What’s a Good Score on the ISEE?

Just finished your first ISEE practice test? You’re probably staring at your results and wondering—is this good? You’re not alone! Understanding your ISEE score can feel a little confusing at first, especially since it’s not graded like your usual school tests.

Unlike classroom exams that focus on how many questions you got right, the ISEE is a norm-referenced test. That means it compares your performance to other students your age or in your grade. You don’t need to answer every question perfectly to earn an excellent score—you just need to understand how the scoring works and focus on your personal testing goals. 

Step 1: Understand How the ISEE Is Scored

Before you can define what a “good” score is, it’s important to understand how the ISEE is scored. If you’re unsure about scaled scores, percentiles, and stanines, check out our ISEE scoring guide for a breakdown of how it all works.

Step 2: Take a Practice Test Early

Understanding your starting point is key. A baseline practice test helps you see what you already know, where you need improvement, and what test-taking strategies to focus on. The earlier you do this, the more opportunities you have for progress.

Step 3: Research Your Target Schools

Every school’s admission process is different. While a higher score can strengthen any application, many great schools consider a broad range of percentile scores—often starting around the 60th percentile. They may also weigh other factors like teacher recommendations, interviews, and extracurriculars.

Note: If you’re aiming for highly competitive prep schools, you’ll likely need to target scores in the 90th percentile or above.

Step 4: Define Your Good Score

There’s no universal “good” score—it depends on your goals. Start by identifying the schools you want to apply to and researching their typical applicant profiles. We’ve compiled a list of target ISEE scores by school to help you get started. Once you’ve found your benchmark, you can set a personalized goal and build a plan to reach it. Start your ISEE preparation journey with Test Innovators today!