The ISEE is an exam students take to gain admission to selective, private, middle and high schools. It features four multiple choice sections and an essay. The Verbal Reasoning section tests a student’s vocabulary and facility with context clues, the Quantitative Reasoning and Math Achievement sections tests a student’s facility with word problems and complex math concepts, and the Reading section tests a student’s ability to identify big ideas and details in several short reading passages.

The simple answer: Most students can now take it twice. ​ Thanks to a recent change by the Educational Records Bureau, there are now three “testing windows” during which students are allowed to take the ISEE: August-November, December – February, and April – August. However, only the first two of those windows fall during the regular secondary school admissions window.

No. If a student hits his/her target score range the first time he/she takes ISEE, prep is done.

LOWER LEVEL: The Lower Level ISEE is for students in Grades 4 and 5 who are applying for admission to Grades 5 and 6. ​ We recommend starting prep in August, working towards taking the exam in November and again in December. MIDDLE LEVEL: The Middle Level ISEE is for students in Grades 5 and 6 who are applying for admission to Grades 7 and 8. On the Middle Level ISEE, the Quantitative Reasoning section is split between word problems and quantitative comparisons. The mid-level ISEE may be the hardest standardized test your child ever takes. ​ Unlike other entrance exams, the mid-level ISEE tests math concepts that are FAR beyond grade level, including some 9th and 10th grade math. It is heavy on algebra and word problems. Expect questions on slope, Pythagorean theorem, special right triangles, triangle similarity, and coordinate graphing. ​ Doing well on the mid-level ISEE requires significantly more preparation than doing well on either the upper or lower level exams. We recommend starting prep in the summer after 5th grade, with the goal of taking the exam in November and then again in December. ​ UPPER LEVEL: The Upper Level ISEE is for students in grades 8-11 who are applying for admission to grades 9-12. On the Upper Level ISEE, the Quantitative Reasoning section is split between word problems and quantitative comparisons. The math sections test topics that go up to 12th grade math, including matrices, polynomial factoring, and absolute value inequalities. We recommend starting prep in August, working towards taking the exam in November and again in December.

The Middle Level ISEE, taken for admission to grades 7 and 8, features math that goes far beyond grade level. Though the test is graded on a curve, the math on the test still presents a unique challenge, especially to 6th graders.

We suggest students take the exam for the first time in November, and then again in December. This provides enough time for students to prepare for the exam, but also ensures that it’s done before Christmas. ​ We don’t think students should have to study for ISEE over the holidays!

For the Lower and Upper Level exams, we recommend 4 months of prep, starting in August. For the extremely challenging Middle Level exam, we recommend 6-7 months of prep, starting in June.

Test-taking, like trumpet playing or swimming or chess, is its own unique skill. During sessions, our tutors teach students dozens of ISEE-specific strategies that help them avoid traps, manage their time, and guess effectively. Students then practice these strategies during weekly homework assignments. We also help students develop “test-week” game plans, so that they walk into the ISEE feeling confident and prepared. ​ Because of the unique challenge of the mid-level ISEE, when preparing students for that exam, Ivy Method's tutors will also also teach students new math content they haven’t yet seen in school, starting with the fundamentals of algebra and building to more advanced topics.

The Short Answer: ​ The ISEE is graded on a curve. The “stanine” score, a number from 1-9, represents how well a student did in comparison to his/her same-aged peers. These stanines are not evenly distributed: 87% of students score between 4 and 7 on each section, while only 3% of students receive a 9. ​ The Long Answer: ​ A student’s raw score—how many questions they got right—is first converted into a numerical score between 700 and 900 that’s essentially meaningless, then converted into a percentile that compares a student to his/her same-aged peers. (For example, if a 6th grader were in the 60th percentile for reading, this means that she scored better at the reading than 60% of other 6th graders in that section.) ​ Each percentile is converted into a “stanine,” a number from 1-9 that corresponds to the student’s percentile. These stanines fall along a bell curve, and are NOT evenly distributed—only 3% of students get a 1 or a 9, while 19% of students get a 5 and 16% of students get a 6. ​ Percentile | Rank Stanine 1–3 | 1 4–10 | 2 11–22 | 3 23–39 | 4 40–59 | 5 60–76 | 6 77–88 | 7 89–95 | 8 96–99 | 9

No, your child doesn’t need all 9s! ​ For the most competitive schools in Los Angeles, 7s and 8s are good target scores. We have, however, occasionally seen top schools admit students with 5s and 6s because they submitted fantastic applications. Secondary schools also know that kids sometimes have a bad day. If a kid does poorly on the ISEE but has a strong application package, schools will sometimes ask to see ERB scores.

Yes! We offer comprehensive essay support and review as well as mock interviews with a former Harvard admissions interviewer.