WHAT TO EXPECT

ON THE ISEE

470 Park Avenue South LOWER LEVEL: CANDIDATES FOR GRADES 5 and 6
Second Floor, South Tower
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 672-9800 Fax: (212) 370-4096
www.iseetest.org

REV 10/12 The only authorized guide produced by ERB

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE ISEE

A PREPARATION BOOK FOR STUDENTS AND

THEIR PARENTS

Lower Level
Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.
Dear Student,

You are probably going to be taking the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) sometime soon, and
we hope that this book will help you in preparing for this experience.

This book is intended to help you become familiar with the ISEE. The questions that you will see in the
“Sample Test Questions” and the “Practice Test” sections are not the same questions that you will find
on the real test, but they are similar to those questions and have been written by the same people who
wrote the actual ISEE. You will also have a chance to become familiar with the exact directions on the
test. Even the answer sheets we have included are the same!

Please be sure to read the test directions on page 69 and the explanation of your score report on
pages 119–125, since the ISEE may be different from other tests you have taken in the past.

We hope that after spending some time with this book, you will know more about what to expect on
your test day and feel comfortable with the types of questions, the directions, and the answer sheet on
the ISEE. We wish you and your family the best of luck as you embark on this exciting educational
adventure.

With warm regards,

The ISEE Staff

What to Expect on the ISEE Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Introduction to the ISEE 9
Background Information........................................................................................................................10
What Is the ISEE? ..............................................................................................................................10
How Does a Student Arrange to Take the ISEE? ..............................................................................10
What Types of Questions Are on the ISEE?......................................................................................11
Information for Students........................................................................................................................13
Why Is the ISEE Required? ...............................................................................................................13
What Happens to My Scores?............................................................................................................13
How Will This Book Help Me? .........................................................................................................13
Information for Adults ...........................................................................................................................14
How This Book Can Help Your Student Prepare for the ISEE .........................................................14
How You Can Help Your Student Prepare for the ISEE ...................................................................14
Reminders for Your Student ..............................................................................................................14
Frequently Asked Questions ..............................................................................................................15
Sample Test Questions and Essay 21
Verbal Reasoning...................................................................................................................................22
Synonyms...........................................................................................................................................23
Sentence Completion .........................................................................................................................25
Quantitative Reasoning..........................................................................................................................27
Numbers and Operations....................................................................................................................28
Algebraic Concepts ............................................................................................................................31
Geometry............................................................................................................................................33
Measurement......................................................................................................................................35
Data Analysis and Probability ...........................................................................................................37
Reading Comprehension........................................................................................................................39
Mathematics Achievement ....................................................................................................................43
Numbers and Operations: Whole Numbers .......................................................................................45
Numbers and Operations: Decimals, Percents, Fractions ..................................................................47
Algebraic Concepts ............................................................................................................................49
Geometry............................................................................................................................................51
Measurement......................................................................................................................................53
Data Analysis and Probability ...........................................................................................................55
Writing the Essay...................................................................................................................................57
Tips for Writing the Essay .................................................................................................................58
Sample Essay Topics .........................................................................................................................59

5
What to Expect on the ISEE Table of Contents

Practice Test 67
Using the Practice Test ..........................................................................................................................68
Test Directions.......................................................................................................................................69
Verbal Reasoning Practice Test.............................................................................................................70
Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test ....................................................................................................76
Reading Comprehension Practice Test ..................................................................................................86
Mathematics Achievement Practice Test...............................................................................................96
Essay Practice Test ..............................................................................................................................104
Scoring the Practice Test 107
Step-by-Step Directions.......................................................................................................................108
Finding Your Raw Score .................................................................................................................108
Finding Your Scaled Score ..............................................................................................................109
Finding Your Quartile Score............................................................................................................109
Reviewing Your Essay.....................................................................................................................109
ISEE Practice Test Answer Keys.........................................................................................................111
Verbal Reasoning Answer Key........................................................................................................111
Quantitative Reasoning Answer Key...............................................................................................112
Reading Comprehension Answer Key.............................................................................................113
Mathematics Achievement Answer Key..........................................................................................114
Practice Test Conversion Tables and Percentiles (Quartiles)..............................................................115
Verbal Reasoning Conversion Table ...............................................................................................115
Quantitative Reasoning Conversion Table ......................................................................................116
Reading Comprehension Conversion Table ....................................................................................117
Mathematics Achievement Conversion Table .................................................................................118
Understanding the Individual Student Report (ISR) 119
Sample Individual Student Report (ISR) .............................................................................................120
Test Profile (ISR).................................................................................................................................121
Scaled Scores ...................................................................................................................................122
Percentile Rank ................................................................................................................................122
Stanine..............................................................................................................................................122
Stanine Analysis...............................................................................................................................123
Analysis ...............................................................................................................................................123
Verbal Reasoning.............................................................................................................................124
Quantitative Reasoning....................................................................................................................124
Reading Comprehension ..................................................................................................................124
Mathematics Achievement...............................................................................................................125
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................................125

6
What to Expect on the ISEE Table of Contents

Appendices 126
Appendix A: ISEE Content and Specifications ...................................................................................127
Verbal Reasoning.............................................................................................................................127
Quantitative Reasoning....................................................................................................................128
Reading Comprehension ..................................................................................................................129
Mathematics Achievement...............................................................................................................130
Essay ................................................................................................................................................131
Appendix B: Answer Sheet..................................................................................................................132
Index 137

7
8
 I NTRODUCTION
TO THE

L OWER L EVEL

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

9
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Background Information
What Is the ISEE?

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is an admission test developed by the Educational
Records Bureau (ERB) for its member schools as part of their admission process. The ISEE was created
by Measurement Incorporated, Durham, NC, and ERB, with assistance from faculty of ERB member
schools.

The current edition has been updated to include educational assessment best practices and to align with
national standards in English and mathematics as articulated in standards adopted by the National
Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Nearly two-thirds of the questions on the ISEE were developed by ERB-member faculty and
administrators from a cross section of independent schools across the United States under the direction
of test development specialists at Measurement Incorporated.

The ISEE is the admission test of choice for many independent schools throughout the country and
abroad. Test sites are available in numerous cities during the admission testing season. The ISEE
consists of five sections at three levels designed to measure the verbal and quantitative reasoning and
achievement of students in grades 4 –11 seeking admission to grades 5 –12 in independent schools.
Students seeking admission to grades 5 or 6 take the Lower Level; students seeking admission to
grades 7 or 8 take the Middle Level; and students seeking admission to grades 9–12 take the
Upper Level.

It is important to note that the ISEE may not be taken for practice; it may be taken only for the purpose
of providing scores to participating schools as part of the admission process. An applicant may take the
ISEE only once per admission season or six month window.

The five sections that make up the ISEE are (in order of testing): Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative
Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and an Essay which is written by
the student in response to a given writing prompt. Each section is designed to tap into a unique aspect of
a student’s preparation for academic work.

The first four sections consist entirely of multiple-choice questions. Results are reported in percentile
ranks; that is, each student’s performance is measured against a norm group made up of students
applying to independent schools in the same grade who have tested over the past three years. The essay
is not scored but sent directly to the school(s) to which the student has applied, along with the score
report. More will be said about how the test is scored on pages 18–20.

How Does a Student Arrange to Take the ISEE?

Students may take the ISEE in one of the following ways:

1. The ISEE is given by consortia of schools in cities throughout the United States where schools
have joined together and have chosen to use a common entrance test program.

2. The ISEE is given at individual school test sites at a wide variety of schools throughout the
country and abroad and on a number of test dates.
10
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

3. The ISEE is given at the ERB office in New York and at offices in other parts of the country and
abroad.

4. Arrangements for testing with accommodations and for administrations in remote locations may
be made with the ISEE Executive Director. For more information, contact:

Educational Records Bureau

470 Park Avenue South
Second Floor, South Tower
New York, NY 10016
800-989-3721, ext. 9812
www.erblearn.org

Complete registration information may be found in the ISEE Student Guide, which is updated each year
and is available from the independent schools who administer the test. For online registration
information, visit www.erblearn.org.

What Types of Questions Are on the ISEE?

The first four sections are composed of multiple-choice questions. The fifth section, the essay, is not
scored but requires the student to respond to a preselected writing prompt.

The first two sections, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, measure the applicant’s
reasoning ability.

 The Verbal Reasoning test consists of two types of items: vocabulary and sentence completion.

Each vocabulary item consists of an abstract, grade-level appropriate word followed by four
potential answer choices. Each sentence completion item consists of a sentence with one word or
phrase missing followed by four potential answer choices. A student must select the word or
phrase that most appropriately completes the context of the sentence.

 At the Lower Level, the Quantitative Reasoning test consists of word problems.

The word problems differ somewhat from traditional mathematics achievement items in that
some of them require either no calculation or simple calculation.

The next two sections, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement, measure the
applicant’s ability to correctly answer curriculum-based concepts that are appropriate at that grade level
according to curriculum standards adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English and the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

 In order to determine a student’s reading comprehension skills, in the Reading Comprehension

section, the student is asked to read a passage and then answer items specific to that passage.

The five passages in this section are age-appropriate and length-appropriate. Each passage is
especially written to contain contemporary information and to be of high interest to students in

11
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

upper elementary grades. The passages cover a variety of subject areas including arts,
contemporary life, history, and science.

 Mathematics Achievement items conform to national mathematics standards and ask the
student to identify the problem and find a solution to a problem. The items require one or more
steps in calculating the answer.

