Free QE Boys practice papers with worked answers
The short answer
- QE does not release past papers. Its FAQ points families to a sample test papers page instead.
- That page links GL Assessment's free English and Maths familiarisation materials, and Atom Learning, which is free for pupil premium families. QE says these may not reflect the format of its own tests.
- The test itself is two multiple-choice papers, English and Maths, sat in one session. QE does not publish the number of questions or the timing.
From QE's entrance test FAQ and sample test papers page, read 26 September 2026. Links in the sources below.
Free sample: 14 English and 8 Maths questions
Answer on screen and mark it straight away, or print the paper and the answer page separately. Every question has a worked explanation, and wrong choices explain what went wrong.
QE Boys sample paper
Free QE-style sample: English and Maths
English: reading · 8 min practice clock
Read the passage, then answer questions 1 to 6. Choose one answer for each.
The Night Ferry
[1]Ravi had been told the ferry would leave at nine, but at half past the ramp was still down and the cars stood in patient rows, their headlights switched off. Gulls walked along the railings as if they owned them. Somewhere below, an engine coughed, stopped, and coughed again.
[2]His grandmother did not seem worried. She had brought a flask of sweet tea and a paper bag of almonds, and she sat on the bench by the window with her coat buttoned to the chin, watching the harbour lights wobble in the black water. “Boats are like old men,” she said. “They start when they are ready.”
[3]Ravi was not so calm. He had a map folded in his pocket, and on it he had drawn the ferry's route in pencil: a neat line across the bay to the island where his cousins were waiting. Every few minutes he took it out, smoothed it on his knee and checked the line, as though it might have moved.
[4]At ten to ten a man in a yellow jacket climbed the stairs two at a time and announced that they would sail in twenty minutes. A few passengers groaned. Ravi's grandmother simply unscrewed the flask and poured him a second cup, as if this were exactly what she had planned.
[5]When the engine finally caught, the whole deck shivered. The ramp rose with a long groan, the gulls lifted off in a single grey sheet, and the harbour began, very slowly, to slide away. Ravi took out the map once more. This time he did not unfold it. He held it against his chest and looked at the water instead.
What had Ravi drawn on his map?
In paragraph 1, the cars stand in “patient rows”. What does this show about the ferry?
What does Grandmother mean when she says “Boats are like old men”?
Why does Ravi keep checking his map?
Which word best describes Grandmother in paragraphs 2 and 4?
At the end, Ravi does not unfold the map. This is most likely because
English: spelling and punctuation · 2 min practice clock
Each sentence is split into parts A to D. In questions 7 and 8, find the spelling mistake. In questions 9 and 10, find the punctuation mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N.
[A] Mum kept every reciept [B] in a separate folder [C] so that nothing [D] would get lost.
[A] The orchestra played [B] a beautifull piece [C] that echoed through [D] the empty hall.
[A] “Have you packed [B] your boots” asked Dad [C] as we carried the bags [D] out to the car.
[A] After lunch, we walked [B] along the cliffs, [C] counted twelve boats [D] and watched the sun set.
English: grammar · 3 min practice clock
Choose the word or words that best complete each numbered gap in the passage.
Busy bees
[1]Bees have lived on Earth for millions of years. A single hive can hold (1) ______ thirty thousand bees, and each of them has a job. Young bees clean the cells, while older bees fly out (2) ______ nectar. When a bee finds a good patch of flowers, it returns to the hive and (3) ______ a special dance that shows the others where to go. Without bees, many of the fruits we eat (4) ______ much harder to grow.
Gap (1)
Gap (2)
Gap (3)
Gap (4)
Maths · 9 min practice clock
Choose one answer for each question. Work on scrap paper. Diagrams are drawn accurately unless they say otherwise.
The bar chart shows how many books five pupils read in May. What is the mean number of books read?
Sam reaches the Library stop at 08:35 and catches the next bus. At what time does he arrive at School?
| Stop | Bus 1 | Bus 2 | Bus 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station | 08:12 | 08:32 | 08:52 |
| Library | 08:27 | 08:47 | 09:07 |
| Park | 08:41 | 09:01 | 09:21 |
| School | 08:56 | 09:16 | 09:36 |
AB = AC. BC is extended to D. What is the size of angle x?
All the corners of this shape are right angles. What is its perimeter?
A, B and C are three corners of a square. What are the coordinates of the fourth corner?
Red and blue counters are in the ratio 2 : 5. There are 33 more blue counters than red. How many red counters are there?
A £275 coat is reduced by 20%. The new price is then reduced by 10%. How much is saved altogether?
A farmer has hens and goats. Together they have 20 heads and 54 legs. How many goats are there?
Using the result
- Group the misses: reading, grammar and punctuation, vocabulary, or a maths topic. One group is a better next step than another full paper.
- Where a wrong answer came from rushing, redo it untimed first. Where it came from not knowing the rule, learn the rule, then try a fresh question.
- Keep practice marks separate from QE scores. QE's published minimum and past cut-offs are on the score explainer.
Try the free QE Boys lesson
If the sample showed a gap, the free first lesson teaches the idea behind it, then gives a fresh question.
Questions parents ask
Are there QE Boys past papers?
No. QE's entrance test FAQ says it does not supply past papers. Its sample test papers page links GL Assessment familiarisation materials and says they may not reflect the format of QE's own tests. Anything sold as a real QE past paper should be treated with caution.
What is in the QE entrance test?
Two multiple-choice papers, English and Maths, sat in a single session in September. QE does not publish question counts or timings, so the clock on our sample is a practice setting, not QE's timing.
Is this free sample the same as the real test?
No. It is 22 of our own questions in the shape of the GL familiarisation papers QE links: a long reading passage, spelling and punctuation, a grammar passage with gaps, and maths with charts and diagrams. It shows the kind of thinking the test rewards and how your son answers under a clock, not the live paper.
Can I turn his mark on this sample into a QE score?
No. QE reports age-standardised scores built from the real cohort's results, which are never published. A raw mark on 22 practice questions cannot be converted into one.