ISEE: Grades 5 - 12

The ISEE consists of carefully constructed and standardized verbal and quantitative reasoning tests that measure a student’s capability for learning, and reading comprehension and mathematics achievement tests that provide specific information about an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in those areas. All levels include a timed essay written in response to an assigned topic. The essay is not scored, but a copy is forwarded to the recipient schools along with the Individual Student Report, which shows scaled scores, percentiles, and stanines.

The ISEE may only be taken once within a six-month period. It can only be taken when making a formal application to a school. Practice administrations are not allowed.

The charts below are summaries of the ISEE at all levels, including topics covered and time limits.

ISEE Lower Level (Candidates for grades 5 & 6)

ISEE Middle Level (Candidates for grades 7 & 8)

ISEE Upper Level (Candidates for grades 9-12)

Advantages (for admission offices):

• The ISEE is a well-constructed testing instrument written especially for admission evaluation by independent school teachers under the guidance of Educational Testing Service. The ISEE is a secure instrument that is kept under lock and key.
• Registration and scoring are handled by the ISEE Operations Office in Durham, North Carolina. The Operations Office sends you the testing materials already organized by testing rooms.
• Test scores are available to ISEE test site schools electronically the Monday after a Saturday exam – at no charge to the ISEE test site school. Hard copies are mailed and received within five to seven business days of the test administration.
• You determine the date of your testing(s); we do not determine these dates.
• Comprehensive reports allow administrators to use the ISEE as both a placement tool as well as an admission test. The student’s score report may be used by a school as a placement tool as well as an admission test.
• Because of the flexibility in establishing test dates, the ISEE is the perfect test for a group of schools in a geographic area. Consortium testing usually means:
  • A group of schools uses the ISEE as the main test required of applicants. (They may also be sent to non-consortium schools.)
  • Schools take turns serving as test sites.
  • Schools share the cost of advertising for admission testing.
  • Consortium testing dates are listed in the ISEE Student Guide and online.
  • Consortium testing eases the application process for families.
  • ERB offers personal service. We respond to phone calls quickly and check in regularly with our voice mail and email in our NYC and North Carolina offices.

Advantages for a family:

• A student has to take only ONE test that will be accepted by almost every independent school in the United States.
• The registration fee of $78.00 covers the test, a detailed score report showing a student’s reasoning vs. achievement on the ISEE, and the option of having this report sent to six schools as well as the parents. (More schools may be designated as score recipients for a small fee: $15.00 per 6.)
• If the test fee is a hardship for a family, ERB provides fee waivers to ISEE test site schools to distribute to families in need. In the 2006-07 season, ERB waived almost $250,000 in testing fees to families in need.
• Our ISEE staff offers personal service to parents, and will answer any questions they have from registration to interpretation.