The Essay is written by the student in response to a writing “prompt” or topic that is grade-level
appropriate. The prompts rotate throughout the testing season. They are designed to prompt a student to
write an informed essay on a particular topic. As is true of the passages in the Reading Comprehension
section, these prompts have been written for a contemporary feel and a high level of interest to current
students. Each prompt is free of bias, global in scope, and representative of a wide variety of subjects.
Each one is one or two sentences long and asks students to respond to the situation described. Prompts
may relate to the student, to the student’s community, or to the world in general.

ERB does not score the written essay. They send a copy of the essay to the school(s) designated on the
ISEE registration form along with the scores on the rest of the test. They do not send a copy of the essay
to the parents.

12
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Information for Students

Why Is the ISEE Required?

The school you are applying to has requested ISEE scores as part of the overall admissions process. By
requiring an admission test for all students entering the same grade, the school can view one common
item of all applicants. The school looks at many items in conjunction with the ISEE scores, including
your application, your current school records, and possibly an interview. All components of the
admission process, including the ISEE scores, help the school, you, and your family determine the best
school match for you.

What Happens to My Scores?

After you take the ISEE and your answer sheet is scored, ERB will send copies of the scores and the
essay you wrote to the schools that you have chosen, within seven to ten business days. They will send a
copy of your test scores (but not a copy of the essay) to your family.

Reminder: The ISEE may be taken only when making a formal application to a school(s). You may take
the ISEE only once per admission season, and you may not take the ISEE for practice.

How Will This Book Help Me?

Unlike other ISEE test preparation materials, this book was written by the same people who developed
the ISEE. The sample questions and practice test questions in this book include actual questions from
previous versions of the ISEE. Use this book to

 see what the ISEE looks like and how it is structured;

 read sample questions and answers with an explanation of each correct answer choice;
 read the exact directions that you will be given when you take the ISEE;
 take a practice test that has questions like those on the real ISEE; and
 use an answer sheet like the one you will use when you take the ISEE.

We hope that working through this book will make you feel even more confident and prepared when
you take the ISEE because you will know what to expect.

13
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Information for Adults

How This Book Can Help Your Student Prepare for the ISEE

The information in this book offers your student an opportunity to become familiar with all aspects of
the ISEE. It is particularly helpful because the sample questions and practice test questions were either
chosen from previous editions of the ISEE or were written by ERB-member school faculty and
administrators and by experts in test development. Using this book will allow your student to
 read and answer sample questions, check for the correct answers, and then read the explanations
for why the answers are correct;
 take a practice test that contains questions similar to those on the actual ISEE, see a sample
answer sheet that is like the answer sheet on the real test, and read the actual directions he or she
will receive on the day of the test; and
 score the practice test and compare that score with those of other students who took the actual
ISEE.

How You Can Help Your Student Prepare for the ISEE

There are specific ways you may help prepare your student, not only for the ISEE, but for other
standardized tests as well.
 Show confidence in your student’s ability to do well on the ISEE.
 Remind your student that the ISEE is just one piece of information a school will use in its
admission process.
 Mark the test date on your calendar so that both you and your student are aware of the date.
 Make sure that your student gets a good night’s sleep before the test.
 Make sure that your student eats a healthy breakfast before the test.
 Encourage your student to read as part of his or her daily routine. By reading new materials, your
student will be exposed to new concepts and vocabulary.

Reminders for Your Student

Remind your student to employ the following helpful strategies when answering multiple-choice
questions.
 Read the entire question before attempting to answer it.
 Try to answer the question without looking at the choices. Then, look at the choices to see if your
answer is the same as, or close to, one of the choices. Wherever possible, answer choices on this
test are arranged alphabetically, numerically, or by length of the answer to help the student locate
the correct answer more quickly.
 Next, eliminate answers you know are not correct.
 Finally, choose the correct answer. If necessary, make an educated guess from the remaining
choices, since there is no penalty for incorrect responses.

14
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which level of the ISEE does my student take?

A: There are three levels of the ISEE.

 Students currently in grades 4 and 5 (applicants to grades 5 or 6) take the Lower Level.
 Students currently in grades 6 and 7 (applicants to grades 7 or 8) take the Middle Level.
 Students currently in grades 8 and above (applicants to grades 9–12) take the
Upper Level.

Q: Are there multiple versions of the ISEE?

A: At each of the three levels, there are several different, but equivalent, forms. The specific
forms to be used each year will be determined in advance by ERB. These forms are randomly
assigned to the students and are statistically equivalent, regardless of which form was
actually taken by the student.

Q: How is the ISEE structured?

A: Each level and each form of the ISEE has five sections. The sections are administered in the
following order:
 Verbal Reasoning
 Quantitative Reasoning
 Reading Comprehension
 Mathematics Achievement
 Essay

The sections and the essay are explained more fully in the next part of this book.

Q: What can my student expect at the test site on the day of the test?

A: Students will present their verification letter or identification to be checked in upon arrival.
So that your child may concentrate on doing his or her best on the ISEE, schools do not
conduct admission activities or highlight their schools on the day of testing. We know that
testing may be stressful for some students; therefore, the test administrators are teachers or
other school personnel who teach or interact with children on a daily basis. Although test
administrators may not discuss test questions during the test, they give clear test directions,
and your child is encouraged to ask for clarification, if necessary, before beginning each
section of the test.

15
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Q: What types of questions are on the ISEE?

A: The Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Math

Achievement sections contain only multiple-choice questions. Each question has four
choices. Only one answer is the correct or “best” answer. The Essay section requires the
student to write an essay in response to a prompt. There are over one hundred writing
prompts (topics) that have been developed for each level of the ISEE. A different topic is
selected by ERB for each test administration throughout the year.

Q: How much time will be allotted for each section of the actual Lower Level ISEE?

A:
TIME ALLOTTED FOR EACH SECTION
ON THE ACTUAL LOWER LEVEL ISEE
Time
Number of
Section Allotted
Questions
(in minutes)
Verbal Reasoning 34 20
Quantitative Reasoning 38 35
Reading Comprehension 25 25
Mathematics Achievement 30 30
Essay 30
Total Time 140

Each section of the ISEE (excluding the essay) contains several questions that will not be
scored but may be used on future editions of the ISEE.

Q: Are there any scheduled breaks during the test?

A: There are two breaks—one following the Quantitative Reasoning section and another
following the Math Achievement section. Each break is five minutes long.

Q: I am confused by these acronyms: ERB, ISEE, CTP. Didn’t my student take one of
these already this year?

A: The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) oversees both the Independent School Entrance
Exam (ISEE) and the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP). The ISEE is a test designed to
help admission directors at selected public and independent schools decide who will be
accepted for admission to their schools, while the CTP is a battery of tests designed to collect
information about student achievement for students currently enrolled in grades 1–10.

16
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Both the ISEE and the CTP test student abilities in Verbal Reasoning, Reading
Comprehension, Quantitative Reasoning, and Mathematics. They also contain similar types
of items. Therefore, it is quite possible that your student may be somewhat familiar with the
types of questions on the ISEE if he or she has previously taken the CTP. However, it is
important to note that there is no repeat of specific items between the two tests. The ISEE is
unique in that it is used for admission purposes only and its norms are based only on
applicants to independent schools.

Q: Are there other books or programs that might help my student improve on the ISEE?

A: This is the only book approved by ERB. It was written in conjunction with the test developer,
Measurement Incorporated. This book contains current and accurate information.

Since this book was written by the developer of the actual test, the sample questions and
practice test questions were chosen to accurately reflect the format and the kinds of content
your student will see on the actual ISEE. You may see programs or materials advertised that
claim to help; however, none of them are approved by ERB, nor can they claim the intimate
knowledge of the actual test questions used on this edition.

Q: What materials does my student need to bring to the actual ISEE?

A: Students should bring four #2 pencils and two pens with either blue or black ink. Students
may choose to use erasable ink.

Q: Are there materials that my student is prohibited from using during the ISEE?

A: Most materials other than writing implements are prohibited. Specifically, scrap paper,
calculators, calculator watches, rulers, protractors, compasses, dictionaries, and
thesauruses are NOT permitted during the actual test.

Cell phones and other electronic devices (iPods, MP3s, beepers, etc.) are not permitted
at the test site and must not be brought into the testing room. If a student uses any of these
items during the exam, his or her exam will be invalidated, and the student may not retest for
another six months. Since students are not permitted to use these devices on the actual test, it
is recommended that they avoid using them when they answer the sample test questions or
take the practice test. A certain number of these restrictions may be waived for students who
receive testing accommodations due to documented disabilities.

Q: Are testing accommodations made if my student requires them?

A: Accommodations may be made for students with documented learning differences or

physical challenges. Accommodation use in school and supporting documentation of the
disability are required. For more information and the “Testing with Accommodation”
brochure, visit http://www.erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee/accommodations.

17
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Q: Will my student be penalized for a wrong answer? Is it appropriate to guess?

A: Scores are based on the number of correct answers. If the student can eliminate at least one of
the choices, he or she should make an educated guess from the choices that remain. A wrong
answer and an omitted answer count the same. However, it is better to move ahead to the
next item and return to the puzzling one later. No student is expected to answer all questions
correctly.

Q: How is my student compared to other students taking the ISEE?

A: Your student is compared only to other independent school applicants who tested for the
same grade during the past three years. Your student is not compared to students applying to
a different grade who are taking the same level of the test. The percentile ranking on the
score report shows how your student scored in comparison to the other students applying to
the same grade. The group of students who take the ISEE—the ISEE norming population—is
a very select group of students who are applying to competitive schools. Therefore, ISEE
percentile ranks are generally lower—anywhere from 10 to 40 percentile points lower—than
those on other tests that use national norms. The schools that use the ISEE are familiar with
ISEE scores and the group of students taking the ISEE. You may wish to check with the
school(s) to which you are applying to learn the range of ISEE scores expected for applicants
to their school(s).

