ISEE* Test

Information about the ISEE, including registration and sample questions can be found at www.iseetest.org.

The SSAT may be written at any consortium school. Click here for a list of Ontario SSAT examination dates.

NOTE: The ISEE format is similar to the SSAT, however Quantitative Comparisons are used in the ISEE math portion and there is no scoring penalty for incorrect answers. For details regarding the difference between the SSAT and ISEE, please contact our PREPSKILLS office or email info@prepskills.com.

Information about the ISEE, including registration and sample questions can be found at www.iseetest.org

ISEE - Independent School Entrance Examination

The ISEE is administered in three levels: the Lower Level, the Middle Level and the Upper Level. Students who are currently in grades 4 and 5 take the Lower Level ISEE, students who are currently in grades 6 and 7 take the Middle Level ISEE, and students who are currently in grades 8 through 11 take the Upper Level test.
The ISEE consists of five sections that can appear in any order as follows:
MIDDLE Level ISEE test:

Verbal: 20 Synonyms / 20 Sentence Completions (20 min)
Math I*: 35 Multiple Choice & Quantitative Comparisons (35 min)
Reading: 40 Questions (40 min)
Math II**: 40 Multiple Choice (45 min)
Writing Sample: Short Essay (30 min)

*Math I questions focus on reasoning and application.
**Math II questions focus on computation and application.

Sentence Completion:
Tom was a born _______ ; he is always expecting the worst to happen.
(A) optimist
(B) pessimist                                                          Answer: (B)
(C) dentist
(D) humanist

Quantitative Comparisons ask you to compare two quantities, and to determine which one is bigger in all possible cases.

ISEE Scoring

You receive one point for each correct answer. You do not lose any points for incorrect answers. You receive a raw score in four categories: verbal ability, quantitative ability, reading comprehension, and mathematics achievement. Quantitative ability measures your math reasoning - in other words, how well you did on word problems, quantitative comparisons, etc. Math achievement measures your skills in computation, algebra, and geometry. You receive three scores for each section - a scaled score (ranging from 800-950), a percentile score, which tells you how your performance compared to that of other students in your grade, and a stanine score (1-9).

Because each school has its own standards for admission, it is difficult to say what a “good” score is. When you visit a school for an interview, you should ask what that school’s average or minimum score requirements are.

The ISEE essay is not scored, but is sent directly the schools to which you apply for evaluation. No score is assigned to the essay, however, many schools consider your writing skills as a factor for admission, and may want to see how well you write under test conditions.

Note to ISEE students: ISEE students should guess aggressively since there is no penalty for wrong answers on the ISEE.

Sentence Completion
ISEE Example
Like a charlatan, Henry behaved in ______ manner, which caused people to ______ him.
(A) a deceptive. . . mistrust
(B) an honest. . . fear
(C) an uncaring. . . admire
(D) an unusual. . . respect
At first, this question seems very difficult-- what’s a charlatan? However, if you work with your answers, you can make progress.

(A) If he’s deceptive, would you mistrust him? Yes.
(B) If he’s honest, would you fear him? No.
(C) If he’s uncaring, would you admire him? No.
(D) If he’s unusual, would you respect him? No.
The correct answer is (A).


The ISEE : Grades 4 - 11

The ISEE consists of five sections that can appear in any order.

Students currently in Grades 4 and 5 take the LOWER test:
The Lower Level test is structured as follows:

Verbal: 20 Synonyms / 20 Sentence Completions (25 min)
Math I*: 35 Multiple Choice & Quantitative Comparisons (35 min)
Reading: 36 Questions (40 min)
Math II**: 35 Multiple Choice (40 min)
Writing Sample: Short Essay (30 min)


Students currently in Grades 6 and 7 take the MIDDLE test:
The Middle Level test is structured as follows:

Verbal: 20 Synonyms / 20 Sentence Completions (20 min)
Math I*: 35 Multiple Choice & Quantitative Comparisons (35 min)
Reading: 40 Questions (40 min)
Math II**: 40 Multiple Choice (45 min)
Writing Sample: Short Essay (30 min)


Students currently in Grades 8 to 11 take the UPPER test:
The Upper Level test is structured as follows:

Verbal: 20 Synonyms / 20 Sentence Completions (20 min)
Math I*: 35 Multiple Choice & Quantitative Comparisons (35 min)
Reading: 40 Questions (40 min)
Math II**: 45 Multiple Choice (40 min)
Writing Sample: Short Essay (30 min)

*Math I questions focus on reasoning and application.
**Math II questions focus on computation and application.

For further information regarding the ISEE test visit the Education Records Bureau website at www.erbtest.org

*ISEE is a registered trademark owned by the Educational Records Bureau.
PREPSKILLS INC. is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the Educational Records Bureau.