled up.
- You must use your mouse or trackpad to drag the jumbled letters into the correct order to complete the sentence correctly.
- If you wish to change your answer, you can drag the letters into the empty squares and then rerrange them.
- If you wish, you can skip questions and come back to them later.
- Use the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons to move to the next or previous question.
- There are 21 questions in total. Answer as many as you can.
- If you finish answering the questions before the time is up, go back and check your answers
Missing Words
- Time limit: 3 minutes 15 seconds
- This section focuses on missing words.
- You will be shown two passages. Some of the words in these passages are incomplete, with only the first few letters of the word provided.
- You must type in the next two letters of the word. It will then auto-complete.
- If you do not type in the correct two letters, the word will not auto-complete.
- The first passage has 25 missing words. The second passage has 20 missing words.
- You don’t have to complete the words in order.
- You can skip a word and come back to it later, if you have time.
- Each passage is timed individually. Once the allocated time for the first passage is up, the second passage will be shown with a new timer.
Shuffled Sentences
- Time limit: 8 minutes
- This section focuses on shuffled sentences.
- In each question, you will be shown a series of jumbled words. These words can be rearranged to form a correct sentence.
- However, there is one extra word that is not required to form the sentence.
- Use your mouse or trackpad to drag this word into the Word Bin.
- If you would like to change your answer, drag the word out of the Word Bin and back to the row of words. You can then drag another word into the Word Bin.
- If you wish, you can skip questions and come back to them later.
- Use the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons to move to the next or previous question.
- There are 20 questions in total. Answer as many as you can.
General Mathematics
- Time limit: 12 minutes 50 seconds
- In this section, you are required to answer some maths questions.
- To answer the questions, you will need to use your mouse or trackpad to drag numbers or signs into the correct boxes.
- You can change your answers by dragging new numbers or signs into the boxes.
- If you wish, you can skip questions and come back to them later.
- Use the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons to move to the next or previous question.
- There are 30 questions in total. Answer as many as you can.
Pictures
- Time limit: 9 minutes
- This section focuses on non-verbal reasoning.
- Each question contains a set of nine pictures. One of these pictures is missing, shown by a question mark.
- You must choose the picture that completes the set correctly from the four options on the right.
- Select your answer by clicking on the correct picture on the right.
- If you would like to change your answer, simply click on the new picture that you wish to select.
- If you wish, you can skip questions and come back to them later.
- Use the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons to move to the next or previous question.
- There are 25 questions in total. Answer as many as you can.
Schools that use the CEM Select
The CEM Select is being used by a growing number of Independent Schools as part of their 11+ and 13+ admissions process. These schools include:
Brentwood School
City of London School for Girls
Downe House
Exeter School
Exeter School (12+)
Farnborough Hill School
Guildford High School
Heathfield School Ascot
Heathfield School Ascot (13+)
Holme (Eaton) Grange School
Hulme Hall Grammar School
Hymers College
King’s Ely Junior School
Millfield School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School (Belmont)
Moreton Hall
Mount St. Mary’s College
Newcastle High School for Girls
Nottingham High School
Princethorpe College
Prior Park College
Queen Anne’s School
Reading Blue Coat
Rendcomb College
Royal Russell School
Sherborne Girls
Shrewsbury High School
St. Edmund’s College
St. Edward’s School, Cheltenham
St. George’s Weybridge
St. John’s Leatherhead
St. Joseph’s College, Ipswich
St. Mary’s Calne
St. Michael’s School
St. Nicholas’ School
St. Paul’s Girls’ School
Sutton High
The Cathedral School
The Grange School
The King’s School, Gloucester
The Royal Masonic School
Uppingham School
Warwick School
Woldingham School
Worth School
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey (13+)
CEM exams used by other schools
Some schools use a custom version of the CEM assessment, often produced by the school itself. These schools include:
Abingdon Prep
Bishop’s Stortford College
Clifton College
Cranford House School
Croydon High School
Eltham College
Eton College
Harrow School
Ibstock Place School
Junior King’s School
Myddelton College
Newcastle-under-Lyme School
Oakham School
Pangbourne College
Shiplake College
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
West Buckland School
Please get in touch if you’ve like to find a tutor to help you with the CEM Select pre-test!
To enquire about tuition, please use the contact form below or call us at 0208 133 6284