Q: How soon will I receive my student’s scores?

A: Your student will receive his or her scores on an Individual Student Report by mail in
approximately seven to ten business days after the exam.

Q: What is the raw score?

A: A raw score represents the number correct. If a student got 23 items correct—say on a test of
40 questions—then the raw score is simply 23.

Q: What does the scaled score mean?

A: A scaled score is a raw score that has been converted to a different numerical scale, e.g.,
200–800. The raw score scale ranges from 0–maximum score, while the scaled score range
consists of higher numbers with a somewhat arbitrary minimum and maximum score. The
range of scaled scores on the ISEE is 760–940.

Q: To whom is my student being compared on his or her score report?

A: As stated previously, your student is compared only to other independent school applicants
who have applied to the same grade during the past three years. There is no comparison
specifically to other students who took the test at the same test site or to other applicants who
tested on the same day.

18
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Q: What is a “good” percentile score?

A: The notion of “good” is relative and may only be defined by the specific school. Please check
with them for more information on how each plans to use the scores from the ISEE in their
admission process.

Q: What is a stanine ?

A: A stanine score is simply another scale and is based on percentile ranks. Percentile ranks
range from 1–99, while stanines range from 1–9. In general, a stanine score of 1–3 is below
average, 4–6 is average, and 7–9 is above average.

Percentile
Stanine
Rank
1–3 1
4 –10 2
11–22 3
23–39 4
40–59 5
60–76 6
77–88 7
89–95 8
96–99 9

Q: Are my student’s scores good?

A: Each school uses the scores on the ISEE as part of the total application process and according
to its own criteria. Thus, there is no way to determine a “good” or “bad” score. Each school
will use several pieces of information about your student as it evaluates his or her
application. These may include the student’s academic record (report card, transcript, etc.),
teacher recommendation(s), notes from a personal interview, and extracurricular activities
and interests.

Q: How will I know if my student passed or failed?

A: Students do not pass or fail the ISEE. There is no cutoff point that determines pass/fail
status or divides students into these two groups. There is no cutoff (or pass/fail) score
recommended by ERB.

Q What are the schools looking for?

A: Each independent school determines who is admitted based on a variety of criteria. Each
school usually has a range of scores that, from experience, indicates if an applicant is likely
to be a good fit at the school. Check with the schools to which your student is applying for
more information. Remember, there are many pieces of information used in selecting
applicants, and your student’s score on the ISEE is only one of these.

19
What to Expect on the ISEE Introduction to the ISEE

Q: How does the ISEE compare with other tests?

A: Each standardized test has its own characteristics. There is no available formal comparison
between the ISEE and other national tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the
Stanford 9, or other similar testing instruments.

Q: How is the essay scored?

A: The essay is not scored. However, a copy is sent to the school(s) to which a student sends
score reports as indicated on the registration. Evaluation is based on each individual school’s
criteria.

20
 S AMPLE T EST
Q UESTIONS AND E SSAY

L OWER L EVEL

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

21
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning
(Section 1)

The ISEE has a Verbal Reasoning section that is composed of two different kinds of questions:
synonyms and sentence completions. Both kinds of questions test your vocabulary and reasoning ability.

Synonym questions focus on word recognition, since the correct answer choices are those that have the
same meaning or are closest in meaning to the word in the question. Synonyms also test your ability to
reason, because you must choose the word that is closest in meaning to the word in the question from
among four answer choices.

Strategy: Since the answer choices are listed in alphabetical order, think of a word that first comes to
mind when you read the synonym and then look for it (or a word like it) in the list.

Sentence completion questions measure your ability to understand words and their function. Correct
answers are based on clues that appear in the context of the sentence. In the Lower Level ISEE, the
sentence completion answer choices are words or short phrases that logically complete a sentence.

Strategies:
 Read each sentence to get the overall meaning.
 Focus on key words or clue words in the question to help you determine the correct answer.
 Mentally fill in the blank with your own answer and then find the answer choice that is closest in
meaning to your own answer.
 Remember that there is almost always a word or phrase that obviously points to the correct
answer.
 Use word clues such as although, because, if, since, or therefore to help you figure out the
relationships in the sentence.
 After you choose your answer, go back and reread the whole sentence to be sure that it makes
sense.

22
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Verbal Reasoning

Synonyms

Students should be able to

 recognize many of the vocabulary words found on elementary and middle school
graded word lists; and
 select the word from the answer choices that is closest in meaning to the word in
question.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions by selecting the word that is most nearly the same in
meaning as the word in capital letters. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer
sheet at the bottom of the page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and
evaluate your answers.

1. TASK

(A) chore
(B) debt
(C) dream
(D) fight

2. HARDSHIP

(A) anger
(B) difficulty
(C) disrespect
(D) selfishness

3. PERPLEXED

(A) alarmed
(B) disgraced
(C) embarrassed
(D) puzzled

23
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Verbal Reasoning

Answers to Sample Questions

1. TASK

You are to select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word “task.” “Task” is a noun
that means a definite piece of work, an assignment, or a duty. Debt is not a task, and the other two
answer choices (dream and fight) reflect choices of how you might spend your time. Answer choice
(A), chore, is the only choice that is related to completing a duty, assignment, or piece of work and
is therefore the correct answer, since it is the only choice that is a synonym for “task.”

2. HARDSHIP

“Hardship” is a noun that has several related meanings such as discomfort, distress, catastrophe, or
disaster. A hardship may cause suffering or require extra effort to achieve a goal (as in “The
earthquake victims suffered great hardship when they lost all their possessions.”). Choice (B),
difficulty, is the correct answer because it is the only answer choice that expresses one of these
meanings.

3. PERPLEXED

“Perplexed” means confused or filled with uncertainty (as in “Susan was perplexed when she could
not find her sweater where she thought she had left it.”). Choice (D), puzzled, is the correct answer.

24
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Verbal Reasoning

Sentence Completion

Students should be able to

 use context clues to select the word or phrase that correctly completes the sentence.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the word or phrase that most correctly
completes the sentence. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the
bottom of the page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your
answers.

Note: To assist you in finding the right answer among the answer choices, one-word answers are listed
alphabetically, and phrases are ordered by length.

1. Because they may not have access to immediate medical attention, hikers in Arizona desert areas
must be careful to avoid scorpions, Gila monsters, rattlesnakes, and other ------- creatures.

(A) graceful
(B) hideous
(C) poisonous
(D) unusual

2. The best-selling author dedicated his new book to his wife to ------- the contribution she had made
to his success.

(A) acknowledge
(B) approximate
(C) donate
(D) fathom

3. Unlike Maria, who was always early to class, Kristen -------.

(A) often arrived after the tardy bell had rung

(B) sometimes brought her lunch in her backpack
(C) usually turned in her homework before it was due
(D) generally walked to school instead of riding the bus

25
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Verbal Reasoning

Answers to Sample Questions

1. Your task here is to use context clues to select a word that describes a list of animals. You are told
that hikers avoid these animals because medical help may be difficult to find in the desert. Since
being bitten by a poisonous animal may require one to seek medical attention, choice (C),
poisonous, is the correct response. The other answer choices do not logically complete the thought
expressed in the sentence.

2. This question asks you to select the word that best describes the reason the author dedicated his new
book to his wife. He wants her contribution to his success to be recognized; therefore, answer choice
(A), acknowledge, is the correct response.

3. Your task in this question is slightly different from your task in the previous questions. Instead of
looking for a single word, you are looking for a whole phrase that is the logical conclusion to the
information presented in the first part of the sentence. The word “unlike” suggests that Kristen’s
actions will be opposite those of Maria. If Maria is always early to class, then it logically follows
that Kristen is usually late. Therefore, choice (A), often arrived after the tardy bell had rung, is
the correct response.

26
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning
(Section 2)

Quantitative Reasoning is one of two math sections on the ISEE. This section is designed to show how
your reasoning skills have developed. It tests your ability to use your understanding of mathematics to
develop your own opinions about how to solve math problems. It does not test the amount of math you
have learned, but how well you think mathematically. Quantitative Reasoning problems require little or
no calculations; the emphasis is on your ability to reason mathematically. You may be asked to
 estimate numerical values;
 employ logic to determine what a particular problem is about;
 compare and contrast quantities;
 analyze and interpret data;
 analyze, compare, predict, draw conclusions, and summarize graphs;
 use reason to calculate the probability of events;
 understand concepts and applications of measurements; and
 know how to arrive at statistical solutions to problems that are given.
All questions found in the two math sections of the ISEE are linked to the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The ISEE uses the following NCTM strands as a basis for the
Quantitative Reasoning section:
 Numbers and Operations
 Algebra
 Geometry
 Measurement
 Data Analysis and Probability
 Problem Solving
In the Quantitative Reasoning section of the Individual Student Report (ISR), these strands are NOT
identified. However, to help you best prepare for this section of the ISEE, the answers to the practice test
questions are identified by the NCTM standards. For more information on these strands, visit the NCTM
Web site at www.nctm.org.
Strategies:
 Read the question and determine exactly what you are being asked to find.
 Determine what information is relevant and what is irrelevant.
 Cross out the irrelevant information in your test booklet.
 Next, ask yourself, “What steps do I need to use to find the answer?” and “Can I do this by
estimating and not by actual calculations?”
 Make a best guess at the correct answer, then look to see if that answer is given.
Note: On the ISEE, all answer choices are listed in sequential order from greatest to least, or
least to greatest.
 Next, eliminate all answer choices that are not reasonable.
 Since there is no penalty for guessing, choose the answer that seems most reasonable.
Remember, there is only one correct answer for each question. The answer choices often represent
common mistakes or misconceptions, but they are not intended to trick you. You may write in the
test book.
27
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Numbers and Operations

Students should be able to

 understand numbers and ways of representing numbers; and
 use all four mathematical operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide) accurately.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates numbers and
operations. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the
next page. After you finish answering the questions, turn the page and evaluate your answers.

