ISEE Frequently Asked Questions

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ISEE

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any questions about the ISEE exam? If so, check our FAQ sections below. We have answered some of the most commonly asked questions about the ISEE exam so your child can be better prepared for test day. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We hope this information helps!

The ISEE was created by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) as part of its admissions procedure for its member schools. The ISEE, like other standardized tests, is designed to offer a consistent method of measuring the skills that have been acquired by school applicants. The ERB’s objective, which dates back to 1927, is to produce learning and testing solutions that assist schools in developing a better curriculum, teaching, and learning by diagnosing assessment outcomes that address fundamental learning standards.

The majority of the ISEE questions were developed by ERB-member instructors and administrators from a diverse range of independent schools throughout the United States. They create such content under the supervision of test development professionals at Measurement Incorporated. The test aligns with the national standards in English and mathematics, established by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

Depending on your preference and situation, you may take the ISEE in one of the following ways:

  • The ISEE is conducted by a consortium of institutions in certain cities around the United States that have joined together to adopt a standardized entrance exam.
  • The ISEE is given at individual school test sites in a variety of schools around the country and internationally on different test dates.
  • The ISEE is offered at the ERB office in New York, as well as other offices around the country and internationally.
  • The ISEE Executive Director can provide arrangements for testing, including housing and administration, in remote locations.

Educational Records Bureau
222 E. 42nd Street, Suite 100
New York, NY 10017
800-989-3721, ext. 9812
www.erblearn.org

Yes. The ISEE can now be taken online, depending on your location. This “on-demand” test administration alternative allows a student to take the test at any time during the week, with no need to schedule ahead of time.

The new ISEE Primary, which is for students entering grades 2–4, is now only available online too.

You can take the ISEE test up to three times per year, once per testing season. The following is how the ISEE explains testing seasons:

  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring / Summer
  • August – November
  • December – March
  • April – July

The number of correct answers is used to compute the score. An omitted answer counts the same as an incorrect answer. If they don’t know the answer, students should make an educated estimate. No student is expected to get all of the questions right.

Independent school admissions often end before the spring semester, so the earlier you apply, the better. As such, families should carefully examine the timing of their selected ISEE examination. Students may not be completely prepared if the test is taken too early in the school year since topics that the student has yet to cover in class may be on the test. On the other hand, there may not be enough time for a retake if it is taken too late.

The most common test dates are in November, but each child is different, schools have varying degrees of competitiveness for slots, and some schools provide rolling applications throughout the spring and summer. Thus, parents should know as much as they can about the admissions process at their preferred school and take into account their child’s requirements and existing academic progress.

There are several factors that help determine the cost of ISEE. You may check the table below to get a better understanding:

Other than registration fees, It’s also crucial to factor in the costs of additional preparation materials. Study materials and practice books range in price from $20 to $40, and some parents may even prefer to pay for outside tutoring at a rate of $100 to $200 per hour. Online and in-person preparation classes, which can cost hundreds of dollars, are also available from a variety of organizations.

Luckily, Aisha’s ISEE Tutors ensures to offer the lowest cost for ISEE tutoring services in the industry. Aisha’s ISEE Tutors offers a flat rate program that helps students receive the best value for their money.

The ISEE has six levels, and depending on the grade of the student, he or she will be required to take a specific level of the ISEE. The information below can help you determine which level of the ISEE is appropriate for your child:

  • Primary 2:
  • For students currently in grade 1 (applicants to grade 2)
  • Primary 3:
  • For students currently in grade 2 (applicants to grade 3)
  • Primary 4:
  • For students currently in grade 3 (applicants to grade 4)
  • Lower Level:
  • For students currently in grades 4 and 5 (applicants to grades 6 or 7)
  • Middle Level:
  • For students currently in grades 6 and 7 (applicants to grades 7 or 8)
  • Upper Level:
  • For students currently in grades 8 and above (applicants to grades 9 – 12)

Students must check-in on the day of the test by presenting their verification letter or valid ID. Before starting each portion of the test, they are requested to ask the test supervisors for clarification if needed. Before the end of each test section, students will be given a 5-minute warning. Before time is called in the essay portion, pupils are given a 15- and 5-minute notice. Once time is up, students cannot return to a completed test section.

Other than your verification letter and ID, you need to bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils and a good eraser for the test booklet. You should also bring 2 pens with either black or blue ink.

Those who have taken the test can expect to get their ISEE scores within 2 weeks or 14 days.

Paper tests are evaluated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, thus they usually are graded the same week as the test or the week after. Once the results are given, the student report is uploaded to the family’s online account, and an email notice is issued to the family.

Online exams can be scored even faster, and the results are submitted to the family’s online account as soon as they are finished.

Once the exam has been scored, reports are also delivered electronically to any schools that the family has specified as recipients during the enrollment process.

How is

The ISEE Scored?

Students will get their ISEE results through an Individual Student Report, as well as a pamphlet that explains what the report entails. The report is divided into two sections: the Test Profile (which refers to overall performance) and the Analysis (which breaks down scores by section in more detail). The following phrases are used to describe the results: “scaled scores,” “percentiles,” and “stanines.” You may learn more about them by reading here.

Test Profile and Analysis

The Test Profile is the first component of the Individual Student Report, and it contains the following information:

  • Scaled Score
  • Percentile Rank
  • Stanine
  • Stanine Analysis

The Analysis section, which appears underneath that information, provides a more extensive assessment of the student’s performance and expertise in many subject areas. The results for each question are shown in the Analysis, along with the number of questions in each part and the number of questions properly answered. The following symbols are used to display the outcomes of each question:

  • Correct Answer
  • Incorrect Answer
  • Question was skipped

N

  • Question was not reached
  • Scaled Score

A student’s raw score, which is the score earned for successfully answered questions, is converted to a scaled score. Because ERB creates multiple versions of the exam, each with a slightly different content and difficulty level, raw results must be adjusted. Scaled scores accommodate for these changes, allowing scaled results to be compared reliably across multiple test versions.

  • Percentile Rank

According to a percentage scale, a student’s percentile rank reflects how they performed relative to other students of their age group during the past three years. As such, a percentile rank of 75, for example, indicates that the student performed as well or as better than 75% of all test takers.

  • Stanine Score

The stanine is similar to the percentile rank in that it places student scores on a scale for easy comparison, but this time from 1-9. The higher the stanine score, the better a student has performed. Those at either end of the scale have fewer students, while those in the middle have more, representing the norms across the entire population.

  • Stanine Analysis

The stanine Analysis enables for comparing of test sections pertaining to “ability” and “achievement.” Ability exams include the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections, while achievement assessments include the Reading Comprehension and Mathematical Achievement sections. The range shown by the darkened region in the stanine analysis part of the Test Profile indicates if there is an overlap between ability and achievement. As per the ability test, if the darkened regions don’t overlap, it means you’re falling short of your potential in that knowledge area.

We Help

Support Your Child’s Mental Health

During preparation for ISEE, students are under a lot of pressure. This can often lead to students feeling overwhelmed and stressed. At Aisha’s ISEE Tutor, we understand the importance of mental health, and we want to help our students succeed both mentally and academically. As such, we never pressure our students, and we always try to create a supportive and positive environment.

If you’re looking for help preparing your child for the ISEE, be sure to contact us today! Our expert tutors can provide your child with all the information and practice questions they need to get the grades they deserve.