ISEE TEST PREP

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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9 Tips for Avoiding Traps with the ISEE Test

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. You’ll be set to go once you read our list of ISEE don’ts. Here are our best tips for avoiding traps on the ISEE test.  Don’t wait until the last minute to prep. Starting early is essential to understanding and becoming comfortable with the test format, which in turn…

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Is Your Child Taking the ISEE Exam?

Is your child taking the ISEE exam? It’s important for you and your child to understand that the test is far more challenging than the typical tests they have taken in school. The test is taken by the best and brightest students applying for competitive schools, so the pool of students taking the test is already very high-achieving. The makers of the test have developed the content to be challenging enough that most students will…

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Do You Know How to Read Your Child’s ISEE Score Report?

Need help deciphering your child’s ISEE score report? The Individual Student Report (ISR), which will be posted to your family’s online account several days after your child takes the ISEE exam, shows the results from your child’s exam day and some useful metrics for gauging how well they performed on the exam. Copies of the ISEE score report are also emailed to ERB schools and consultants if you have listed them as recipients (The essay,…

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ISEE Test Day: Do You Know What to Expect?

Families should try to keep test day as stress-free as possible. They should give themselves plenty of travel time to avoid any undue anxiety from rushing. Families should also confirm that they have all the required testing materials handy for test day. Students should get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast or lunch before the test, and refrain from any last-minute cramming. WHAT TO BRING: Do not bring any personal items or materials to the…

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The One-Two Pass: General ISEE Test-Taking Strategy

In the Synonym, Sentence Completion, and Math sections of the ISEE, it is important for you to become comfortable with the one-two pass strategy.  In the first pass, you should only attempt problems that you feel you have a good chance of being able to answer correctly. In the second pass, you should attempt the remaining problems. By using the one-two pass strategy, you won’t get caught up on a difficult problem halfway through and…

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Mastering the Reading Sections of the ISEE Test

The key to mastering the reading sections of the ISEE test is two-fold: reading the passage effectively, and answering the questions efficiently. The reading section of the ISEE is designed to assess how well you are able to grasp the main idea and tone of a passage. The most important thing to remember is that you are not expected to retain details as you read. This is different from how you probably read other books…

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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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Traps to Look Out For on the Synonym Section of the ISEE

The synonym section of the ISEE test is very challenging due to the difficult vocabulary, as well as the traps that the test-makers include to confuse you. The first trap to look out for is the Secondary Part of Speech Trap. Sometimes the word has a secondary meaning when it is used in a different part of speech. For example, words can be both a noun and a verb, and have different meanings depending on…

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