How to prepare for the ISEE
The ISEE's five sections, stanine scoring with no guessing penalty, and how to prepare for private-school admission.
The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is the other major private-school admission test. Its scoring rewards a different test-taking approach than the SSAT.
The five sections
- Verbal Reasoning — synonyms and sentence completion.
- Quantitative Reasoning — reasoning over computation.
- Reading Comprehension.
- Mathematics Achievement — grade-level math.
- An unscored essay.
Scoring — no penalty
The ISEE reports stanines (1–9) based on same-grade applicants, and there is no penalty for wrong answers. That means your child should answer every question, even when unsure.
Prep priorities
- Strengthen vocabulary for verbal reasoning.
- Practice quantitative reasoning and grade-level math separately — the ISEE tests both.
- Never leave blanks; teach a confident 'best guess' habit.
- Use timed sections to build stamina across five parts.
Common questions
How is the ISEE different from the SSAT?
The ISEE has a separate Math Achievement section and no guessing penalty (answer everything); the SSAT uses percentiles and penalizes wrong answers.
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