The breakdown
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) is an admission entrance exam for grades 2-12. The tested material changes based on a student's grade level, however, all exams include an unscored essay, which will be sent to the schools where you're applying.
|
For Entrance To |
Appropriate Test Level |
|
Grades 2-4 |
Primary Level |
|
Grades 5 and 6 |
Lower Level |
|
Grades 7 and 8 |
Middle Level |
|
Grades 9-12 |
Upper Level |
ISEE Primary Level
The Primary 2 Exam is a 53-minute test given to students applying for entrance to second grade. The Primary 3 Exam is 54 minutes long and given to students going into third grade. The Primary 4 Exam is given to rising fourth graders and is 60 minutes long. All tests include an untimed writing section. For more specific information on the ISEE Primary Level Exams, explore the Online Interactive What To Expect On The ISEE Materials.
ISEE Lower Level
The Lower Level Exam is given to students applying for entrance to fifth or sixth grade. It is 2 hours and 20 minutes long.
|
Section |
Number of Questions |
Section Length |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
34 |
20 minutes |
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
38 |
35 minutes |
|
Reading Comprehension |
25 |
25 minutes |
|
Mathematics Achievement |
30 |
30 minutes |
|
Essay |
1 |
30 minutes |
|
Total Time |
2 hours, 20 minutes |
ISEE Middle and Upper Level
The Middle Level Exam is given to students applying for entrance to seventh or eighth grade, while the Upper Level Exam is given to students applying for entrance to ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade. The Middle Level and Upper Level exams have the same number of questions, and they are both 2 hours and 40 minutes long.
|
Section |
Number of Questions |
Section Length |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
40 |
20 minutes |
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
37 |
35 minutes |
|
Reading Comprehension |
36 |
35 minutes |
|
Mathematics Achievement |
47 |
40 minutes |
|
Essay |
1 |
30 minutes |
|
Total Time |
2 hours, 40 minutes |
Registration Details
Students may take the ISEE at approved ERB member school test sites, Prometric locations, or ERB’s New York City office. Note that Prometric sites offer online administration and are available only for students entering grades 5-12. Registration is available online, by mail, and by phone. ISEE test dates vary by year and location. The registration fee varies depending on the methods for registration and testing. Learn more about registering for the ISEE by visiting the ERB website.
Interpreting Scores
All questions on the ISEE are equal in value. The raw score is determined solely by the number of questions answered correctly since there is no "wrong answer" penalty. This means that students should always guess and never leave a question blank.
The ISEE report will include multiple sets of scores and percentiles:
Scaled Score
The raw score for each section is converted into a scaled score. The Lower, Middle, and Upper Level exams all use a scaled score between 760 and 940. For more information about the Primary Level exam scaled score ranges, explore ERB’s interactive What to Expect on the ISEE online materials.
Percentile Score
Schools also receive percentile scores (based on a 3-year rolling norm pool of applicants to the same grade regardless of gender) so that they can assess where you stack up against other students. These percentile scores are included on your score report, along with stanines and a stanine analysis to represent the percentiles.
To learn more about scoring for the various ISEE Levels, visit the ERB website and review the information found within the ISEE Student Guide and the What To Expect On The ISEE resources.