ISEE Upper Level study plan

Diagnose your baseline by taking one timed 40-question Verbal Reasoning set and one timed 37-question Quantitative Reasoning set, then log every wrong answer by error type (unknown word, misread, careless, concept gap).

Build a daily 15-minute vocabulary routine using a flashcard app, seeding 40 Upper Level-appropriate words per week drawn from your own reading rather than a commercial list.

Master the four synonym-question strategies (definition recall, root/prefix analysis, positive/negative charge, elimination by register) and apply each to 8 practice items.

Set up an error log spreadsheet with columns for domain, question type, cause, and the rule you will apply next time.

Complete 60 synonym items under a 12-minute-per-20-question pace, reviewing every miss for the reason the correct answer beats your choice.

Learn and drill the three Upper Level analogy relationship families (degree, function, cause-effect) using self-written pairs you generate yourself.

Practice sentence-completion logic by identifying the pivot word (contrast or continuation) before reading the answer choices, across 30 items.

Review arithmetic fundamentals (fractions, decimals, percents, ratios) by reworking 25 missed quantitative items without a calculator.

Sustain 20-question Verbal sets at a 9-minute pace, tracking time per question to find where you stall.

Drill quantitative comparison questions by testing the three standard cases (fractions between 0 and 1, negatives, zero) on 30 items.

Practice number-sense shortcuts (estimation, divisibility, unit-digit patterns) so 20 percent of quantitative items can be answered without full computation.

Expand vocabulary to 120 cumulative words and quiz yourself with a mixed recall test.

Map the six reading passage question types (main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary in context, tone, author's purpose) and write your own one-sentence attack plan for each.

Complete 4 timed reading passages with 6 questions each, annotating only the main idea and paragraph function rather than underlining everything.

Drill algebra word problems by translating 20 sentences into equations before solving, focusing on rate, mixture, and consecutive-integer setups.

Review geometry essentials (angles, triangles, circles, coordinate distance) by redoing 25 missed items and writing the formula you forgot beside each.

Practice inference questions by writing the exact line reference that supports each correct answer across 20 items, discarding any choice you cannot support.

Complete 3 paired-passage sets and articulate the relationship between the two authors in one sentence each.

Strengthen data interpretation by working 20 table, graph, and chart items, reading the axis labels and units before calculating.

Build a personal list of 15 trap answer patterns (extreme wording, true-but-irrelevant, reversed causality) and match each to a real missed item.

Complete 6 full-length timed reading sections across the week, capping each passage at 8 minutes including reading time.

Review mathematics achievement content by category (number operations, algebra, geometry, data/probability) and rate your confidence 1 to 5 per category.

Drill the two lowest-confidence math categories with 30 targeted problems each, showing all work.

Practice reading passages on unfamiliar science and social studies topics to build tolerance for dense content.

Take two full-length timed Mathematics Achievement sections and compare scores to identify remaining concept gaps.

Re-drill the 25 most-missed math items from weeks 1 through 6 until you can solve each correctly in under 90 seconds.

Run a 100-word cumulative vocabulary review and retire mastered words while adding 30 new ones.

Practice multi-step word problems by writing the final question being asked before choosing an operation.

Take two complete timed practice tests under real conditions (no breaks, strict timing) and record section scores.

Review only your error log, not new material, and rewrite the rule for each recurring mistake in your own words.

Rehearse test-day logistics: calculator rules, pacing checkpoints at the 25 and 50 percent marks of each section, and a guess-and-move-on policy.

Do a final 100-word vocabulary sweep and a 20-item mixed math sprint to confirm retention.