When preparing for admissions exams, many students and families have questions about testing accommodations. What are they exactly? How do you know if you’re eligible? What does the application process look like? Testing accommodations are modifications to the standard testing conditions designed to help students with disabilities or medical needs demonstrate their true abilities on admissions exams. These changes don’t alter the content or scoring of the test—they’re simply meant to provide equitable access to…
The ISEE and SSAT tests have long been application staples for private school admissions. The test scores help independent school admissions offices evaluate candidates from different schools and regions with a standard metric. COVID-19 changed many things, however, and college and private school admissions are no exception. During the time when the pandemic disrupted in-person testing for both the ISEE and SSAT, at-home testing was introduced, but some schools also decided to go test optional.…
The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is a test many independent schools use as part of their admissions process. The Primary ISEE is taken by students applying to grades 2-4. The Primary Level ISEE has three levels: Primary Level 2 for students applying to 2nd grade, Primary Level 3 for students applying to 3rd grade, and Primary Level 4 for students applying to 4th grade. Primary Level 2 Here’s a breakdown of the Primary 2…
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…
ISEE versus SSAT: which one should your child take? First of all, below are the levels of the test that your child would be taking: ISEE: Primary Level ISEE, Students currently in grades 2-3 Note: The Primary Level ISEE contains only Reading & Math sections Lower Level ISEE, Students currently in grades 4-5 Middle Level ISEE, Students currently in grades 6-7 Upper Level ISEE, Students currently in grades 8-11 SSAT: Elementary Level SSAT, Students currently…
In order to perform well on the ISEE and SSAT tests, learning to study vocabulary effectively is crucial. The Verbal section of each test challenges the vocabulary skills of even the strongest students. It can be difficult to study vocabulary effectively 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…
COVID-19 has changed all aspects of our lives, and that includes standardized testing. Here is how the global pandemic affects ISEE test-taking. In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, ERB is offering families a secure, online, remotely-proctored option that enables students to take the ISEE in their homes at a time that is convenient for their schedules. This option is only available to those students applying to grades 5-12 and testing in the United…
When it comes to taking the ISEE, there are some crucial differences between the paper test and the online version. Check out this list of FAQs and answers to find out more. What is the difference between the ISEE and ISEE Online? The ISEE and ISEE Online offer the same high standards for admission assessment. The ISEE Online modality provides schools and families even greater choices and flexibility. The only difference between taking the paper-pencil…
