What Does ISEE Measure and How is it Scored

What does ISEE mean?

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the method to distinguish the applicant’s academic abilities to know their admission eligibility by the independent elementary and secondary schools.

To get admission in 5th-12th grades, the most common way to enter is through these levels of exams

• The Lower level exam – For getting admission in 5th and 6th grade.
• The Middle-level exam - For getting admission in 7th and 8th grade.
• The Upper-level exam - For getting admission in 9th to 12th grade.

In ISEE, there are 5 sections, from which four are scored on the parameter of Stanine scale from 1 to 9. These four sections include Math achievement (MA), Quantitative Reasoning (QR), Reading Comprehension (RC), and Verbal Reasoning (VR). The Essay section is unscored and is sent for review to the admission directors.

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What is the structure of the ISEE Exam?

The ISEE test focuses on different subjects for evaluating the performance in each of them. ISEE test taken at the primary level is different from the other level of ISEE exams, i.e. Lower, Middle and Upper levels. So, the structure of the exam can be divided into two groups.

Structure of exam at Lower, Middle, and Upper Levels

The structure of the exam is divided into five sections for Lower, Middle, and Upper level:

• Verbal Reasoning – Here, two subsections include questions on sentence completion and synonyms. It tests the ability of sentence completion and vocabulary. Students need to choose a suitable phrase or word which makes the sentence complete.
• Quantitative Reasoning – Here, the test is of different math concepts and many have word problems. The concepts which are covered here include –

1. Applications/ higher-order thinking
2. Algebra
3. Data analysis and probability
4. Quantitative comparisons
5. Numbers and operations
6. Concept/understanding
7. Measurement

• Mathematics achievement – In this section, the topics for tests are data analysis and probability, numbers and operations, geometric concepts, algebraic concepts, and measurement. The clarity of the concept is checked through multiple-choice questions.
• Reading comprehension – The ability of the students is tested by interpreting the questions and understanding them. There are six reading passages based on social studies, humanities, and science. Students need to understand the passage and answer some questions based on it.
• Essay - Students are given a topic on the spot and are asked to provide an informative essay on the same.

The score of the ISEE Test

Students mostly get their score on the ISEE test within 7 to 10 working days from their test date. This score is sent automatically to the selected schools. This score is not based on the number of questions answered correctly but based on right or wrong.

ERB, a group that administers the exam of ISEE sends out the scores ranging from 760 - 940, including a percentile ranking from 1 - 99 based on the student’s scores in the last 3 years.

Percentile ranking helps the private schools to compare the performance of students among other applicants. The higher percentile indicates a better score in ISEE.

How is the ISEE scale report interpreted?

There are three ways in which the report can be interpreted.

1. Test profile

This gives a gist of the overall performance of the students based on the last four sections of the test including Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. The test profile also shows ISEE scores as percentile ranks and scaled scores. These scores and rankings are based on the last 3 years’ scores taken by the independent school applicants.

2. Scaled scores

The score of ISEE is scaled in the range of 760-940. This score is scaled and is more useful than any other score as it carries the same meaning, no matter which version of the test is being used. Every year, ERB administers various versions of the test. There are slight differences that are carefully being considered to make a score based on the common scale. It will give the same meaning to all the students who have taken the test, irrespective of the version of test taken by them.

3. Percentile Ranks

This indicates where the student stands in respect of other students who had taken the test in the last three years. This is not the percentage of questions that a student had answered correctly, but if a student has scored 76 percentile rank, it implies that the student will be higher than 76 percent of students and lower than 24 percent among the test-takers in the last 3 years.

Conclusion

The ISEE test is important for a student to get admission to a private school. During this pandemic, this test can be taken at home. The certified monitor administers this exam through a webcam and in case the student finds any difficulty in using any programs, the monitors assist them.

With systematic preparation, the student can score well in the ISEE exam and secure their seat in the school of their choice. So prepare yourself well and give your 100% in the exams.