The Primary ISEE
The Primary ISEE is administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) to students in grades 1, 2, and 3 who are applying to grades 2, 3, and 4. Many of the independent schools that are members of the ERB require the ISEE, or another standardized test such as the SSAT, as part of their admissions processes. The Primary ISEE ranges in length from 53 to 60 minutes, not including the optional untimed essay. All three levels include mathematics and reading comprehension sections; the Primary 2 ISEE also includes an auditory comprehension section. Calculators are not allowed on the ISEE.
Students can take the ISEE once per season. The Fall season runs from August through November, the Winter season runs from December through March, and the Spring / Summer season runs from April through July. Most students now take the test once in October or November, and again in December, which gives them two chances at the test before the standard January submission deadline.
MATHEMATICS
Questions on the mathematics section conform to national mathematics standards and ask the student to identify the problem and find a solution to the problem. The questions require one or more cognitive steps in calculating the answer. Student can expect to be tested on number sense and operations, geometric concepts, measurement, algebraic concepts, and data analysis and probability. Students receive just over one minute per question on this section.
READING COMPREHENSION
The best way to improve on the reading comprehension section is to read as much as possible! Students who are resistant to reading or who feel they don’t have time to read can focus on age-appropriate newspaper articles or short stories. They should ensure that they read a wide variety of material: fiction, non-fiction, science, technology, arts, and history. In this section the student is asked to read a passage and then answer items specific to that passage. The passages in this section are age-appropriate and length-appropriate. Students receive just over one minute per question on this section.