1. Alyssa is ordering T-shirts for all the students in her school. She knows how many students are in
the school, and she knows how many shirts come in a box. How would she figure out how many
boxes (b) to order?

(A) b = the number of boxes × the number of shirts per box

(B) b = the number of boxes + the number of shirts per box
(C) b = the number of students ÷ the number of shirts per box
(D) b = the number of students – the number of shirts per box

2. Which diagram represents the distributive property?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

28
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

3. The table shows items that Julie bought at the grocery store. She bought at least one of each item
on the list.

GROCERY LIST
Total Cost for
Item Price for One
Item
loaf of bread $1.25 $2.50
gallon of milk $4.75 $4.75
carton of eggs $1.50 $1.50
bag of cookies $2.50 ?

If Julie spent a total of $13.75, how much money did she spend just on cookies?
(A) $1.25
(B) $3.75
(C) $5.00
(D) $7.50

29
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), b = the number of students ÷ the number
of shirts per box.

One way the answer can be found is by recognizing that division takes the total (all students) and
divides it into smaller numbers (the number of shirts in a box and the number of boxes to order).

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D),

One way the answer can be found is by knowing that the distributive property confirms a
relationship between multiplication and addition. For example, the expression 1(2 + 3) is the same as
the expression (1 × 2) + (1 × 3). Even when using objects to represent numbers, the same can be true
of their relationship.

Sample Question 3:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), $5.00.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. adding the total she spent on the other three items: ($2.50 + $4.75 + $1.50) = $8.75;

2. then determining how much Julie had left over to spend:

$13.75 – $8.75 = $5.00 left;
3. confirming that 2 bags of cookies equal $5.00: (2 × $2.50);

4. choosing answer (C), $5.00.

30
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Algebraic Concepts

Students should be able to

 identify, extend, and find rules for patterns and relations.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that most clearly illustrates the
concepts asked for. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of
the page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. At the hardware store, Jim bought 2 boxes of nails that cost $6 each and a hammer. His total before
tax was $22. Which equation could be used to find the cost of the hammer (h)?

(A) 6 + h = $22
(B) 6 + 2h = $22
(C) 2(6) + h = $22
(D) 2(6) + 2h = $22

2. The total combined weight of a sphere, a pyramid, and a cube is 14 grams. If the sphere weighs the
same as 2 pyramids and the cube weighs the same as 4 pyramids, how many grams does a pyramid
weigh?

(A) 2 grams
(B) 4 grams
(C) 6 grams
(D) 8 grams

31
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), 2(6) + h = $22.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. recognizing the information given:

(2 boxes of nails at $6 each) + a hammer = $22;

2. rethinking information as a math sentence (or equation):

(2 × $6) + h = $22.

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (A), 2 grams.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. recognizing the information given:

1 sphere + 1 pyramid + 1 cube = 14 grams
(2 pyramids) + 1 pyramid + (4 pyramids) = 14 grams;

2. adding all the pyramids together: 7 pyramids = 14 grams;

3. finding how much 1 pyramid weighs: 1 pyramid = 14 ÷ 7 = 2 grams.

32
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Geometry

Students should be able to

 identify, determine characteristics of, and describe geometric objects.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that most clearly illustrates the
relationships among the dimensional figures. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample
answer sheet at the bottom of the page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page
and evaluate your answers.

1. In which pair of letters do both letters have an equal number of lines of symmetry?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

2. The points with coordinates (1, 1) (1, 5) (5, 5) (5, 1) are the vertices of a quadrilateral. If all four
points are connected to form a quadrilateral, which term best describes the quadrilateral formed?

(A) kite
(B) pentagon
(C) square
(D) trapezoid

33
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D), .

One way the answer can be found is by

1. knowing that symmetry means that a figure can be folded in half so that the two halves match
(the fold line being the line of symmetry); and

2. recognizing how many fold lines, or lines of symmetry, each letter has.

 Letters E and C both have one line of symmetry (a horizontal fold line across the center
of the letter).
 Letter Z has zero, and H has two lines of symmetry.
 Letter N has zero, and A has one line of symmetry.
 Letter O has an infinite number of lines, and K only has one line of symmetry.

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), square.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. recognizing that the coordinates of the four points given all begin and end with 1 or 5, a clue
that the figure is a square; and

2. plotting the points on a coordinate grid, which will indicate a square is likely;
OR
noticing that the ordered pairs show that the distance between each pair is 4 units. You can
see that the figure has four equal sides and four equal angles. The only figure that has these
characteristics is a square.

34
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Measurement

Students should be able to

 understand and determine measurable attributes of objects.

Sample Question

Directions: Answer the following sample question. Select the answer that best illustrates measurement
rules. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the page.
After you finish answering the question, turn to the next page and evaluate your answer.

1. Figure 1 is a 5-inch square. Four 2-inch squares are removed from each of the four corners of
Figure 1.

What is the area of the remainder of Figure 1, as shown in Figure 2?

(A) 6 in.2
(B) 9 in.2
(C) 21 in.2
(D) 25 in.2

35
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Answer to Sample Question

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), 9 in.2.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. understanding that the task is to determine the area of a 5 × 5-inch square after four corners are
removed;

2. finding the area of the whole 5 × 5-inch square by using A = l × w; 5 × 5 = 25 in.2;

3. finding the area of one 2 × 2 corner by using A = l × w; 2 × 2 = 4 in.2;

4. finding the area of all four corners: 4 corners × 4 in.2 = 16 in.2; and

5. finding the area of the 5 × 5-inch square after the four 2 × 2 corners are removed:
25 in.2 – 16 in.2 = 9 in.2.

36
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Data Analysis and Probability

Students should be able to

 collect, display, interpret, and make predictions about a set of data;
 find the probability of a simple event.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates the use of data
analysis and probability. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the
bottom of the page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your
answers.

1. Mrs. Brown’s box of 24 assorted markers contains 2 red, 3 blue, 4 green, 6 yellow, 4 pink,
and 5 purple markers. If she randomly selects a marker without looking, which color has a
1 out of 8 chance of being selected?

(A) red
(B) blue
(C) pink
(D) yellow

2. Stephen’s class spent time at the City Zoo collecting data about animals and their habitats. The
students had to list, in categories or groups, what they observed.

STEPHEN’S OBSERVATION LIST

1. kinds of animals at the zoo: lions, monkeys, snakes,
pandas, alligators
2. ?
3. colors of the animals at the zoo: yellow, brown, red and
brown, black and white, green

Which information completes Stephen’s observation list?

(A) ages of animals at the zoo

(B) number of animals at the zoo
(C) food that the animals at the zoo eat
(D) dimensions of the animal cages at the zoo

37
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Quantitative Reasoning

Answers to Sample Items

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), blue.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. finding the probability of each marker:

red – 2 out of 24;
blue – 3 out of 24;
green – 4 out of 24;
yellow – 6 out of 24;
pink – 4 out of 24;
purple – 5 out of 24;

2. changing the probabilities to their simplest form until you find a match:
red – 2 out of 24 = 1 out of 12;
blue – 3 out of 24 = 1 out of 8 (correct answer);
green – 4 out of 24 = 1 out of 6;
yellow – 6 out of 24 = 1 out of 4;
pink – 4 out of 24 = 1 out of 6;
purple – 5 out of 24 is in its simplest form.

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), food that the animals at the zoo eat.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. recognizing the clue given in the problem, “in categories or groups”;

2. eliminating choices that do not fit the clue. Choices A, B, and D are all numerical data, not
categorical data.

38
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension
(Section 3)

The actual Lower Level Reading Comprehension section contains five reading passages; the practice
test in this book contains four passages. The passages include topics related to history, science,
literature, and contemporary life. Some questions ask you to find a phrase or word in the passage;
therefore, all passages show line numbers in the left margin. Each passage is followed by five questions
about the passage.

Strategy: Read the passage first to get an overall view. As you read the passage, ask yourself, “What
is the main idea? What facts and details are given?” As you answer the questions following the
passage, use the line numbers to help you find the section or lines you may need to look at again.

A sample passage and questions may be found on the next two pages. The types of questions you may
be asked focus on six categories:

 The Main Idea items assess the student’s ability to look for an overall message, theme, or central
idea in the passage.
 The Supporting Ideas items assess the student’s ability to identify explicit ideas that support the
main idea.
 Inference items ask the student to draw a conclusion from content not explicitly stated in the text.
Inference items may ask the student to compare and contrast ideas, interpret or analyze text,
and/or predict subsequent events or outcomes.
 Vocabulary items deal with word definitions within the context of the passage, usually in the
form of “most nearly means.”
 Organization/Logic items ask students to identify the sequence, pattern, relationship, structure,
or summary of the passage.
 Tone/Style/Figurative Language items assess the student’s understanding of mood, tone, point of
view, and figurative language such as images, irony, and personification.

39
 What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Reading Comprehension

Sample Passage

The sample passage is followed by five questions based on its content.

