ISEE exam tutors

In general the SATs are more difficult than the ISEE, so if your child is at least a freshman in high school preparing for the SATs, you are better off focusing on preparing for the SATs because that will help improve your child’s ISEE score inherently. However, vocabulary is not tested the same way on the SAT, so you will need to make sure your child deliberately studies vocabulary for the ISEE.

The ISEE tends to be an above grade level test when it comes to math, so oftentimes students score lower in this section. It is normal to need more prep with the math section. The verbal section for the lower through upper level tests include synonyms and sentence completions. It is important that students study the vocabulary for both; that is the area that impacts a lot of students’ scores. The math section measures math achievement and quantitative reasoning. Middle and upper levels also include a special type of problem called quantitative comparisons. The reading comprehension consists of reading passages and answering questions. It is important to familiarize yourself with reading question types.

There are multiple levels of the ISEE exam so it is important that you know which level your child should take. What grade level your child will be entering is the level test you should take. For example, if your child is in grades 1 through 3, then they will take the primary exam for entrance to grades 2 through 4. If you’re child is in grades 4 or 5, then they will take the lower level exam for grades 5 or 6. If you’re child is in grades 6 or 7, then they will take the middle level exam for entrance to grades 7 or 8. If you’re child is in grades 8 through 11, then they will take the upper level exam for entrance to grades 9 to 12.

There are three different scores that are included in the score report after completing the exam. The ISEE uses scaled scores which convert the number of correct answers a student earns into a  scale that accounts for minor differences in difficulty between different versions of the ISEE exam. The percentile rank indicates your child’s performance in relation to other students. The stanine rank is another way of comparing your child’s performance. Stanines are calculated by dividing the scores of all students into nine subgroups called stanines. Each stanine represents different percentages of students.

There are rules around how many times you can take the test. Most private schools are on a fall admissions timeline so yoru child would need to take the test sometime between October and January. We suggest taking the test in October or November, and if you’re unhappy with the score, your child can take it again in December or January. If you’re applying midyear you have more options. It is a good idea to take one test before December if you think you’ll want your child to have the chance to take it twice. Based on when your child is taking the exam, anywhere from two to six months prior is the recommended amount of preparation time. The more time you have to prepare, the more your child’s tutor will be able to fine-tune their instruction. If you only have one or two months before the exam, do not worry! It is still possible for your child to be prepared for the exam. They will simply need much more frequent tutoring sessions.

The primary level ISEE has 3 levels. Primary Level 2 has three sections: auditory comprehension, reading, and mathematics. Primary Level 3 and Primary Level 4 both have two sections: reading and mathematics.There is also an essay section for each grade level that is not scored by ERB but is sent directly to the school. For grades 5 through 12, the ISEE includes reading comprehension and mathematics which measures what your student knows, and verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning which evaluate how your student learns. 

No calculators are not allowed.

Yes, but it is unscored by the ERB. Some schools take it into consideration and others don’t, so check with the schools you are applying to.