We help students in grades 4-9 prepare for the ISEE & SSAT Exams. We also help with the Parent and Student Admission Essays and offer Interview Prep so your child is ready and confident on Interview Day.
Our students have been admitted to some of the best private schools in the country like The Lawrenceville School, Phillips Academy Andover, St Paul’s School, Pingry, Delbarton, Newark Academy and more.
In order to be admitted to a competitive private middle school or high school, your child needs strong SSAT or ISEE test scores.
About the ISEE
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) is produced by the ERB (Educational Records Bureau). It is used for admission to private middle schools and high schools. The test consists of four multiple-choice sections: verbal reasoning (synonyms and sentence completions), quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and mathematics achievement. The test also contains an essay section in which students are given 30 minutes to write on an assigned topic. Calculators are not allowed.
Students may take the ISEE on paper or on the computer. All sections are multiple choice and students are not penalized for incorrect answers. Students receive a Scaled Score, a Percentile Rank and a Stanine (see Sample Score Report below). These metrics allow private schools to compare your child’s scores to those of other applicants who are applying for the same grade level.
A perfect score is a 99 percentile (or a 9 Stanine). To be competitive in the middle school and high school admissions process students should aim to score a 8 or 9 Stanine.
Students can only take the ISEE once during each of the following seasons: August-November, December-March and April-July.
The ISEE is offered in three levels:
– Upper Level is for students applying to Grade 9 -12
– Middle Level is for students applying to Grade 7 or 8
– Lower Level is for students applying to Grade 5 or 6
Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of 40 questions: 19 synonym questions and 21 single word and paired word response vocabulary questions. Of the 40 questions, 35 questions are scored and 5 are not scored. These not scored questions are experimental questions that are randomly distributed in the section and may be used for future test versions.
Quantitative Reasoning
This section does not allow calculators and students have to answer word problems and quantitative comparison questions. Of the 37 questions, 32 are scored and 5 are not scored.
Reading Comprehension
For this section students must read six passages and answer six questions for each passage. The types of questions tested include main idea, inference, supporting ideas, vocabulary, tone and logic. Of the 36 questions, 30 questions are scored and 6 questions are not scored.
Mathematics Achievement
The topics covered in this section include algebra, data analysis, probability, measurement and geometry. Students have to answer 47 questions and of those 42 are scored and 5 are not.
Essay
The Essay is not scored. It is sent along with your child’s score report to the schools your child is applying to. The purpose of the Essay is to have a Writing sample where students can show their writing ability and how well they can organize and express ideas on paper. The prompt will ask your child to respond to a question that will allow the admissions committee to better get to know your child. For example, “Who is someone to whom you look up to? Explain why you feel this way.”
Students have 2 hours and 40 minutes in total to complete the multiple choice questions and the essay.
Sample Upper Level ISEE Student Score Report
Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of 34 questions: 18 synonym questions and 16 single word and paired word response vocabulary questions. Of the 34 questions, 30 questions are scored and 4 are not scored. These not scored questions are experimental questions that are randomly distributed in the section and may be used for future test versions.
Quantitative Reasoning
This section does not allow calculators and students have to answer word problems and quantitative comparison questions. Of the 38 questions, 35 are scored and 3 are not scored.
Reading Comprehension
For this section students must read five passages and answer five questions for each passage. The types of questions tested include main idea, inference, supporting ideas, vocabulary, tone and logic. Of the 25 questions, 20 questions are scored and 5 questions are not scored.
Mathematics Achievement
The topics covered in this section include whole numbers, decimals, data analysis, geometry, measurement and algebraic concepts. Students have to answer 30 questions and of those 25 are scored and 5 are not.
Essay
The Essay is not scored. It is sent along with your child’s score report to the schools your child is applying to. The purpose of the Essay is to have a Writing sample where students can show their writing ability and how well they can organize and express ideas on paper.
Students have 2 hours and 20 minutes in total to complete the multiple choice questions and the essay.
To register for the ISEE, visit www.erblearn.org
About our ISEE Prep Course
Our ISEE Prep courses are Private, 1-on-1 tutoring sessions and are offered for all ISEE levels (Lower, Middle and Upper). In this course students work on the subjects they need to improve in. We begin with a Diagnostic test to have a baseline score and see what areas are weakest and then create a tailored program that will best help your child. In this prep course, one of our ISEE prep experts will help your child improve time management and test taking skills and also be stronger in foundations for each subject (Math, Reading and Verbal). Different course packages are available to best fit your score goals and timeline. Homework is assigned after every class and parent feedback is given throughout the prep course. Mock practice tests are also included. To learn more, we invite you to schedule a Free Consultation.