1 “If a man walking in the fields finds any 23 Some scientists have tried to engineer them.
2 four-leafed grass, he shall in a small while after 24 That effort, however, displeases some believers
3 find some good thing.” 25 who feel that an artificial four-leaf clover
4 Sir John Melton, writing around 1620, 26 probably does not carry the same gift of luck.
5 reinforced a longtime folk belief. Then and 27 Nor do other plants that resemble four-leaf
6 now, many people think that four-leaf clovers 28 clovers. Oxalis deppei is the most frequent
7 bring good luck. Wealth, health, love, and 29 imposter that the person searching for four-leaf
8 adventure are supposed to follow the discovery 30 clovers will find. When in doubt, how can a
9 of that tiny plant. Some people press and dry 31 person identify a real one? A genuine four-leaf
10 four-leaf clovers as keepsakes. Children have 32 clover’s fourth leaf is generally a bit smaller
11 whiled away countless hours in the grass, 33 than the other three.
12 searching for this rarity. 34 As of April 2005, George Kaminski held
13 For many people, the clover signifies faith, 35 the world record in finding four-leaf clovers.
14 hope, love, and luck. Others associate it with a 36 According to the latest edition of the Guinness
15 song: “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover.” 37 Book of World Records, he now has 72,927.
16 The lyrics and familiar tune were written in 38 Ed Martin has his heart set on toppling
17 1927 by Mort Dixon and Harry Woods. All the 39 Kaminski. A retired heavy-equipment operator
18 associations with the four-leaf clover are 40 from Alaska, Martin tours the U.S. in a motor
19 cheerful ones. 41 home. His goal is collecting clovers. Let’s wish
20 How common are four-leaf clovers? As 42 him good luck! Martin says the four-leaf
21 natural mutations, they are rare. About one in 43 wonders have already brought him bunches
22 ten thousand clovers will have four leaves. 44 of it.

40
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Reading Comprehension

Sample Questions
Directions: Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. Darken the
circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the page. After you finish
answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. The main purpose of this passage is to 4. Sir John Melton clearly believed that four-
leaf clovers
(A) compare four-leaf clovers to other
similar plants. (A) last longer when dried and pressed.
(B) explain why George Kaminski (B) are excellent keepsakes for
collects four-leaf clovers. collectors.
(C) offer interesting information about (C) bring good luck to those who find
four-leaf clovers. them.
(D) prove that four-leaf clovers bring (D) provide hours of entertainment for
good luck to people. children.

2. In line 29, “imposter” most nearly means 5. Which statement about the four-leaf clover
is supported by information in the
(A) example. passage?
(B) fake.
(C) plant. (A) It is larger than most other clovers.
(D) souvenir. (B) It is easy to find one in a grassy area.
(C) One of its leaves is smaller than the
others.
3. According to the passage, both George
(D) Usually lucky, they occasionally
Kaminski and Ed Martin
bring bad luck.
(A) live in Alaska.
(B) collect four-leaf clovers.
(C) tour the country in motor homes.
(D) write for the Guinness Book of
World Records.

41
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Reading Comprehension

Answers to Sample Questions

The passage describes the four-leaf clover in terms of its appearance, the good luck that it is supposed
to bring to its finder, its rarity in nature, and its value to two collectors.

1. This item asks you to determine the main purpose of the passage. Choice (C) is the correct answer
because the passage is clearly written to offer information to the reader. Choice (A) is a supporting
idea; choice (B) is information that is not provided in the passage; and choice (D) is incorrect
because the passage does not provide any proof that four-leaf clovers bring luck; it just suggests it.

2. This item asks you to determine the meaning of the term “imposter” in line 29. This section of the
passage describes plants that resemble four-leaf clovers but are not real four-leaf clovers. In lines 25,
26, and 27, there are words that provide clues to the meaning of “imposter.” For example, in line 25
“artificial” points to choice (B), “fake” (something that is not real), which is the correct answer.

3. This item asks you to compare George Kaminski to Ed Martin and find one way they are alike. The
answer is found in the last paragraph (lines 34– 44), which describes both men as collectors of four-
leaf clovers. Therefore, choice (B) is the correct answer.

4. The answer to this question is found in both the first and second paragraphs of the passage,
specifically in lines 1–9. Because Sir John Melton clearly believed that four-leaf clovers bring good
luck to those who find them, choice (C) is the correct answer. The other answer choices reference
information found in the same area of the passage, but the information does not directly refer to
Sir John Melton’s quote.

5. Your task here is to find the answer in a statement that is supported by information in the passage.
This means that your answer must come from information that you find in the passage. The correct
answer is choice (C), which is found in lines 31–33. The other answer choices contain information
that is clearly incorrect, but you would know that only if you have read the passage carefully.

42
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Mathematics Achievement
(Section 4)

Mathematics Achievement tests mathematical skills you have learned from the very beginning of your
school career. All questions in this section are aligned to the standards articulated by the NCTM. As
with the questions in the Quantitative Reasoning section, this section will include questions from these
NCTM standards:
 Number and Operations
 Algebra
 Geometry
 Measurement
 Data Analysis and Probability, and
 Problem Solving

For more information on these mathematical standards, visit www.nctm.org.

The Mathematics Achievement section will test your ability to identify and solve problems related to the
NCTM standards in the six areas listed above. Specifically, the Mathematic Achievement questions have
these characteristics:
 Unlike the Quantitative Reasoning section, you may need to do calculations to determine the
correct answer for some questions.
 Answer choices may represent misconceptions or procedural errors (such as incorrect order of
mathematical operations in a multi-step problem) but there are no trick questions or trick
answers.
 Unlike the Quantitative Reasoning section, some items may require knowledge of mathematical
terminology as indicated in the grade appropriate NCTM standards.
 Although conversions between units of measurement may be required to correctly answer the
problem, students do not have to memorize conversions in the U.S. standard system (such as
twelve inches equals one foot). If conversions within the U.S. standard system are required to
find the correct answer to the question, they are given in the question.
 Common metric units will be found in some questions in this section, but conversions within the
same unit for volume, length, mass, or temperature in the metric system are not provided (i.e.,
conversions between centimeters and meters).

You may not use a calculator or scratch paper. You may write in this book, since you may write in the
test booklet when you take the ISEE.

43
ISEE What to Expect Sample Test Items – Mathematics Achievement

Strategies:
 Read the entire question and study any related graphic images for each question before looking
at the answer choices.
 Remember all four answer choices are logical answers—there are no answer choices such as “all
of the above” or “none of the above.”
 Next determine your answer and look for it in the answer choices provided.
o To save you time, all answers are listed in sequential order from greatest to least, or least
to greatest unless the answer could be determined by using the ordered answers. (For
example, a question which asks which number is the largest number would not have its
answer choices ordered by value.)
 Remember to check your work, since often the answer choices represent common mathematical
mistakes or procedural misconceptions.
 Some questions may be unfamiliar to you because you may not have yet covered that particular
math concept at your current school. If you do not know the answer to the question, or if the
answer you have determined is not listed as an answer choice, you may choose to make a mark
in your test booklet (not your answer document), skip that question for now, and move on to the
next question. Remember all questions on the ISEE have equal value. If you have time before the
end of this test section, you may be able to come back to it later.

44
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Numbers and Operations: Whole Numbers

Students should be able to

 use all four math operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide) accurately;
 make reasonable estimations; and
 use properties of the numbers and operations.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates numbers and
operations. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the
page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. Which whole number is divisible by 9 without a remainder?

(A) 2,001
(B) 2,003
(C) 2,005
(D) 2,007

2. Which expression correctly uses the distributive property to solve 15 × (8 + 17)?

(A) (15 × 8) + 17
(B) (17 × 8) + 15
(C) (15 + 8) × (15 + 17)
(D) (15 × 8) + (15 × 17)

45
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D), 2,007.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. knowing the divisible rule for 9, which states that if the sum of all the digits of a number can
be divided by 9, then the number is divisible by 9; 2 + 0 + 0 + 7 = 9 and 9 is divisible by 9,
so 2,007 is divisible by 9; or

2. dividing 2,007 by 9, which gives a value of 223 with no remainder. Having no remainder
shows that 2,007 is divisible by 9.

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D), (15 × 8) + (15 × 17).

One way the answer can be found is by knowing that the distributive property confirms a
relationship between multiplication and addition. For example, the expression 1(2 + 3) has the same
value as the expression (1 × 2) + (1 × 3), so 15 × (8 + 17) is the same as (15 × 8) + (15 × 17).

Another way is to find the value of the expression 15 × (8 + 17) = 15 × 25 = 375, and then find the
value of each of the answer choices.

(A) (15 × 8) + 17 = 120 + 17 = 137

(B) (17 × 8) + 15 = 136 + 15 = 151
(C) (15 + 8) × (15 + 17) = 23 × 32 = 736
(D) (15 × 8) + (15 × 17) = 120 + 255 = 375

The only match is (D).

46
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Numbers and Operations: Decimals, Percents, Fractions

Students should be able to use rational numbers to

 accurately compute addition and subtraction using fractions and decimals;
 make reasonable estimations using fractions and decimals; and
 find equivalent forms of fractions, decimals, and percents.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates numbers and
operations. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the
page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. The teacher drew these shapes on the board.

What fraction of the shapes are squares?

