About the ISEE Upper Level
The ISEE Upper Level is the ACT of private school admissions for grades 9 through 12. Just as colleges use the SAT and ACT to determine applicant preparedness, many independent schools across the US achieve the same effect with the ISEE.
Because teachers, curriculums, and academic difficulty vary from school to school, a student’s report card is not sufficient enough to accurately compare students from different schools. Therefore they use a standardized test like the ISEE.
ISEE is an acronym that stands for the Independent School Entrance Exam. It is administered by the non-profit group ERB, Educational Records Bureau. You’ve probably heard of ERB before in the context of annual testing, particularly if your school administers the CTP-4, which is somewhat similar to the ISEE.
ISEE Upper Level Research, Analysis, & Adice
The Student’s Role in the Private School Admissions Process
The ISEE test is part of a process in which you present yourself as a candidate to a group of people whom you have likely never met. This same group of people has to then decide if they like you or not based on your credentials and, in some cases, your personality. What sounds like a thorough job interview is, in fact, the admissions process for many excellent private high [...]
Piqosity’s Suggested ISEE Exam Prep Timeline
If you or your child is interested in a private middle or high school, you’re likely exploring what to do when it comes to ISEE exam prep. The ISEE (typically pronounced “i-see”) is the Independent School Entrance Examination, used in the process of determining admissions for many private schools. A good ISEE score can set students up for success, which is why it’s so important to prepare for the test [...]
What is Tested on the ISEE Upper Level? Topics, Question Difficulty, and Word Counts
The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Upper Level is a popular admissions test taken by American students applying to private US high schools for grades 9-12. It is developed and marketed by the non-profit Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Students receive about 3-hours to complete the 161-question ISEE, which is comprised of 4, separately scored sub-tests and a non-scored essay: Verbal Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning Reading Comprehension Mathematics Achievement Essay Click here [...]
ISEE Test Dates: How to Choose Your Test Date & Location
If you’re planning to take the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination), you will want to pick ISEE test dates and locations that are convenient for you and your family. Especially for first-time ISEE test-takers, this process can be very involved; an added pressure is that spaces often fill up quickly. Set yourself on a low-stress path to ISEE test success by following our six-step guide to navigating the complexities of [...]
Reading Comprehension Questions on the Upper Level ISEE
Students will have 35 minutes to read six passages and answer 36 questions in the Reading Comprehension section. These passages will cover a wide variety of topics, including the humanities (literature, art, biography), social studies (history, economics, sociology), and science (medicine, meteorology, zoology). Each passage is followed by a number of questions that are based on the content of the passage. These questions are not designed to trick you or ask [...]
ISEE Math Review – Mean, Median, Mode, Range, and Weighted Average
Data, data, data! Most jobs and businesses rely on analyzed data to perform well in the working world, including the ERB. How else do you think the ERB determines Scaled Scores, Percentile Ranks, and Stanines for your ISEE results? Even your grades in school since the beginning have been analyzed to show you and your parents how well you have been performing in class. What you complete in class, such [...]
