Accepted by over 1,200 independent schools all over the world, the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) markets itself as the most trusted admissions assessment for students in Grades 2-12. ISEE is also the most flexible assessment option for some families since it offers an array of testing formats: online, paper-based, and at-home. Moreover, unlike other tests, the ISEE does not penalize students for incorrect answers. This enables the use of intuition and context clues for educated guesses that may earn points, helping secure admission to schools. Depending on where you think you’ll submit an application, this may be a good alternative to other tests. Here are some relevant details:
- Duration — 2 hours and 50 minutes (Upper and Middle Levels); 2 hours and 30 minutes (Lower Level).
- Sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and an unscored essay.
- Because the ISEE helps test students for admission to private middle and high schools, different levels of the test are offered depending on where you are in your education.
- The Upper Level is designed for applicants in 9th grade and above. The Middle Level is for applicants in 7th and 8th grade. The Lower Level is for applicants in 5th and 6th grade.
No matter the level of the test, the ISEE will always test the same sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics. For the three levels explained in this blog post, the same scale is used. Students taking the test will receive four scaled scores from 760 on the low end and 940 at the high end. Of course, the levels of difficulty increase by age group because if you are at the lower end of the age range the test may ask questions that you have not seen in school yet. However, younger student’s scaled scores will not be impacted by this fact. All in all, if well prepared, these exams should not be intimidating but rather the arena in which to demonstrate your capacity for learning and retaining knowledge. It will also ensure you are appropriately placed to continue your educational path.
