ISSE Exam
Many selective private schools in American require prospective students to take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). It is a test designed to do two specific things; to measure a student’s ability to learn and to see how much knowledge they have acquired already. It is a three hour test and it may only be taken once every six months. The test requires the writing of an essay. It is not graded or scored, it is only sent to prospective schools. Except for the essay all tests are multiple-choice.
The first section of the ISEE test is Verbal Reasoning. It is set up around two main factors synonym recognition and the ability to correctly complete the unfinished sentence. This section has forty questions and takes about twenty minutes to complete. The second section is Quantitative Reasoning. Students have thirty five minutes to complete thirty five questions. The aptitudes covered in this section are the abilities to grasp basic math, algebra, geometry, and understanding advanced concepts and applying them, as well as quantitative comparison. Reading Comprehension takes forty minutes and has forty questions about humanities, science, and social studies. The next part of the ISSE is mathematical knowledge and will test students on basic math, algebra, and geometry as well as the ability to apply this knowledge to those areas. Students have forty minutes to complete forty-five questions. Calculators are not permitted. Finally, students will have thirty minutes to write an essay on an assigned topic.
Self-Assessment Practice Tests:
Scores are sent to the parents and students several weeks after the test and the designated schools are similar. This exam really cannot be failed or passed, since each test school has their own standards for acceptable scores. Because admission to private schools is very competitive, there is a six month wait to retake the test and it’s incredibly important to do as well as possible on the ISEE exam. Receiving a high score will enable the student to get into the private school of choice.
Pricing for the ISSE Exam
The ISSE exam is available for a large test group fee of $89 at several different sites, either closed or open. Some private universities reserve their testing services for students who are enrolled in their universities or have at least applied for admission. It is essential to do well on this test; retakes are six months apart and can greatly affect getting into the private university of choice and delay enrollment.
