ISEE Middle Level study guide
ISEE Middle Level · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is an admission assessment published by ERB and accepted by over 1,200 independent schools around the world, according to ERB's website. ERB describes it as a trusted and predictive admission assessment for students in Grades 2–12, and as "the most predictive, trusted, and flexible admission assessment" for students entering those grades. Families generally sit the ISEE because a prospective independent school requires or accepts it as part of an application file. The Middle Level is the version aimed at students applying to enter middle grades; ERB's public pages do not publish Middle Level section timing, question counts, or scoring details, so candidates should confirm those specifics through ERB's registration materials rather than relying on secondhand summaries. The ISEE Middle Level study guide has 5 sections and about 1,539 words.
01Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms and Sentence Completions
The ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning section has 40 questions in 20 minutes, split between synonyms and sentence completions. It rewards precise word knowledge and the ability to use context, not simply the longest or most familiar word.
320 words, about 2 min02Quantitative Reasoning: Comparisons and Word Problems
The ISEE Middle Level Quantitative Reasoning section has 37 questions in 35 minutes. It tests mathematical thinking through word problems and quantitative comparisons.
338 words, about 2 min03Reading Comprehension: Main Idea, Detail, and Inference
The ISEE Middle Level Reading Comprehension section has 36 questions in 25 minutes. Passages come from fiction, nonfiction, humanities, and science.
292 words, about 1 min04Mathematics Achievement: Core Skills and Accuracy
The ISEE Middle Level Mathematics Achievement section has 47 questions in 40 minutes, with no calculator. Content includes fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, proportions, algebraic expressions and equations, geometry, the coordinate plane, statistics, and probability.
285 words, about 1 min05Essay: Clear Thesis and Specific Support
The ISEE Middle Level essay gives 30 minutes to respond to a prompt, often by taking a position on a statement or describing an experience. The essay is not part of the scored ISEE total but is sent to schools, so it should show clear thinking, organization, specific support, and control of language.
304 words, about 2 min