ISEE ESSAY

Prompts and Tips for the ISEE Essay

The ISEE essay requires students to write a descriptive essay in thirty minutes. The essay is not scored, but a copy of the writing sample is sent to the admissions officers of the schools to which the ISEE score report is sent. Essay prompts are a great way to practice for the exam. Read on for our best essay prompts and tips. Here’s a list of essay prompts with which to practice: Lower Level (grades…

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Essay Tips and Advice for the ISEE

The key to mastering the ISEE essay is preparing yourself for the difficulty of developing a full essay within 30 minutes. Before we discuss the details of the essay assignment, there’s something you need to know: your ISEE essay is not being scored. It will be sent along with the rest of your test to the schools to which you are applying. It is going to be looked at alongside your admission essay (if the…

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Essay Prompts to Practice for the ISEE

The ISEE essay requires students to write a descriptive essay in thirty minutes. The essay is not scored, but a copy of the writing sample is sent to the admissions officers of the schools to which the ISEE score report is sent. Essay prompts are a great way to practice for the exam. Read on for our best essay prompts and tips. ISEE Essay Tips: Follow directions! Make sure you rewrite the prompt on the…

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10 Traps to Avoid on the ISEE

If your child is interested in attending an independent school, they will likely need to take the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) in order to apply. The test isn’t easy, and there are traps to avoid that you should learn about before sitting for the test. You’ll be set to go once you read our list of ISEE don’ts. Here are our best tips about traps to avoid on the ISEE test.  Don’t try to…

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ISEE Levels, Test Sections, and Timing

A student’s testing level is determined by the grade to which the student is applying for admission—not a student’s current grade. The ISEE has four levels. The test sections, number of questions, and test timing vary by level. Here is a breakdown of the ISEE levels, test sections, and timing for each exam. PRIMARY ISEE LEVELS Primary 2 (applying to Grade 2) Section Questions Time Allotted Auditory Comprehension 6 7 minutes Reading 18 20 minutes…

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Here’s the Key to Mastering the ISEE Essay

The key to mastering the ISEE essay is preparing yourself for the difficulty of developing a full essay within 30 minutes. Before we discuss the details of the essay assignment, there’s something you need to know: your ISEE essay is not being scored. It will be sent along with the rest of your test to the schools to which you are applying. It is going to be looked at alongside your admission essay (if the…

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Structuring Your Standard Essay for the ISEE

The key to structuring your standard essay for the ISEE is to ensure you have the proper format. Here’s the general format for a successful standard essay: Introduction Sentence 1: Thesis/Answering the question Sentence 2: Introduce your first supporting paragraph (what you’re going to say in the second paragraph) Sentence 3: Introduce your second supporting paragraph (what you’re going to say in the third paragraph) Sentence 4: Sum up your ideas and transition into the…

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The Key to Mastering the ISEE Essay

The key to mastering the ISEE essay is preparing yourself for the difficulty of developing a full essay within 30 minutes. Before we discuss the details of the essay assignment, there’s something you need to know: your ISEE essay is not being scored. It will be sent along with the rest of your test to the schools to which you are applying. It is going to be looked at alongside your admission essay (if the…

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ISEE Levels and Timing

Levels & Timing The ISEE has four levels. All levels of the ISEE test include both reading and mathematics multiple-choice questions as well as a writing prompt*. The number of questions and test timing vary. *Writing sample is not administered for New York City applicants when taking the ISEE Primary only. Primary Level (entering Grades 2 – 4) Primary Level 2 (entering Grade 2) Section Questions Time Allotted Auditory Comprehension 6 7 minutes Reading 18…

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Take the ISEE Multiple Times for Best Results!

Did you know: Your child can take the ISEE test multiple times! After the first ISEE test of the season we always receive a great deal of calls from parents concerned about their child’s test scores.  Parents tell us that their children are high-achieving and bright students who receive great grades in school, and they don’t understand why they didn’t perform better on the test. The problem is, these tests contain content that is above your student’s grade level, meaning there is content…

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