SSAT & ISEE Prep 2023 - Princeton Review 2023

Everything you always wanted to know about the ISEE
The ISEE

WHAT IS THE ISEE?

The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) is a standardized test made up of a series of multiple-choice questions and a writing sample. Lower, Middle, and Upper levels of the ISEE may be taken online or in a paper-based format, but the Primary levels are only available online. For all levels, the writing sample is not scored, but the other sections of the test are scored and your score report will show those scaled scores. You will also receive a percentile score for each section (between 1 percent and 99 percent) that compares your test scores with those of other test takers from the previous three years. In addition, percentiles are then converted into stanines on a scale from 1—9.

Primary Level 2

Primary Level 3

Primary Level 4

Lower Level

Middle Level

Upper Level

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“What to Expect on the ISEE” from the ERB at isee.erblearn.org.

What’s on the ISEE?

The Auditory Comprehension section (Primary Level 2 only) consists of an audio recording of a short passage followed by multiple-choice questions that can be listened to and seen on the screen. The Reading Comprehension section (all levels) tests your ability to read and understand short passages. These reading passages include both fiction and nonfiction. The Verbal Reasoning section of the ISEE (Lower, Middle, and Upper only) tests your knowledge of vocabulary using two different question types: synonyms and sentence completions. There are no analogies on the ISEE. The Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement sections test your knowledge of general mathematical concepts. All levels of the exam have problem-solving questions. The Middle and Upper Level exams also include quantitative comparison questions, which ask you to compare two columns of data. Remember, there is no guessing penalty on the ISEE. You should select an answer for every question.

Upper versus Middle versus Lower versus Primary Levels

There are, in effect, six different versions of the ISEE. The Primary 2 test is taken by students who are, at the time of testing, in the first grade. The Primary 3 test is taken by students who are in the second grade. The Primary 4 test is taken by students who are in the third grade. The Lower Level test is taken by students who are in the fourth and fifth grades. Students who are in the sixth and seventh grades take the Middle Level test. Students who are in the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades take the Upper Level test.

Primary Level 2 has scaled scores ranging from 200 to 299 each for Reading (includes Auditory Comprehension) and Math. Primary Level 3 has scaled scores ranging from 300 to 399 each for Reading and Math. Primary Level 4 has scaled scores ranging from 400 to 499 each for Reading and Math. The Lower, Middle, and Upper levels all use the same scale: students receive four scaled scores ranging from 760 on the low end to 940 at the top.

There are few major differences between the structure of Lower, Middle, and Upper Level tests. There are some differences in content, however; for instance, vocabulary on the Middle Level test is less challenging than it is on the Upper Level test. The Middle and Upper Level tests cover the same general math concepts (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, charts, and graphs), but naturally, the Middle Level test will ask slightly easier questions than the Upper Level test. There are no quantitative comparison questions on the Lower Level test. The Lower Level test is 20 minutes shorter than the others.

Because the Lower Level ISEE tests both fourth and fifth graders, the Middle Level tests both sixth and seventh graders, and the Upper Level tests eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders, there are questions on the tests that students testing at the lower end of each of those groups might have difficulty answering. Younger students’ scaled scores and percentiles will not be harmed by this fact. Both sets of scores take into consideration a student’s age. However, younger students may feel intimidated by this. If you are at the lower end of your test’s age group, there will be questions you are not supposed to be able to answer and that’s perfectly all right.

The material in this book follows the content of the tests without breaking it down further into age groups or grades. Content that will appear only on the Upper Level test has been labeled as “Upper Level only.” Students taking the Primary, Lower, and Middle Level tests do not need to work on the Upper Level content. Nevertheless, younger students may not have yet seen some of the material included in the Primary, Lower, and Middle Level review. Caregivers are advised to help younger students with their work in this book and seek teachers’ advice or instruction if necessary.