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This is the ISEE Guide that Every Parent Needs to Know

12/26/2017

1 Comment

 
Parent's Guide to the ISEE
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

What is the ISEE?

​The ISEE consists of five sections at three levels designed to measure the verbal and quantitative reasoning and achievement of students in grades 4–11 seeking admission to grades 5–12 in independent schools. Students seeking admission to grades 5 or 6 take the Lower Level; students seeking admission to grades 7 or 8 take the Middle Level; and students seeking admission to grades 9–12 take the Upper Level. 

When can you take the ISEE?

​Students can take the ISEE up to three times in a 12-month admission cycle, once in any or all of the three testing seasons. The seasons are Fall (August–November), Winter (December–March), and Spring/Summer (April–July). 

What is tested on the ISEE?

​The five sections that make up the ISEE are (in order of testing): Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and an Essay which is written by the student in response to a given writing prompt.

What do all these acronyms stand for?

  • ​ERB: The Educational Records Bureau
  • ISEE: Independent School Entrance Exam
  • CTP: Comprehensive Testing Program 
  • ISR: Individual Student Report 

What types of questions are on the ISEE?

​The Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Math Achievement sections contain only multiple-choice questions. Each question has four choices. Only one answer is the correct or “best” answer. The Essay section requires the student to write an essay in response to a prompt. 

How long is the ISEE Lower Level Test (Grades 4-5)?

  1. Essay                                           30 minutes         1 prompt
  2. Verbal Reasoning                     20 minutes        34 questions
  3. Quantitative                               35 minutes        38 questions
  4. Reading Comprehension        25 minutes        25 questions
  5. Mathematics Achievement   30 minutes        30 questions

Total: 2 hours, 20 minutes

How long is the ISEE Middle Level Test (Grades 6-7)?

  1. Essay                                           30 minutes         1 prompt
  2. Verbal Reasoning                     20 minutes       40 questions
  3. Quantitative                               35 minutes       37 questions
  4. Reading Comprehension        35 minutes       36 questions
  5. Mathematics Achievement   40 minutes       47 questions

Total: 2 hours, 40 minutes

How long is the ISEE Upper Level Test (Grades 8-11)?

  1. Essay                                           30 minutes         1 prompt
  2. Verbal Reasoning                     20 minutes       40 questions
  3. Quantitative                               35 minutes       37 questions
  4. Reading Comprehension        35 minutes       36 questions
  5. Mathematics Achievement   40 minutes       47 questions

Total: 2 hours, 40 minutes

What does the ISEE measure?

The ISEE does not measure your student's IQ. It measures the readiness level of the student and academic standing. Is the student prepared for the school of his or her choice? 

Are there any breaks during the test?

​There are two breaks—one following the Quantitative Reasoning section and another following the Math Achievement section. Each break is five to ten minutes long. 

How soon will I receive my student's scores?

​The ISR is posted to the parent online account after scoring, which is approximately 10–14 days after testing. For paper testing, optional expedited receipt of scores online is available to you for an additional $40. This enables the parent to receive the scores on the day the test is scored. An email will be sent to notify you when the scores have posted to your online account, usually the Monday, Wednesday, or Friday after the test. 

What happens to my scores?

​After paper testing, answers and essays are sent to the ISEE Operations Office for scoring of the four multiple choice sections and production of the Individual Student Report (ISR). Copies of the ISR may be emailed to the parent, ERB members, or both. The ISR is posted to the parent online account after scoring, which is approximately 10–14 days after testing. The essay, which is not scored and not released to the parent, is released online (with the ISR) to ERB members. School score reports do not list any recipients other than the individual school receiving the report. 

What materials should students bring to the test?

For paper testing only, students should bring four #2 pencils and two pens with either blue or black ink. Students may choose to use erasable ink. 

What materials are prohibited during the test?

​Most materials other than writing implements are prohibited. Specifically, scratch paper, calculators, calculator watches, rulers, protractors, compasses, dictionaries, and thesauruses are NOT permitted during the actual test. 

Will my student be penalized for wrong answers?

Scores are based on the number of correct answers. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ISEE. So, answer every question, and guess when necessary. ​

What is the difference between the 'raw' and 'scaled' scores?

A raw score represents the number correct. If a student got 31 items correct, then the raw score is simply 31. ​A scaled score is a raw score that has been converted to a different numerical scale, e.g., 200–800. The raw score scale ranges from 0–maximum score, while the scaled score range consists of higher numbers with a somewhat arbitrary minimum and maximum score. The range of scaled scores on the ISEE is 760–940. 

What in the world is a 'stanine'?

The test is the same for different grade levels, e.g. upper level is for 8 to 11 graders. ​How will be my student judged? 

A stanine score is based on percentile ranks. Percentile ranks range from 1–99, while stanines range from 1–9. In general, a stanine score of 1–3 is below average, 4–6 is average, and 7–9 is above average. 

Percentile Rank   Stanine
  • 1–3                     1
  • 4–10                  2
  • 11–22                 3
  • 23–39                4
  • 40–59                5
  • 60–76                6
  • 77–88                7
  • 89–95                8
  • 96–99                9
This is a common question parents have. Your student gets a percentile rank and is only compared to students at the same grade level over the past 3 years. So a 9th grader will only be compared to other 9th graders.

How do I sign up for the test?

Sign up here! ​https://iseeonline.erblearn.org/
1 Comment

You Need to Know Your Superscoring Strategy for the ACT and the SAT

12/19/2017

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What is a Superscore?

Many students take the SAT and the ACT more than once. The question that students often have is which scores should they send to colleges to present their best self?
It depends on the school. Some colleges want all test scores from all the dates. So you cannot be selective. Some schools consider your highest overall score from a single test date, and others would consider a composite of your highest section scores from all test dates. The last one is the Superscore of your test scores.

How To Calculate Your Superscore

  • SAT Superscore the sum of your highest Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores
  • ACT Superscore the average of your highest Math, Science, Reading, and English section scores

​Your SAT Score Strategy

If you take the SAT, you will have the option through the College Board’s reporting tool Score Choice™ to decide by test date which scores will appear on the score reports that the College Board will send to colleges. You may choose, for example, to eliminate your lowest test score from the report for those colleges that don’t require you to send all test scores.

​Your ACT Score Strategy

​If you take the ACT, a record is created each time you take the test, and you tell ACT which test records to release to schools. ACT will send only the test dates you request. Decide which and how many dates to send based on your scores and the school's guidelines about super scoring. If a college requests all of your ACT scores, it’s up to you to ensure that all your test records are released to that school. Also remember you can always cancel your ACT scores even after receiving it! 

List of Colleges that Superscore the ACT and the SAT

SAT: ​https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/professionals/sat-score-use-practices-participating-institutions.pdf
ACT: ​                 https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/colleges-superscore-act
​
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