---
title: "ISEE Upper Level: Sections and Timing | Entrance Lane"
description: "The ISEE Upper Level for students applying to grades 9 to 12, section by section, with question counts, minutes and scoring from the 2026–27 guide."
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# What’s on the ISEE Upper Level?

The ISEE Upper Level is for students applying to grades 9 to 12, so it’s the level an 8th grader takes for high school. It has four multiple-choice sections with 160 questions and an unscored 30-minute essay, for 2 hours 40 minutes of testing plus two 10-minute breaks. Wrong answers don’t cost points, and calculators aren’t allowed without an approved accommodation.

By [the Entrance Lane team](https://entrancelane.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026

## What’s on each section of the ISEE Upper Level?

Four multiple-choice sections, then the essay. Each multiple-choice question has four answer choices.

| Section | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 40 | 20 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 37 | 35 |
| Break | | 10 |
| Reading Comprehension | 36 | 35 |
| Mathematics Achievement | 47 | 40 |
| Break | | 10 |
| Essay (not scored) | 1 prompt | 30 |
| Total | 160 + essay | 2 hr 40 min of testing |

## How is the Upper Level different from the Middle Level?

The two levels have the same sections, question counts and timing. What changes is who your child is compared with: Upper Level scores are compared only with other students applying to the same grade, using everyone who took the ISEE over the past three years.

## What does my child need to bring on test day?

A photo ID, which the ISEE requires for the Upper Level. Calculators aren’t allowed unless your child has an approved accommodation for one.

## How is the Upper Level scored?

Each multiple-choice section gets a scaled score from 760 to 940, a percentile rank and a stanine from 1 to 9. The essay isn’t scored; a copy goes to the schools that receive your child’s scores. The [ISEE overview](https://entrancelane.com/isee) explains each score.

## Is there an official Upper Level practice test?

Yes. The test owner publishes a What to Expect on the ISEE guide for the Upper Level with a full practice test, and an online sample test. Entrance Lane is writing its own Upper Level practice tests as well, with every answer explained.

## Sources

- [ISEE 2026–2027 Quick Facts Guide](https://cdn.erblearn.org/www/20260801_E3n_ISEE_QuickFacts_DIGITAL.pdf), E3n. Upper Level grades, section question counts and minutes, total time, two 10-minute breaks, the unscored essay, no penalty for wrong answers, no calculators without an accommodation, and the photo ID rule.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [ISEE for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/about), E3n. The level is set by the grade a student is applying to, the Upper Level is used for high school entrance, and the Middle and Upper Levels share one structure.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [ISEE Score Reports for Families](https://www.admission.org/assessments/isee/score-reports), E3n. Scaled scores of 760 to 940, percentiles and stanines, compared with students applying to the same grade over three years.. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [What to Expect on the ISEE: Upper Level](https://cdn.erblearn.org/www/20210712_ERB_ISEE_What_to_Expect_Guide_Upper-Level.pdf), ERB. Each question has four answer choices, the breaks come after Quantitative Reasoning and after Mathematics Achievement, and the guide includes a full practice test.. Checked October 19, 2026.

## More about the ISEE

- [The ISEE, level by level](https://entrancelane.com/isee): 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.
- [What’s on the ISEE Middle Level?](https://entrancelane.com/isee/middle-level): The ISEE Middle Level for students applying to grades 7 and 8, section by section, with question counts, minutes and scoring from the 2026–27 guide.
- [The ISEE, level by level](https://entrancelane.com/isee): 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.
- [What’s on the SSAT Upper Level?](https://entrancelane.com/ssat/upper-level): The SSAT Upper Level for grades 8 to 11, section by section, with question counts, minutes, the guessing rule and scoring from the 2026–27 handbook.
- [Which entrance test does my child’s school use?](https://entrancelane.com/which-test-does-my-school-use): How to tell whether your child’s high school uses the HSPT, the ISEE, the SSAT or the SHSAT, with what each test is for and where to check.

## 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).

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