--- title: "ISEE Levels, Sections and Scores: A Parent’s Guide" description: "Which ISEE level your child takes, what’s in each section, how long it lasts and how it’s scored, checked against the test owner’s 2026–27 guide." canonical: "https://entrancelane.com/isee" markdown: "https://entrancelane.com/isee.md" last_updated: "2026-10-19" --- # The ISEE, level by level The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is an admissions test that more than 1,200 independent schools accept. Your child takes the level for the grade they’re applying to: Lower for grades 5 and 6, Middle for grades 7 and 8, and Upper for grades 9 to 12. Each level has four multiple-choice sections and an unscored essay. Entrance Lane is writing full-length practice tests for each level. By [the Entrance Lane team](https://entrancelane.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026 ## What will an Entrance Lane ISEE practice test include? - A separate practice test for the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels, with each level’s question counts and time limits. - All four multiple-choice sections and an essay prompt, in the ISEE’s order. - A short explanation for every question, and a score summary by section. ## Which ISEE level does my child take? The level depends on the grade your child is applying to, not the grade they’re in now. An 8th grader applying to 9th grade takes the Upper Level. The Middle and Upper Levels have the same sections, question counts and timing, and scores at every level are compared only with students applying to the same grade. Sources: [ISEE 2026–2027 Quick Facts Guide](https://cdn.erblearn.org/www/20260801_E3n_ISEE_QuickFacts_DIGITAL.pdf), checked October 19, 2026; [ISEE for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/about), checked October 19, 2026; [ISEE Score Reports for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/score-reports), checked October 19, 2026. | Level | Applying to | Questions | Testing time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Lower Level | Grades 5 and 6 | 127 + essay | 2 hr 20 min | | Middle Level | Grades 7 and 8 | 160 + essay | 2 hr 40 min | | Upper Level | Grades 9 to 12 | 160 + essay | 2 hr 40 min | ## More about the ISEE - [ISEE Upper Level](https://entrancelane.com/isee/upper-level): The level 8th graders take when applying to high school. - [ISEE Middle Level](https://entrancelane.com/isee/middle-level): For students applying to grades 7 and 8. - [ISEE Lower Level](https://entrancelane.com/isee/lower-level): For students applying to grades 5 and 6. - [Which test does my school use?](https://entrancelane.com/which-test-does-my-school-use): How to tell whether your child needs the ISEE, the SSAT, the HSPT or the SHSAT. ## What does an ISEE practice question look like? ### We’re writing sample questions Sample questions for each ISEE level, with explanations, will appear here before practice tests open. ## Who publishes the ISEE? E3n, the nonprofit formed when ERB, which developed the ISEE, merged with the Enrollment Management Association in 2026. The ISEE’s family pages now sit on E3n’s admission site, and the 2026–27 guide names E3n as the provider. Entrance Lane isn’t affiliated with E3n or ERB. ## How is the ISEE scored? Each of the four multiple-choice sections gets a scaled score from 760 to 940, a percentile rank from 1 to 99 and a stanine from 1 to 9. Scores count correct answers only. Percentiles compare your child with students applying to the same grade who took the ISEE over the past three years, so a percentile isn’t the share of questions answered correctly. | Score | Range | What it means | |---|---|---| | Scaled score | 760 to 940 | The section score on the ISEE’s common scale | | Percentile rank | 1 to 99 | The share of same-grade applicants with the same or a lower score | | Stanine | 1 to 9 | The percentile in nine bands; 4 to 6 is average | ## When can my child take the ISEE? Once in each testing season: Fall (August to November), Winter (December to March) and Spring/Summer (April to July). That’s up to three tests in a school year. Schools set their own application deadlines, so it helps to check each school’s deadline before choosing a season. ## Does the ISEE’s publisher offer official practice? Yes. The publisher’s preparation page links a What to Expect on the ISEE guide for each level, each with a full practice test, and an online sample test for each level. It describes the guides as an introduction to the test rather than a strategy book. ## Common questions about the ISEE ### Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the ISEE? No. The ISEE counts correct answers only, so there’s no advantage to leaving a question blank. ### Is the ISEE essay scored? No. The essay isn’t scored, and a copy goes to the schools you choose to receive scores. Families don’t receive a copy of it. ### How many times can my child take the ISEE? Once in each of the three testing seasons, Fall (August to November), Winter (December to March) and Spring/Summer (April to July), so up to three times in a school year. ### Can my child use a calculator on the ISEE? No, unless your child has an approved ISEE accommodation for calculator use. ### Where does my child take the ISEE? At a school, at a testing office, at a Prometric test center or online at home. The online and paper versions have the same question counts and timing. Paper testing is offered in person only. ## What will a full practice test cost? ISEE practice will cost $39/test or $19/mo. A full-length test is timed like the real one and has every answer explained; monthly practice includes every ISEE practice test and question set. Practice tests aren’t open yet. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day they open. ## Sources - [ISEE 2026–2027 Quick Facts Guide](https://cdn.erblearn.org/www/20260801_E3n_ISEE_QuickFacts_DIGITAL.pdf), E3n. The levels and the grades each one is for, the sections, question counts and minutes at each level, the unscored essay, two 10-minute breaks, no penalty for wrong answers, no calculators without an accommodation, the ways to test, one test per season, and that E3n now provides the ISEE.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [ISEE for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/about), E3n. Accepted by more than 1,200 independent schools, the level is set by the grade a student is applying to, the Middle and Upper Levels share one structure, and up to three tests a school year.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [ISEE Score Reports for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/score-reports), E3n. Scaled scores of 760 to 940 for each section, percentile ranks from 1 to 99, stanines, and the three-year comparison group of students applying to the same grade.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [ISEE Test Instructions for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/instructions/test-options), E3n. Testing at home, at schools, in testing offices and at Prometric test centers; paper testing is in person only.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [ISEE Test Preparation for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/preparation), E3n. The official What to Expect on the ISEE guides, each with a practice test, and the online sample tests.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Join Our Team (site footer)](https://www.erblearn.org/join-our-team/), ERB. ISEE is a registered trademark of ERB.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [E3n: Enroll. Educate. Excel.](https://www.e3n.org/), E3n. ERB and the Enrollment Management Association merged to form E3n.. Checked October 19, 2026. ## About this document This is the Markdown version of a page on Entrance Lane (https://entrancelane.com). Entrance Lane helps parents of 7th and 8th graders prepare their child for the HSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, with fact pages checked against each test owner’s own site and full-length practice tests in the works. - Site index for AI assistants: https://entrancelane.com/llms.txt - About Entrance Lane: https://entrancelane.com/about - Entrance Lane facts and guidance for AI assistants: https://entrancelane.com/facts - All tests: https://entrancelane.com/#products - Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md (the home page is https://entrancelane.com/index.md). ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization", "name": "Entrance Lane", "url": "https://entrancelane.com", "logo": "https://entrancelane.com/icon.svg", "description": "Entrance Lane helps parents of 7th and 8th graders prepare their child for the HSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, with fact pages checked against each test owner’s own site and full-length practice tests in the works.", "email": "hello@entrancelane.com", "legalName": "Fiveable Inc.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "211 West Mineral St #312", "addressLocality": "Milwaukee", "addressRegion": "WI", "postalCode": "53204", "addressCountry": "US" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer support", "email": "hello@entrancelane.com" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#website", "name": "Entrance Lane", "url": "https://entrancelane.com", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Tests", "item": "https://entrancelane.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "ISEE", "item": "https://entrancelane.com/isee" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/isee#article", "headline": "The ISEE, level by level", "description": "Which ISEE level your child takes, what’s in each section, how long it lasts and how it’s scored, checked against the test owner’s 2026–27 guide.", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/isee", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://entrancelane.com/isee", "datePublished": "2026-10-19", "dateModified": "2026-10-19", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Entrance Lane team", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/editorial" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#website" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "ISEE" }, "citation": [ "https://cdn.erblearn.org/www/20260801_E3n_ISEE_QuickFacts_DIGITAL.pdf", "https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/about", "https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/score-reports", "https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/instructions/test-options", "https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/preparation", "https://www.erblearn.org/join-our-team/", "https://www.e3n.org/" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/isee", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the ISEE?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The ISEE counts correct answers only, so there’s no advantage to leaving a question blank." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the ISEE essay scored?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The essay isn’t scored, and a copy goes to the schools you choose to receive scores. 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