What is the ISEE?
The ISEE (Independent Schools Entrance Exam) is an admissions test administered by the ERB. Many private schools in North America, and a handful of international schools, use the ISEE as a crucial part of the admissions process for grades 2 through 12.
What does ISEE stand for?
ISEE stands for Independent School Entrance Exam. It’s a test taken by students applying to private schools in the United States, and a few international schools. The test is also required for students applying to Boston’s three public exam schools: Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. There are four levels of the test that students take, depending on their grade level. The Primary Level ISEE is for students applying to 2nd through 4th grade, the Lower Level ISEE is for students applying to 5th or 6th grade, the Middle Level ISEE is for students applying to 7th or 8th grade, and the Upper Level ISEE is for students applying to 9th through 12th grade. The test is administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and can be taken once per ISEE testing season. Many private schools will accept either the ISEE or the SSAT, and some schools will accept both.
What subjects are covered on the ISEE?
The official Lower, Middle, and Upper Level tests—and our practice tests for those levels—have five sections. The first four sections include multiple-choice questions with four answer choices. These sections are: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement. The fifth section provides a writing prompt for an essay which will not be graded, but will be sent to schools along with your scores.
The Primary Level test has three sections: Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, and a Writing Sample.
Why should we prepare for the ISEE?
Admissions departments see the ISEE as the best way to assess your student’s academic preparedness compared to that of other applicants. An excellent ISEE score gives your student a crucial advantage in the admissions process.
When should we start preparing for the ISEE test?
Preparing for the ISEE is critical regardless of the time before the test. Your student will benefit greatly from taking at least one full-length practice test to gain familiarity with the format and content of the test.
We recommend starting six to eight months prior to your test date, which will give you enough time to work on any areas of weakness identified by our system.
How does Test Innovators’ system work?
Our adaptive online platform makes ISEE test preparation easy. Here is the process:
- Identify your target schools.
- Take a full-length practice test.
- Once the test is complete, you will receive an immediate normative score report and actionable insights into your student’s performance.
- Based on your student’s practice test results and target schools, Test Innovators will deliver a personalized prep plan for test success.
- Our adaptive online platform identifies areas for improvement, and our question banks provide further targeted practice to hone skills. If you want or need more support, we provide access to world-class tutors.
Why should we use Test Innovators?
- Most accurate full-length practice tests. Our veteran test writers use test feedback to continually update our materials, which are used by top educators worldwide. Test Innovators’ ISEE practice tests have also been vetted by ERB, the makers of the ISEE.
- Immediate scoring and actionable insights. You’ll receive an immediate score report with stanines and percentiles, along with in-depth diagnostic insights about your student’s performance.
- Contextual data. Your child’s practice test scores are compared to those of successful applicants to your target schools.
- Test timing. Data on time spent per question will demonstrate your student’s time management ability. Explore your student’s time management with data on time spent per question.
- Personalized prep plan. Based on the practice test results, Test Innovators delivers a personalized prep plan for test success.
Finally, our adaptive platform is available as soon as you purchase—no need to wait. Your student can start prepping with practice tests immediately.
What kind of insights will I receive?
As soon as your child completes a practice test, you’ll receive an immediate score report, including data on how your child’s scores compare to those of successful applicants to your target schools.
In addition to the scores, you'll receive actionable insights about your child’s performance on each section:
- How did they manage their time?
- How well did they perform on each specific subject and question type?
- Are they missing a lot of easy questions, or only the more difficult ones?
When you go back through your student’s test, you’ll see the correct answers, the answers they chose, and explanations for every question.
How much does it cost?
Check out our Store page for details about our prep packages!
Should my student take the practice tests online or on paper?
We recommend that your child take the first practice test online, so you can gain valuable insight into his or her time management. For many students, time management is one of the hardest parts of the ISEE, so it’s best to find out quickly if your child needs help in this area.
It is important to take practice tests under conditions that mimic the official test. The ISEE can be taken on paper at a school testing site, or on a computer at a Prometric testing location. With our platform you can practice both ways and decide which is right for your child.