1
(A)
8
1
(B)
4
3
(C)
8
1
(D)
2

2. Josh is estimating 4.17  3.9 to determine if his answer is reasonable. Which is the best way for
him to estimate?

(A) 4×3
(B) 4×4
(C) 5×3
(D) 5×4

47
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:
1
The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), .
4

One way the answer can be found is by

1. counting the total number of shapes (8);

2. counting how many squares there are among the 8 shapes (2);

2
3. thinking of squares out of 8 shapes as a fractional number ( );
8

2  2 1
4. being sure that the fractional number is in its lowest term ( = ).
8  2 4

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), 4 × 4.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. rounding 4.17 to the nearest whole number (4); and

2. rounding 3.9 to the nearest whole number (4).

48
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Algebraic Concepts

Students should be able to

 identify, compare, and extend patterns; and
 find and use rules that can contain variables.

Sample Questions

Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates algebraic
concepts. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the page.
After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. The number machine only accepts even numbers as input. It performs the same operation on each
input number to create an output number.

NUMBER MACHINE
Input Output
20 11
16 9
10 6
6 4
4 3

Which input number creates an output of 15?

(A) 22
(B) 24
(C) 28
(D) 30

2. A box contains 24 batteries that are packaged into groups of 3. If n represents the number of
packages in the box, which equation would tell how many packages are in the box?

(A) 3 + n = 24
(B) n = 24 ÷ 3
(C) n – 3 = 24
(D) 24 × n = 3

49
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), 28.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. finding the rule: “What input number will result in the output number being 15?”

 Notice that each input number is an even number and is larger than its output number.
 Try to find a relationship between the input and output numbers. Try dividing input 20 in
half (20 ÷ 2 = 10), adding 1 to 10, and getting the sum of 11.
 If this relationship is true for all input and output numbers, then you have the rule. The
rule is (input number ÷ 2) + 1 = output number, OR the rule written as a math sentence is
(x ÷ 2) + 1 = y.

2. using the rule:

(input number ÷ 2) + 1 = 15 OR 15 = (x ÷ 2) + 1;
input number ÷ 2 = 15 - 1 15 – 1 = (x ÷ 2);
input number ÷ 2 = 14 14 = x ÷ 2;
input number = 14 × 2 14 × 2 = x;
input number = 28 28 = x.

Sample Question 2:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), n = 24 ÷ 3.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. knowing that division means separating the total number of objects into as many equal
groups as possible; and

2. recognizing that the total number of objects (batteries) is 24 and that these objects have been
divided into small groups of 3. You want to know how many groups of 3 are in 24, so using
24 ÷ 3 will give you the answer.

50
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Geometry

Students should be able to

 classify and describe basic 2- and 3-dimensional figures;
 understand and use coordinate grids, including transformation of geometric
figures; and
 understand the concepts of congruency, symmetry, and similarity.

Sample Question

Directions: Answer the following sample question. Select the answer that best illustrates geometric
operations. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the
page. After you finish answering the question, turn to the next page and evaluate your answer.

1. A coordinate graph is shown.

Mackenzie plotted the following points on the coordinate grid.

point R (3, 5); point S (6, 5); point T (8, 2); point U (2, 2)

A polygon is formed with vertices R, S, T, and U and sides RS , ST , TU , and UR. Which type of
polygon is formed?

(A) diamond
(B) pentagon
(C) square
(D) trapezoid

51
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answer to Sample Question

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D), trapezoid.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. plotting the points onto the coordinate grid provided;

2. sketching the sides of the polygon;

3. noticing that sides RS and TU are parallel and that sides UR and ST are not parallel; and

4. knowing that a trapezoid is a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides.

52
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Measurement

Students should be able to

 find the perimeter and area of regular and irregular polygons;
 develop strategies to find the volume and surface area of rectangular solids;
 convert between units in both customary and metric systems; and
 identify tools and units associated with length, weight, capacity, temperature, and
time.

Sample Question

Directions: Answer the following sample question. Select the answer that best illustrates measurement
abilities. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the page.
After you finish answering the question, turn to the next page and evaluate your answer.

1. Shown below is a plan for a patio that Mr. Watson is building in his backyard.

According to Mr. Watson’s plan, what is the area of the patio?

(A) 48 ft2
(B) 96 ft2
(C) 120 ft2
(D) 216 ft2

53
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answer to Sample Question

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (C), 120 ft2.

One way the answer can be found is by

1. finding the area of the 12  8 rectangle:

A = l × w;
A = 12 × 8;
A = 96 ft2;

2. finding the area of the 8  6 triangle (which is half a rectangle):

1
A= (b × h);
2
1
A = (6 × 8);
2
1
A = (48);
2
A = 24 ft2;

and

3. adding the two areas together for total area:

96 + 24 = 120 ft2.

54
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Data Analysis and Probability

Students should be able to

 collect and display data;
 interpret and make predictions about a set of data;
 calculate mean, mode, median, and range of a set of data; and
 find the probability of a simple event.

Sample Questions
Directions: Answer the following sample questions. Select the answer that best illustrates data analysis
and probability. Darken the circle for your answer choice in the sample answer sheet at the bottom of the
page. After you finish answering the questions, turn to the next page and evaluate your answers.

1. The table shows the results of a school cafeteria’s survey of 200 students. On the last day of each
month, the cafeteria plans to serve the two most favorite foods.

FAVORITE CAFETERIA FOOD

Food Number of Votes
pizza 74
meatloaf 31
hamburger 59
turkey sandwich 36
Which two foods will the cafeteria be serving?
(A) pizza and meatloaf
(B) hamburger and pizza
(C) pizza and turkey sandwich
(D) hamburger and turkey sandwich

2. Matt randomly selected three cards, without looking, from a stack of letter cards labeled
A through K. If none of the cards in the stack repeat, what is the probability that the first card
selected is the letter C?
8
(A)
11
3
(B)
8
3
(C)
27
1
(D)
11

55
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Mathematics Achievement

Answers to Sample Questions

Sample Question 1:

The correct answer to the question is answer choice (B), hamburger and pizza.

One way the answer can be found is by reading the chart to determine which two foods have the
most votes. Pizza has the most votes at 74. Hamburger has the second most votes with 59.

Sample Question 2:
1
The correct answer to the question is answer choice (D), .
11
One way the answer can be found is by determining how many total cards are in the stack. Cards
labeled A – K equal 11 cards. Since there is only 1 card labeled C, there is only 1 chance in 11 that
the first card chosen will be the card labeled C.

56
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Writing the Essay

(Section 5)

On the last section of the ISEE test, you will be asked to write a short essay in response to an assigned
writing prompt. A writing prompt is randomly selected for use on each test date. The writing prompts
include topics of interest to students at your level and are created to give you an opportunity to tell more
about yourself.

This part of the test also gives you a chance to show the schools to which you have applied how well
you organize your thoughts and express them in a written format. For the actual ISEE test, you are given
a sheet of paper on which to make notes. You must write the essay in ink on two pre-lined pages
(erasable ink is allowed), and you also must rewrite the prompt at the top of the first page. The actual
instructions you will receive when you take the essay portion of the ISEE are shown on pages 105–106
in the “Practice Test” section.

You are given 30 minutes to complete the essay. During those 30 minutes you should
 organize your thoughts;
 prepare your notes or make a short outline; and
 write your final copy.

Writing must be done either in cursive or print using a ballpoint pen. The writing should be done
directly on the lines preprinted in the answer document, using blue or black ink.

On the following pages, you will find some tips for writing an essay, some sample essay prompts, and
lined pages for writing a sample essay. Three sample essay topics and three sets of lined pages have
been provided to give you an opportunity to practice on more than one prompt. Remember to add
descriptions and details in your response. If possible, you should ask a parent or teacher to read your
essay(s) and give you feedback on what you have written.

57
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Tips for Writing the Essay

Here is a brief writing checklist designed to help you organize and write a response to the essay topic
provided. This checklist is for your use now, but note that there is NO checklist for you to use when you
take the actual ISEE, and you may NOT take a checklist into the test with you. We believe, however,
that if you use this checklist as you write your sample essay, you will remember to ask yourself these
questions when you write your essay on the actual ISEE.

__ Did I put the topic in the box at the top of the first page, as instructed?

__ Did I plan my essay before putting it on the lined sheets?

__ Did I allow enough time to write my final copy on the lined sheets?

__ Did I write about the topic that was given?

__ Did I include details to add interest?

__ Did I follow rules for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?

__ Can others read my handwriting?

__ Did I review my writing upon finishing?

58
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Sample Essay Topics

Directions: Select a topic from the list of sample topics below and write an essay on the pre-lined pages
on pages 61 and 62. You may plan your essay on a separate sheet of paper. Remember to rewrite the
topic at the top of page 61.

If you would like additional practice writing an essay, pages 63– 66 contain pre-lined pages for writing
essays on the remaining topics.

Topic 1: Describe in detail where and how you would spend your perfect vacation.

Topic 2: What would you like to do to make the world a nicer place in which to live? Explain.

Topic 3: Who is your favorite relative? Why have you chosen this person?

59
This page is intentionally left blank.

60
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Sample Essay #1

61
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

62
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Sample Essay #2

63
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

64
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

Sample Essay #3

65
What to Expect on the ISEE Sample Test Questions – Essay

66
 P RACTICE T EST

L OWER L EVEL

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

67
What to Expect on the ISEE Practice Test

Using the Practice Test

The Practice Test is the same format as the actual ISEE. In each section, the number of questions and the
number of minutes that you have to answer the questions are listed under the name of the section. On the
actual ISEE, however, there are additional questions which will not be included on your score report, but
which may be used on future tests. Thus, the timings for the Practice Test are slightly shorter than on the
actual ISEE, since you are answering only questions that will be used to determine your sample score.
The chart below shows the number of questions on each section of the Practice Test and the actual ISEE,
and how many minutes you should allow for each section of both tests.

