ISEE Pacing – Correct pacing is one of the most important skills to master. While different questions may take more or less time to answer, you don’t want to spend more than a couple minutes on any one question (unless you’re done with all others). On the essay, it’s essential to learn how to outline and write out 4 to 5 paragraphs in 30 minutes; hence, practice is critical!
The ISEE Essay – The ISEE’s essay is not graded, but is sent to the schools to which you apply. Choose appropriate essay content, understanding that the school’s admissions department is your audience. What will they learn about you through your writing?
Guessing on the ISEE – There’s no guessing penalty on the ISEE; bubble-in a lettered answer for every question even if you don’t have time to read the question!
Levels of the ISEE – Each level of the ISEE is taken by multiple grades (for example, the Upper Level test is taken by 8th through 11th graders). It’s normal not to know everything on the test –though with preparation you can learn lots of new math concepts and vocabulary words before test day!
ISEE Strategies – Learn them! For example, read non-math questions and come up with an answer before reading the listed answer choices. Many wrong answers are tempting and may trick you; so first decide what you are looking for!
Prepare as you’ll test – Remember to take your practice exams in calm, non-distracting settings, get adequate sleep (especially the few nights before your test), and relax and breathe, both as your prepare and on test day.
There are a few different opportunities for you to send your score report—while registering for the ISEE, before taking the test, and after receiving your score report. The easiest way to access, manage, and send scores is through your ERB parent account.
As part of our mission to help students gain access to quality educational opportunities, we award six merit-based scholarships every year to the Test Innovators students who showed the most improvement on either the SSAT or the ISEE.
This is the first in a three-part series of data analysis posts. We wanted to investigate how a student's grade level affected their performance on our ISEE tests. {C}In the first part, we'll show you our findings about fifth versus sixth grade performance.
Most students can tell you all about their favorite subject in school. Some kids love reading and writing stories, while others are enthralled by a perfectly puzzling math question.
These individual preferences can often correlate with a child’s success on certain ISEE sections, but it’s essential to thoroughly assess a student’s...
Neal Kamsler has worked in New York City independent schools for 35 years, including 21 years as Head of Upper School at Allen-Stevenson School. He also serves as Senior Director of Placement at Oliver Scholars, an educational access organization based in Manhattan. Test Innovators' CEO, Edan Shahar, sits down with...
Scott Duddy is the Director of Admissions and Enrollment at Dexter Southfield and the former Associate Director of Secondary School Counseling at The Fessenden School in Newton, MA. As a dedicated educator with over ten years of admissions and teaching experience, he actively engaged with students and families to understand...
Why are practice tests such a critical piece of preparation?
The American Psychological Association defines the testing effect as the psychological finding that retention is better when taking a test compared to restudying the same material. The testing effect, also called retrieval practice, indicates that practice tests are a more effective...
Are teacher recommendations, grades, or test scores more important for your overall application? In this clip from our CEO's chat with placement expert Neal Kamsler, Neal talks about the different ways that schools might look at your ISEE & SSAT scores, and how those scores fit into the final decision.
For...
Did you know there are over 300 boarding schools in the US? In fact, over 25 are scattered throughout California alone. Today’s boarding schools exude a college campus atmosphere that welcomes students from all over the world to study and learn in a supportive environment.
You may know already that Test Innovators provides online tutoring, but perhaps you’re not convinced yet that online tutoring is the most effective way to help students prepare. To help persuade you, we’ve compiled a list of the unique benefits of online tutoring:
