| Feature | Essential | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking skills | Included | Included |
| Reading | Included | Included |
| Mathematical reasoning | Included | Included |
| Writing (WritingHub) | Not included | Included — full writing with criterion feedback |
| Practice tests | Core multiple-choice tests | More tests, including full writing tasks |
| Best for | Early starters building core skills | Full coverage across every section |
Both of Test Academy’s selective bundles run on the same platform, with the same instant marking, worked solutions and analytics. The difference between Essential and Complete isn’t quality — it’s scope. This guide compares them on coverage alone, so you can match the bundle to where your child is in their preparation.
What Essential covers
Essential focuses on the three multiple-choice sections of the selective test: thinking skills, reading, and mathematical reasoning. These are the foundation of the exam, and they’re where most students spend the bulk of their early preparation. With Essential, your child gets adaptive practice and practice tests across all three, marked instantly, with analytics that show exactly which topics need more work.
What Essential doesn’t include is the writing component. That’s a deliberate scope choice rather than an oversight — it keeps the bundle squarely on core skill-building for families who aren’t yet ready to add writing.
What Complete adds
Complete includes everything in Essential, then adds the part of the test that multiple-choice practice can’t cover: full Writing through WritingHub, plus a larger bank of practice tests that includes writing tasks. The selective test assesses writing, and a strong overall result depends on it — so Complete is built to cover every section the exam tests, not just the multiple-choice ones.
WritingHub is where this matters most. It marks writing criterion-by-criterion — structure, ideas, language and mechanics each assessed separately — so a child gets specific, consistent feedback on every piece rather than a single comment. Our explainer on how WritingHub marks writing and our selective writing test guide cover this in detail.
How to choose
The decision comes down to timing and coverage:
- Choose Essential if your child is an early starter building core skills. It’s a sensible foundation that concentrates on the three multiple-choice sections without spreading effort too thin too soon.
- Choose Complete if you want full coverage across every section — especially as the test approaches and writing becomes something your child needs to practise and refine. If you’re aiming to cover the whole exam in one program, Complete is the fit.
Many families begin with Essential to build foundations and move to Complete as the exam nears and writing comes into focus. Whichever you choose, the practice, marking and analytics are the same — the only question is how much of the test you want the bundle to cover. If you’re working out timing, our note on when to start can help.
This is an independent comparison. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners.