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WHAT IS THE ISEE?

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is a test that can be submitted as part of the application to many independent schools. Administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), the ISEE has four different levels: Primary(2nd-4th grade), Lower(5th-6th grade), Middle(7th-8th grade), and Upper(9th-12th grade). Most students take the ISEE when applying for acceptance during their 4th, 5th, 6th, or 8th grade academic year, for admissions to schools starting in the 5th, 6th, 7th, or 9th grade. Most schools in the Los Angeles area now consider the ISEE optional for their application process.

ISEE FORMAT

The ISEE test takes anywhere between 53 minutes and 2 hours 40 minutes to complete depending on the student’s grade and test level. All of the levels test reading, writing, and math skills, but differ in length, difficulty, and structure.

Primary Level (entering grades 2-4)

2nd grade: 53 minutes
3rd grade: 54 minutes
4th grade: 60 minutes

ISEE Test Section # of Questions and Types Content Timing

AUDITORY COMPREHENSION

*Only Grade 2

1 passage (audio only)
6 multiple-choice (text & audio)
Auditory Comprehension Grade 2:
7 minutes
READING Grade 2:
18 questions / 3 passages
Grade 3:
24 questions / 4 passages
Grade 4:
28 questions / 4 passages
Main Idea
Supporting Ideas
Inference
Vocabulary
Organization/Logic
Figurative Language
Grade 2:
20 minutes
Grade 3:
28 minutes
Grade 4:
30 minutes
MATH Grades 2-3:
24 multiple choice
Grade 4:
28 multiple choice
Several picture problems
Number sense and operations
Algebraic concepts
Geometric concepts
Measurement
Data analysis and probability
Grades 2-3:
26 minutes
Grade 4:
30 minutes

Lower Level (entering grades 5-6)

Total time: 2 hrs 20 min

ISEE Test Section # of Questions and Types Content Timing
VERBAL 34 Synonym/sentence completion
(multiple choice)
Verbal reasoning
Vocabulary in context
20 minutes
QUANTITATIVE 38 Word problems
(multiple choice)
Math calculation and reasoning 35 minutes
READING COMPREHENSION 25 Passage-based reading comprehension questions
(multiple choice)
Main idea
Supporting ideas
Inference
Vocabulary
Organization/logic
Tone/style/language
25 minutes
MATH ACHIEVEMENT 30 questions
(multiple choice)
Whole numbers
Decimals, percentages, fractions
Algebraic concepts
Geometry
Measurement
Data Analysis and Probability
30 minutes
ESSAY 1 Essay in response to a prompt Personal essay 30 minutes

Middle Level (entering grades 7-8)

Total time: 2 hrs 40 min

ISEE Test Section # of Questions and Types Content Timing
VERBAL 40 Synonym/sentence completion(w/ one blank)
(multiple choice)
Verbal reasoning
Vocabulary in context
20 minutes
QUANTITATIVE 37 Word problems
(multiple choice, quantitative comparison)
Math calculation and reasoning 35 minutes
READING COMPREHENSION 36 Passage-based reading comprehension questions
(multiple choice)
Main idea
Supporting ideas
Inference
Vocabulary
Organization/logic
Tone/style/language
35 minutes
MATH ACHIEVEMENT 47 questions (includes word problems)
(multiple choice)
Whole numbers
Decimals, percentages, fractions
Algebraic concepts
Geometry
Measurement
Data Analysis and Probability
40 minutes
ESSAY 1 Essay in response to a prompt Personal essay 30 minutes

Upper Level (entering grades 9-12)

Total time: 2 hrs 40 min

ISEE Test Section # of Questions and Types Content Timing
VERBAL 40 Synonym/sentence completion (w/ one and two blanks)
(multiple choice)
Verbal reasoning
Vocabulary in context
20 minutes
QUANTITATIVE 37 Word problems
(multiple choice, quantitative comparison)
Math calculation and reasoning 35 minutes
READING COMPREHENSION 36 Passage-based reading comprehension questions
(multiple choice)
Main idea
Supporting ideas
Inference
Vocabulary
Organization/logic
Tone/style/language
35 minutes
MATH ACHIEVEMENT 47 questions (includes word problems)
(multiple choice)
Number sense
Algebraic concepts
Geometry
Measurement
Data Analysis and Probability
40 minutes
ESSAY 1 Essay in response to a prompt Personal essay 30 minutes

ISEE SCORING/GUESSING PENALTY

Students will receive a score report with a scaled score, a percentile rank, and a stanine for the first four sections of the test.

The scaled score, which ranges from 760-940, is based on the number of correct answers but may include adjustments for slight differences in the tests administered on different dates. The ERB does not deduct any points for incorrect answers, so you should not leave any questions blank on the test. With that in mind, pacing and timing will play a big role among common test-taking strategies that your tutor will review with you.

The essay is ungraded, but is sent to each school to which the student is applying.

The percentile rank shows how the student compares with other students in the same grade who have taken the test over the past three years. For example, a student who scores in the 58th percentile on the math achievement section scored better than 58% of students in his norm group.

The stanine score is often used as the primary indicator of a student’s performance by a school’s admissions department. Here is a table which breaks down each stanine score in terms of percentile.

Stanine

Percentile Rank

1

1-3

2

4-10

3

11-22

4

23-39

5

40-59

6

60-76

7

77-88

8

89-95

9

96-99

ORDER OF DIFFICULTY

Questions on the ISEE are not arranged in order of difficulty. A simple, yet effective strategy is to skip difficult questions and return to them at the end of the test in order to avoid wasting time unnecessarily.

ISEE TEST DATES & TESTING SEASONS

The ERB allows students to take the ISEE a maximum of 3 times per year. Students can take the ISEE once per testing season. However, since most schools have score submission deadlines in January (or at the latest early February), most students will only have the opportunity to take the test twice (once in Fall, and once in Winter).

Depending on your location, you have the option of taking the ISEE in select school locations, testing offices, ERB test sites, Prometric Test Centers, or at-home. Paper-based tests are offered at schools, testing offices, and ERB test sites; online computer-based tests are offered at schools, testing offices, Prometric Test Centers, as well as for at-home testing.

Here’s the link to register for the ISEE on ERB’s website: https://www.erblearn.org/parents/isee-registration. Please note registration opens annually on August 1st.

Below is the testing season breakdown by month:

Our recommendation to most families is to register for two test dates. We recommend scheduling the first test date in October or November and a second test in December or January depending on the deadlines of the schools you’re applying to. This way, students avoid the anxiety associated with having only one chance to test, and also have a backup test date in case of unforeseen circumstances (e.g. sickness, proctoring mishaps, distractions during the test). ISEE scores will typically be available in your online portal within a few days of the test date.

For dates and locations, click here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Don’t stop here! Check out our blog for new posts about preparing for the ISEE. Below are a few posts you may find useful.

ISEE AT HOME: TAKING THE ISEE EXAM REMOTELY THROUGH PROPROCTOR
ERB has opened registration to their new ISEE At Home program, meaning students are now enable to opt out of taking the test in-person and can instead take it at home through an online system called ProProctor. If you are signed up to take the ISEE exam using the ProProctor system, you will want to be as prepared as possible before the exam to best use the tools in this system itself. READ MORE

BUT WE NEVER LEARNED THIS! MATH CONCEPTS ON THE ISEE YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T LEARNED YET IN SCHOOL
“Help! I never learned this!” is a common reaction of students taking an ISEE diagnostic test for the first time, and for good reason. Unless they’re working a couple of years above grade-level, most students… READ MORE

APPLYING TO PRIVATE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES
If you are considering the private school option for middle or high school, the most important piece of applying to private school is… READ MORE