PRACTICE TEST AND ACTUAL TEST—LOWER LEVEL

Section Practice Test Actual ISEE
Verbal Reasoning 30 Questions—18 Minutes 34 Questions—20 Minutes
Quantitative Reasoning 35 Questions—34 Minutes 38 Questions—35 Minutes
Reading Comprehension 20 Questions—20 Minutes 25 Questions—25 Minutes
Math Achievement 25 Questions—25 Minutes 30 Questions—30 Minutes
Essay 2-Page Limit—30 Minutes 2-Page Limit—30 Minutes

Although the timings are not the same on the Practice Test and the actual ISEE, since each section on
the actual test is carefully timed, it is important to follow the timing instructions on the Practice Test so
you can learn how to pace yourself for the actual test.

Remember that the time it takes to read the brief directions at the beginning of each section is NOT
included in the testing time. When you take the actual test, you will be allowed a five-minute break
before the Reading Comprehension section and another five-minute break following the Mathematics
Achievement section. On the actual ISEE, you will take each section in the same order in which it
appears in the Practice Test. Each section must be taken without stopping; therefore, we strongly
encourage you to take the Practice Test exactly the same way so that the experience will be realistic and
meaningful. Also, the score you calculate when you check your answers will be more accurate.

Because we think it will help you to know exactly how the test administrator will instruct you on the day
of the test, we have included the general directions that will be read to you before the test starts. (These
directions are on the next page.) Reading these directions carefully will help you know what to expect.

When you are ready to begin, try to create the following realistic test conditions.
 Find a quiet, well-lighted space with an appropriate writing surface.
 Ask an older person (parent, sibling, friend) to act as test administrator to
o read the general directions;
o monitor your time;
o write down the starting time for each section;
o tell you when five minutes remain in each section; and
o tell you when to stop.

You will use a copy of the actual answer sheet to mark your answers for the Practice Test. The answer
sheet is in Appendix B. You will also use the pre-lined pages in Appendix B for your essay. Use the
appropriate parts of the answer sheet and leave the remaining parts blank. For example, leave “Test
Administrator” and “ID Number” blank. It may be more convenient for you to photocopy the answer
sheet so that you don’t have to turn back and forth between the Practice Test and Appendix B.
68
What to Expect on the ISEE Practice Test

Test Directions
After you are seated in the test room and the test administrator announces that you are ready to begin, he
or she will give you your test booklet and an answer sheet. (Please refer to the answer sheet on
pages 133–136.) Some of the information on this answer sheet may already be filled in for you, but if
not, the test administrator will help you. After you complete the test booklet itself, the administrator will
give you your essay topic to write on the last two pages of the answer sheet. There will be two 5-minute
breaks during the test.

The general directions the test administrator will read to you before you begin the separate sections of
the actual ISEE are below. The administrator will not begin timing you until after he or she has finished
reading them and answering any appropriate questions. These are the same directions you should use on
the Practice Test. It is important to look at them now because they contain important information.

Directions
The ISEE measures skills and abilities commonly used by students in school. Your test booklet
contains four sections: Verbal Reasoning; Quantitative Reasoning; Reading Comprehension; and
Mathematics Achievement. There are several different versions for each test, so the questions in your
test booklet will probably be different from the questions that others in this room are answering.
Because these tests are given to students in more than one grade, don’t be surprised if you notice that
some of the questions are very easy for you, or that others are very difficult.

Read the directions and samples printed at the beginning of each test carefully. Work as quickly as
you can without becoming careless. Do not spend too much time on any question that is difficult for
you to answer since all questions are scored equally. Instead, skip it and answer all of the questions
that you can. Then, if you have time, return to any questions you may have skipped.

Please select the best choice for each question. On this test, there is no penalty for an incorrect
answer.

Be sure to record all your answers on the answer sheet. Mark only one answer for each question, and
make every mark heavy and dark, as in these examples.

Sample Answers

If you decide to change one of your answers, be sure to erase the first mark completely. Don’t worry
if you find that there are more answer spaces on the answer sheet than there are questions in this
booklet. As you work, make sure that the number of the question that you are answering matches the
number on the answer sheet section that you are marking.

Please do not open the booklet until you are told to do so.

69
 Verbal Reasoning

LOWER LEVEL

Practice Test

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

70
VR 1
Section 1
Verbal Reasoning
30 Questions Time: 18 minutes

This section is divided into two parts that contain two different types of questions. As soon as you have
completed Part One, answer the questions in Part Two. You may write in your test booklet. For each
answer you select, fill in the corresponding circle on your answer document.

Part One — Synonyms

Each question in Part One consists of a word in capital letters followed by four answer choices. Select
the one word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.

SAMPLE QUESTION: Sample Answer

DEBATE:
(A) betray
(B) censor
(C) dispute
(D) reveal

Part Two — Sentence Completion

Each question in Part Two is made up of a sentence with one blank. Each blank indicates that a word or
phrase is missing. The sentence is followed by four answer choices. Select the word or phrase that will
best complete the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: Sample Answers

Because Paul was thrifty by nature, he rode his
bicycle to work every day in an effort to ------- fuel.
(A) conserve
(B) create
(C) utilize
(D) waste
Americans today vote by secret ballot, in contrast to
many early Colonial Americans who -------.
(A) did not let others know for whom they voted
(B) wrote letters demanding the repeal of the Stamp Act
(C) spoke their choices for candidates in front of a crowd
(D) strongly protested the British government’s tax on tea

STOP. Do not go on
until told to do so.
71
 1 VR
Part One — Synonyms
Directions: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.

I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV04DW I2ELSXXXBV03AN00000-BV10BW
1. REJECT: 6. PARTICLE:

(A) confine (A) quality

(B) damage (B) speck
(C) label (C) tone
(D) refuse (D) weight
I2ELSXXXBV03AN00000-BV05BW
I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV15CW
2. NAG: 7. NOVEL:
(A) agree (A) cheerful
(B) annoy (B) false
(C) conquer (C) original
(D) defy (D) perfect
I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV05CW
I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV09CW
3. NUTRITIOUS: 8. ELONGATE:
(A) attentive (A) bruise
(B) dangerous (B) calculate
(C) nourishing (C) lengthen
(D) spicy (D) moisten
I2ELSXXXBV03AN00000-BV01CW
I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV11DW
4. RENEW: 9. SOLEMNLY:

(A) prepare (A) curiously

(B) regret (B) harmfully
(C) restore (C) possessively
(D) simplify (D) seriously
I2ELSXXXBV03AN00000-BV04AW I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV13CW
5. SUPERB: 10. UPROOT:

(A) excellent (A) guarantee

(B) happy (B) rebel
(C) puzzling (C) remove
(D) spirited (D) salvage

72 Go on to the next page.

VR 1
I2ELSXXXBV03AN00000-BV11DW I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV07DW
11. SELDOM: 14. VIEWPOINT:

(A) equally (A) contradiction

(B) naturally (B) factor
(C) quietly (C) idealism
(D) rarely (D) opinion

I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV19DW I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV18DW
12. ADHESIVE: 15. VIGILANCE:

(A) blunt (A) enthusiasm

(B) infectious (B) fury
(C) lukewarm (C) importance
(D) sticky (D) watchfulness

I2ELSXXXCV03AN00000-CV03BW
13. LIBERATE:

(A) combine
(B) free
(C) judge
(D) obtain

73 Go on to the next page.

 1 VR
Part Two — Sentence Completion
Directions: Select the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV24AW I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV21AW
16. It is the natural beauty of Glacier County, 20. Anne Sullivan showed her ------- as
with its waterfalls and snow-covered Helen Keller’s teacher by working with
meadows, that ------- the thousands of her day and night to help her overcome
tourists, hikers, and campers who visit her disabilities.
each year.
(A) devotion
(A) attracts (B) fear
(B) conceals (C) humor
(C) restrains (D) scorn
(D) threatens
I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV29DW
I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV23AW 21. Like many other medical conditions,
17. Allergies are usually abnormal reactions to malnutrition is often easier to ------- before
------- substances such as dust, pollen, and its occurrence than to treat after its onset.
animal dander.
(A) distort
(A) common (B) eliminate
(B) imaginary (C) manage
(C) scarce (D) prevent
(D) unknown
I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV28DW
I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV23CW 22. Hannah Moore, an English writer, was
18. To reach maturity, a seagoing loggerhead best known for her -------, works whose
turtle must survive many -------, such as characters endured extremely sorrowful
attacks by gulls and hungry fish. circumstances.

(A) allies (A) daydreams

(B) destinations (B) farces
(C) hazards (C) speeches
(D) voyages (D) tragedies

I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV22AW I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV25CW
19. Although Roman political life was 23. The many types of fish and mammals
centered in the cities, most Romans lived displayed in the exhibit at the aquarium
in the -------, growing crops, tending vines, demonstrate the remarkable ------- of
or cultivating olive groves. marine life.

