One of the most common mistakes that students make on the SSAT and ISEE is not reading the directions and questions carefully. While the sentence instructions may seem self-explanatory, they actually provide important information about how to approach the questions in that section. At the beginning of every section of the SSAT or ISEE, make sure that you read the section instructions carefully; nothing hurts more than missing a question because you haven’t read the instructions!
You should also be careful to read each individual question very carefully. Because the ISEE and SSAT are timed, it’s easy to rush through reading the questions, jumping right into solving them. However, students who read the questions too quickly often misread important information, miss part of the question, or misinterpret what the question is asking. On the SSAT and ISEE, every word counts!
Rather than rushing through the question, practice reading each question twice. The first time you read the question, ask yourself, “What is this question asking me?” The second time you read it, underline the important information to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
In May 2025, Texas passed a new education bill launching school vouchers in 2026 through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Families may receive $10,000 per child to use toward private school tuition, tutoring, educational therapy, and more. With broad eligibility and limited spots, now is the time to explore school options,...
The beauty of a multiple-choice test like the SSAT is that you can be sure the correct answer is there! On every question, even if you aren’t sure how to find the correct answer, see if there are answer choices you know are wrong. Eliminate these and then make an...
The Middle and Upper Level SSAT have six total sections. Two are unscored: the Writing Sample and the Experimental Section. The other four are scored: the two Quantitative (Math) Sections, the Reading Section, and the Verbal Section.
As you can see, 2017 was a year of student perseverance and pushing boundaries. 25,315 students from over 100 different countries answered over three million practice questions. Impressively, they spent 118,029 hours taking practice tests, studying vocabulary, watching instructional videos, and working through question banks. To prepare...
Applying to independent schools can be daunting for students, families, and educators alike, and the testing component is no exception. When they begin the admissions process, few students have experience with high-stakes admissions tests. However, with the right preparation—including sufficient practice test opportunities—students can improve their test scores to help...
Every student is different, and every student’s test prep needs are different too. Test Innovators’ online platform provides every student with a Personalized Prep Plan, targeted to an individual’s specific needs. The Prep Plan provides guidance on next steps and auto-generates specific recommendations for practice to complete.
After families take the ISEE test, we often receive questions from confused test-takers and parents. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we’re asked about ISEE score reports.
Brenna O’Neill, President of Test Innovators, joined Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley on their podcast, Tests and the Rest, to discuss the ISEE. Listen to the episode to learn all about the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), including how and where it’s administered, what materials are covered, and...
Parents often ask us which ISEE section is the most important to a competitive application. It’s also a question we like to discuss with our internal team and with our network of tutors and school administrators. And as with everything else, we’ve analyzed our data to find the answer to...
