The ISEE, or the Independent School Entrance Examination is a widely accepted exam to help guide the admission process for private middle and high schools. If you want to attend an elite middle or high school, this is a test you will want to do well on.
What Sections Are on the ISEE?
The sections on the ISEE are: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement and an unscored Essay (note: this is the exact order in which the test takes place).
Here’s a breakdown of each section, according to ERB’s What to Expect on the ISEE handbook:
Verbal Reasoning
This section consists of completion of vocabulary and sentences. For each item, an abstract word will be followed by four answer choices. For each sentence item, there will be one missing word or pair of words that also have four possible answer choices. A student must select a word (or pair of words) that most appropriately fit the context.
Quantitative Reasoning
This section has world problems and comparison items. The quantitative comparison items present A) and B), and ask the student to select one of four answer choices: A) The quantity in Column A is greater. B) The quantity in Column B is greater. C) The two quantities are equal. D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Both Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement measure the student’s ability to answer curriculum-based concepts that are appropriate at their grade level.
In the Reading Comprehension section, the student is asked to read a passage and then answer specific questions in relation to the passage. There are six passages total that cover subjects like art, contemporary life, science, and history.
In the Mathematics Achievement section, there are one or more steps required to calculate the answer. Questions conform to national mathematical standards and ask students to 1) identify the problem and 2) find the solution.
The Essay section requires a student to respond to a given prompt or topic. The prompts rotate each testing season ,and are designed so that the student can write an informed response on the subject matter. All prompts are grade-level appropriate and are “free of bias, global in scope, and representative of a wide variety of subjects,” according to the EBR ISEE handbook. The prompt is one or two sentences long and asks the student to respond to what is described within 30 minutes.
How Long Does the Exam Take?
The exam duration is 2 hours and 50 minutes for Upper and Middle Levels, and 2 hours and 30 minutes for the Lower Level.
What Is The ISEE Scoring Criteria?
Verbal Reasoning
797-935 (Upper Level)
782-926 (Middle Level)
760-903 (Lower Level)
Quantitative Reasoning
815-940 (Upper Level)
791-927 (Middle Level)
766-911 (Lower Level)
Reading Comprehension
825-940 (Upper Level)
799-940 (Middle Level)
764-913 (Lower Level)
Mathematics Achievement
806-940 (Upper Level)
774-907 (Middle Level)
769-899 (Lower Level)
All scores are converted to something called a stanine which represents a percentile range. A stanine is “a way to convert scores into a nine point scale,” according to Statisticshowto.com.
Is the Essay Portion of the ISEE Required?
The essay is required but not scored. Although the essay isn’t scored, it is an important part of the ISEE exam. A copy of your essay will be sent to the schools you apply to, so having good writing skills is essential to put your best foot forward.
How Many Times Can I Take the ISEE?
Each student is limited to one attempt at the ISEE test prep testing period. In other words, you can take the ISEE exam up to three times in a total 12-month admission cycle.
Where Do I Take the ISEE?
- The ISEE is given by a consortium of schools in cities all over the United States where schools have joined together and have chosen to use a common entrance test program.
- The ISEE is given at individual school test sites, either open or closed, at a wide variety of schools throughout the country and abroad and on a number of test dates.
What Is the Test Format?
The ISEE offers the exam in both a paper and online format at ISEE test site schools, Prometric Test Centers, and ISEE testing offices.
What Are the Differences between the SSAT and ISEE?
The major difference between the tests is how they test your abilities:
| The ISEE uses synonyms and sentence completion to test vocabulary comprehension. | The SSAT uses synonyms and analogies to test reading comprehension. |
| The reading passages on the ISEE tend to be longer. | The SSAT has a broader scope of categories, including poetry. |
| The ISEE has a heavier emphasis on mathematical reasoning. | The SSAT tests more on quantitative concepts. |
If the schools you’re applying to will take either the ISEE or the SSAT, be sure to carefully pick the one that’s better suited to your abilities.
How Can I Succeed on the ISEE Exam?
To do well on the ISEE exam, we recommend seeking an experienced tutor who can guide you through what to expect and assess any specific needs that you may have. Even if you are a consistent A+ student, there’s always room for improvement and preparation.
our knowledgeable and experienced tutors can help you to succeed on the ISEE exam and get into that dream school.
Our socratic method of teaching aids our student’s success. For example, we will ask the student leading questions in order to allow the student to find the way to the answer themselves. This not only helps the student understand the concepts better, but more importantly, it helps them retain the information longer and helps them to build self confidence so that they will perform their absolute best when being put to the test.
Are you or your child interested in an ISEE tutor? Visit the following link to search through our tutors: Online Tutoring Services. We look forward to hearing from you!
