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…
The synonym section of the ISEE/SSAT tests 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…
The key to performing well on the verbal sections of the ISEE and SSAT tests is mastering vocabulary. One of the main ways to understand how words are built is to study prefixes and roots. It is important to be able to break words that you do not recognize into pieces and decipher the meanings, because it’s better to be able to understand how words are made up than to just memorize them by rote. …
In order to perform well on the ISEE and SSAT tests, learning to study vocabulary is crucial. The Verbal section of each test challenges the vocabulary skills of even the strongest students. It can be difficult to study vocabulary with your busy schedule, but without making it a priority, you will not be able to perform well on the synonyms and analogies portions of the SSAT exam or the synonyms and sentence completions portions of…
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…
Private schools use the test scores for about ⅓ of their admission decision. They typically consider grades, scores, and extracurriculars/recommendations all equally. Remind your child that this test is not the end of the world, and will not be the only indicator of their ability to get into a good school. A perfect score is not necessary, and schools are looking for well-rounded students, so the test is just one part of the application. Private…
Wondering what the differences are between the ISEE and SSAT tests? First of all, below are the levels of the test that your child would be taking: SSAT: Elementary Level SSAT, Students currently in grades 3-4 Middle Level SSAT, Students currently in grades 5-7 Upper Level SSAT, Students currently in grades 8-11 ISEE: Primary Level ISEE, Students currently in grades 2-3 Note: The Primary Level ISEE contains only Reading & Math sections Lower Level ISEE,…
Is your child taking the ISEE/SSAT? 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 not…
Will your child need special accommodations to take the ISEE test? The exam proctors will make every effort to arrange special administrations for students who are unable to take the ISEE under standard conditions because of a documented learning difference or a physical challenge. Read on for instructions on eligibility and how to apply for accommodations. As far as eligibility, students with a documented disability may be eligible for accommodations such as extended time (50…
We recommend that students take the ISEE more than once. Ideally, students take the test once during the course of test preparation with a tutor, and then again at the end of test preparation. This gives students time to learn from their mistakes and practice time-management and test-taking strategies. It also gives tutors the opportunity to use the student’s test as an additional formal assessment with which to guide their instruction over the remainder of…
