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 for the written component of the test, students crafted personal essays, with most commonly used words including “people”, “learn”, “world” and “help”.
For the first time, Test Innovators started to measure grit and provide students with a grit score. This metric indicates student tenacity in goal pursuit, an attribute that schools are increasingly looking for in their admissions evaluations.
Most importantly, the effort expended by students throughout their practice resulted in measurably improved SSAT and ISEE scores.
The Verbal Reasoning section is meant to assess vocabulary, and requires students to identify synonyms and interpret analogies.Fast FactsElementary Level: 20 minutes with 30 questionsMiddle and Upper Level: 30 minutes with 60 questions30 synonyms, 30 analogiesMade up of two question types:Synonym QuestionsAnalogy QuestionsQuestion TypesSynonymSynonym questions ask students to choose the...
The Upper Level SSAT is taken by students applying to grades 9-12. The test is administered both on the computer and on paper and consists of six sections: Writing, Quantitative 1, Reading, Verbal, Quantitative 2, and Experimental.
The last section of the ISEE is the Essay. Students are given 30 minutes to write an essay in response to a prompt. The Essay section is not scored. Instead, a copy of the essay is sent to schools along with the ISEE score report. As you prepare for the...
We get a lot of questions about the particular knowledge requirements on the SSAT, but this one is the most common: which SSAT section is the most crucial to a successful application? And as with any other question, we’ve turned to our extensive data to find the answer. We’ve heard...
Retaking the SSAT can seem like a real pain. You’ve already taken the nearly three-hour test once — is it really worth it to give up a Saturday morning and countless nights studying just to take the same test again?
Have you ever felt the stomach-dropping realization that you have five questions left and only two minutes on the clock?
For some students, time is the biggest challenge on tests like the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and SSAT.
Perhaps you’ve studied the content, and you understand all of the concepts. But the moment...
We are so excited to introduce Loren, one of our 2023 Independent School Tuition Scholars! Loren increased her ISEE score by 18.5%, earning her a spot in the 93rd percentile overall.
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...
Our ISEE Prep Guide is now available in both online and print format. Use the Prep Guide along with our web-based practice platform, and you'll be well on your way to test success!
