The Middle Level Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is for students in grades 5 through 7 who are seeking admission to private middle schools. It evaluates students in mathematics, reading, and writing, and is divided into five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and an Essay section. Here’s a table with all the basic info:

Verbal	20 minutes	40 questions
Quantitative	35 minutes	37 questions
Reading Comprehension	35 minutes	36 questions
Mathematics Achievement	40 minutes	47 questions
Essay	30 minutes	1 prompt

Now, let’s take a closer look at the content of the Middle Level ISEE. To begin with, the Verbal Reasoning section is composed of 20 synonym questions and 20 sentence completion questions. In other words, half of the questions will require you to identify the word that means the same as the given word, and half will require you to fill in a blank with the correct word. Each question has four possible answers.  

The Quantitative Reasoning section covers the following content areas: numbers and operations; algebra; geometry; measurement; data analysis and probability; and problem-solving. There are 37 questions that fall into two categories: word problems and quantitative comparisons. In a quantitative comparison question, you will be shown two values and given the following answer choices: 

(A) The quantity in Column A is greater.

(B) The quantity in Column B is greater.

(C) The two quantities are equal. 

(D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. 

Throughout the Quantitative Reasoning section, very little calculation is necessary. The focus is on reasoning, not on handling very large numbers. 

Next is the Reading Comprehension section. In this part of the Middle Level ISEE,  you will read six passages and answer six questions about each. These questions are multiple-choice, and they cover the following skills: identifying main ideas; identifying supporting ideas; making inferences; defining words in context; analyzing structure; and judging tone, style and figurative language. These topics are not covered equally, however: you will see a lot of questions about main and supporting ideas, organization, and inferences, but fewer about vocabulary, tone, and figurative language.

The Mathematics Achievement section covers the same topics as the Quantitative Reasoning section, but these 47 questions will require a bit more calculation. In this section, there tend to be more questions on data analysis and probability than on any other topics. In some questions, you will be asked to identify mathematical errors and correct them. In others, you will have to convert between units of measurement (don’t worry, the conversion factors will be given). 

In the final section of the Middle Level ISEE, you will have to compose a short essay in response to a prompt. Writing the prompt will not require any special knowledge, and most of the prompts are topics of personal interest to middle-school students. For instance, a prompt might ask you to discuss a problem in your school, or explain why social media is good or bad for middle schoolers. The important thing is to respond directly to the prompt in an organized, thoughtful style. 

And that’s it for the Middle Level ISEE! The whole thing takes a little under three hours. We wish you the best of luck on your test. Click here for our complete set of free ISEE study resources.

Tens of thousands of students take the Upper Level SSAT every year. Will you be one of them? Find out more about the test below, and check out our complete set of Upper Level SSAT lessons and practices tests here.

Who takes the Upper Level SSAT and why?

Students in grades 8 through 11 take the Upper Level Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). It is a private school admission test.

How long is the Upper Level SSAT?

The test takes three hours and five minutes in total. There are six sections, with two short breaks. Here’s a complete breakdown of the test structure:

Writing Sample	25 minutes	Choose 1 of 2 prompts
Break	5 minutes
Quantitative (Math)	30 minutes	25 questions
Reading	40 minutes	40 questions
Break	10 minutes
Verbal	30 minutes	60 questions
Quantitative (Math)	30 minutes	25 questions
Experimental	15 minutes	16 questions

What types of questions are on the Upper Level SSAT?

The Verbal, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative (Math) sections are multiple choice. Each question has five answer choices. For the Writing sample, you may choose one of two prompts.

How is the Upper Level SSAT graded?

You will receive a scaled score ranging from 500 to 800. This is based on a raw score, which is calculated as follows: You receive one point for each correct answer. A quarter of a point is deducted for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions do not affect the raw score. (This means that it is better not to answer a question than to answer it incorrectly.) The Writing section is ungraded, though your response will be sent to school admission departments along with your test scores.

What should you bring on testing day?

You should bring your own wooden #2 pencils with erasers. You may not bring a calculator or any other tool.

Check out all of our free Upper Level SSAT resources here.

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