The independent school entrance exam is used by non-public schools to evaluate potential students for admission. There are three levels of the ISEE exam:
- Lower level-for entrance into grades 5-6
- Middle level-for entrance into grades 7-8
- Upper level-for entrance into grades 9-12
There are five different sections of the ISEE test. They are: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics achievement, and essay.
Verbal Reasoning
This part of the independent school entrance exam tests two different skills. The first part is about synonyms and being able to recognize and properly use them. The second part of this section of the ISEE test is about being able to identify words in context. Practicing for this section is a good idea. It will help you to more quickly identify synonyms on the ISEE test so that you can be sure of finishing in time. The answers in this part are multiple choice, so reading the entire paragraph is important as it will help you in understanding which is the best choice.
Quantitative Reasoning
This part of the ISEE exam tests the student’s comprehension, application, and interpretation skills. This section tests the understanding and ability to be able to solve math problems. Practice is the key. Doing so will help you to gain more knowledge about the concepts necessary to get a good score in this section.
Mathematics Achievement
This section of the independent school entrance exam tests your knowledge of math. The areas covered are: basic math, algebra, and geometry. It is important to note that in this section of the ISEE test calculators will not be allowed. It is the student’s ability that is being tested, not proper use of a calculator. If you have sample pages, use them. It will help you to understand the types of questions asked and how they are formed.
Reading Comprehension
This part of the ISEE exam has questions about several short passages. The subjects covered in the paragraphs of this section are: humanities, science, and social studies. This section covers the student’s ability to understand what they are reading. Since there is more reading in this section of the ISEE test, it is a good idea to prepare by doing a lot of reading. This will help with the flow of reading when you take this portion of the ISEE exam.
Essay
This part of the independent school entrance exam is not actually scored. It is sent to the student’s potential school as a way for them to evaluate the student’s writing ability. The essay question, therefore, will be the student’s personal opinion in answer to the question presented. This part of the ISEE exam tests the student’s ability to prepare and plan what they will write. Practice for this section involves writing essays on various topics. Doing so will help you be more efficient on this section of the ISEE test.
Test Breakdown
- Verbal reasoning-This section of the ISEE exam contains 40 questions. The lower level must complete it in 25 minutes. The middle and higher levels must complete it in 20 minutes.
- Quantitative reasoning-This section of the ISEE exam contains 35 questions for all levels. All three levels must complete this section in 25 minutes.
- Reading comprehension-This section of the ISEE exam contains 25 items for the lower level, with 25 minutes to complete it. The middle and upper levels each have 36 items and 35 minutes in which to complete it.
- Mathematics achievement-This section of the ISEE test for the lower level has 30 questions and 30 minutes to complete it. The middle and higher levels each have 47 questions and 40 minutes to complete it.
- All levels have 30 minutes to complete this section of the ISEE exam