(A) countryside (A) control

(B) deserts (B) disappearance
(C) museums (C) diversity
(D) towns (D) magnification

74 Go on to the next page.

VR 1
I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV35BW I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV39BW
24. Although there were other contributing 28. The movie provided no moral instruction;
factors, the ------- cause of industrial rather, it invited us to -------.
growth was the flood of new inventions in
eighteenth-century England. (A) learn a lesson
(B) enjoy ourselves
(A) detrimental (C) examine our values
(B) primary (D) improve our behavior
(C) sentimental
(D) temporary I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV40BBW
29. Compared to his early paintings, which
I2ELBXXXCV03BN00000-CV33DW were usually of lighthearted subjects, the
25. Although once ------- in Africa, cheetah later art of Winslow Homer -------.
populations have been greatly reduced due
to hunting, loss of habitat, and decline of (A) sold successfully and made him rich
the cheetah’s prey. (B) was darker and of a more serious
nature
(A) attractive (C) was appreciated by the critics but not
(B) threatened the public
(C) unknown (D) represented bright landscapes or
(D) widespread people at play

I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV39CW I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV40CW
26. Most artists begin training early in life, but 30. Although Frederic Chopin was personally
Anna Mary “Grandma” Moses -------. on good terms with most musicians of his
day, he -------.
(A) painted for profit as a young child
(B) did not like art during her advanced (A) ignored them at every opportunity
years (B) seldom gave large public
(C) started painting when she was past performances
seventy years old (C) did not appreciate their style of
(D) specialized in farm scenes and romantic music
country landscapes (D) turned out to be one of the most
popular composers of his time
I2ELBXXXBV03BN00000-BV38DW
27. Since the students looked puzzled, their
-------.

(A) faces became quite cold

(B) classmates began to arrive
(C) friend gave them a present
(D) teacher repeated the directions

STOP. If there is time, you

may check your work in this
75 section only.
 Quantitative Reasoning

LOWER LEVEL

Practice Test

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

76
QR 2
Section 2
Quantitative Reasoning
35 Questions Time: 34 minutes

Each question is followed by four suggested answers. Read each question and then decide which one of
the four suggested answers is best.

Find the row of spaces on your answer document that has the same number as the question. In this row,
mark the space having the same letter as the answer you have chosen. You may write in your test
booklet.

EXAMPLE 1: Sample Answer

Which expression is equivalent to the expression 2 × (3 + 4)?
(A) 2+7
(B) 2×7
(C) 5+4
(D) 5×4
The correct answer is 2 × 7, so circle B is darkened.

EXAMPLE 2: Sample Answer

Which could be the dimensions of a rectangle
with an area of 48 cm2?
(A) 2 cm × 26 cm
(B) 3 cm × 16 cm
(C) 5 cm × 9 cm
(D) 6 cm × 7 cm
The correct answer is 3 cm × 16 cm, so circle B is darkened.

STOP. Do not go on
until told to do so.
77
 2 QR
I2MLQXXXBN21CGBQ011A-BQ01AW I2MLQXXXCN11AN00000-CQ02BW
1. The largest triangle shown below is 3. Alice wrote down a whole number greater
divided into small triangles. than 6 and less than 10. When Jim tried to
guess the number, Alice told him it was
greater than 8 and less than 12. What is
Alice’s number?

(A) 7
(B) 9
(C) 10
(D) 11

I2MLQXXXCM02DGCA101-CA10AW
What fraction of the largest triangle is
shaded? 4. The perimeter of the triangle is
28 centimeters. The lengths of two
of the sides are shown.
2
(A)
9
2
(B)
7
1
(C)
4
1
(D) What is the length of the third side?
2

I2MLQXXXCN12AN00000-CQ07CW
(A) 10 centimeters
2. Which story best fits the equation (B) 18 centimeters
7  5 = 35? (C) 36 centimeters
(D) 46 centimeters
(A) I have 35 cookies. After eating
5 cookies, how many cookies do I I2MLQXXXCA02BN00000-CM01AW
have left? 5. Use the equations to answer the question.
(B) I want to share 35 cookies with
12 friends. How many cookies do we 5+p=6
each get? 3+q=6
(C) I have 7 boxes of cookies, with
5 cookies in each. How many What is the sum of p + q ?
cookies do I have altogether?
(A) 4
(D) I have 7 boxes of cookies, and my
friend has 5 boxes of cookies. How (B) 8
many boxes of cookies do we have (C) 12
altogether? (D) 20

78 Go on to the next page.

QR 2
I2MLQXXXBG04BGBQ052-BQ05BW I2MLQXXXCN21DN00000-CQ12AW
6. Use the diagram to answer the question. 8. Which is the largest fraction?

5
(A)
9
6
(B)
13
7
(C)
15
8
Which piece would complete the diagram (D)
to make a square? 17

I2MLQXXXAN11GN00000-AA10DW
(A)
9. If x can be divided by both 3 and 5 without
leaving a remainder, then x can also be
divided by which number without leaving
a remainder?

(B) (A) 2
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 15

I2MLAXXXCD02AGCQ281-CQ28DW
(C) 10. Use the Venn diagram to answer the
question.

(D)

I2MLQXXXCN12CN00000-CQ10BW
7. Nisha and Alex were riding their bikes at
the same speed on a bike path. It took
Nisha 20 minutes to ride 4 miles. How What shapes could be found in the shaded
long did it take Alex to ride 12 miles? part of the Venn diagram?

(A) 48 minutes (A) a red square

(B) 60 minutes (B) a blue square
(C) 80 minutes (C) a blue triangle
(D) 120 minutes (D) a green triangle

79 Go on to the next page.

 2 QR
I2MLQXXXCD02AN00000-CA08DW (2 of 2 cluster)
11. A class put three cans full of water in the sun. Each can was covered and had a thermometer in it to
measure the temperature of the water in degrees Fahrenheit. One can was painted black, one can
was painted white, and the third can was painted silver. The class collected the data shown below.

TEMPERATURE EXPERIMENT
Black Can White Can Silver Can
Start 50F 50F 50F
10 min 53F 50F 52F
20 min 57F 51F 54F
30 min 62F 51F 56F
40 min 68F 52F 58F
50 min 75F 52F 60F

According to the pattern from these data, what would be the predicted temperature of the water in
the black can at 70 minutes?

(A) 75F
(B) 79F
(C) 83F
(D) 92F

I2MLQXXXCA01BN00000-CQ11DW I2MLQXXXCM02DN00000-CA17CW
12. Use the table to determine the rule. 13. The perimeter of a square is 8s. What is
the length of one side?
Input Output
∆ □ (A) 2
2 8 (B) 4
7 13 (C) 2s
12 18 (D) 4s
40 46
I2MLQXXXCA02CN00000-CA32DW

What is the rule for the function? 14. Which is a value of x in the math equation
15 = 3x + 3?
(A) ∆  4 = □ (A) 1
(B) (∆  3) – 1 = □ (B) 2
(C) ∆ + 5 = □ (C) 3
(D) 4
(D) ∆ + 6 = □

80 Go on to the next page.

QR 2
I2MLQXXXAA01AGAQ181-AQ18DW I2MLQXXXCN21CGCA231-CA23AW
15. Use the figure below to answer the 17. A survey of 40 students’ favorite
question. ice cream flavors is displayed in the
circle graph shown.

About what fraction of the students chose

If two more rows were added to the figure, strawberry as their favorite flavor?
how many small triangles would the sixth
row have, assuming the same pattern 1
(A)
continues? 8
1
(A) 5 (B)
4
(B) 7
1
(C) 9 (C)
3
(D) 11
1
(D)
I2MLQXXXCA01AN00000-CQ18BW 2
16. Use the pattern to help answer the
question. I2MLQXXXBD02BN00000-BM24CW
18. A cat had a litter of 4 kittens. Two of the
2 1
1+3=2 kittens weighed 2 ounces each, 1 kitten
1 + 3 + 5 = 32 2
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 42 weighed 3 ounces, and 1 kitten weighed
4 ounces. What is the mean weight of the
What is the solution to
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 13 + 15? kittens from the litter?

(A) 52 1
(A) 2 ounces
(B) 82 2
(C) 122 3
(B) 2 ounces
(D) 132 4
(C) 3 ounces
(D) 4 ounces

81 Go on to the next page.

 2 QR
I2MLQXXXAN21AGAM201-AM20CW I2MLQXXXBM02EGBM251-BM25CW
19. Use the number line to answer the 22. The volume of the small, shaded cube is
question. 1 unit3.

Which three numbers are the vertical

arrows pointing to on the number line?
What is the volume of the larger cube?
(A) 2.2, 2.4, 2.6
(B) 2.4, 2.8, 3.0 (A) 9 units3
(C) 2.6, 3.2, 3.8 (B) 18 units3
(D) 2.8, 3.6, 4.2 (C) 27 units3
(D) 81 units3
I2MLQXXXBA02CGBM281-BM28AW
20. The length of RS is x and the length of I2MLQXXXCN23EGCA311-CA31BW
RT is y. 23. Jar 1 and Jar 2 would each hold 1 cup of
liquid when filled to the top. The jars
shown are not completely filled to the top.

What is the length of ST?

(A) y–x
(B) y+x
(C) x–y
(D) xy If the liquids in the two jars are combined,
approximately how much liquid will there
I3MLQ2000N13CN00000-0558DW be altogether?
21. In a warehouse, there are 687 boxes with
36 candles in each box. Which expression 2
(A) cup
gives the best estimate of the total number 3
of candles in the warehouse? (B) 1.5 cups
(C) 3 cups
(A) 69  40
(D) 6 cups
(B) 70  40
(C) 600  30
(D) 700  40

82 Go on to the next page.

QR 2
I2MLQXXXCG03BGCQ321-CQ32DW I2MLQXXXCN22CN00000-CQ34BW
24. The figure shown may be folded along one 26. The scale on Tanji’s map shows that
or more of the dotted lines. 1.2 inches represents 10 miles. How many
inches would it take to represent 25 miles?

(A) 2.5 inches

(B) 3.0 inches
(C) 3.5 inches
(D) 3.7 inches

I3MLQ2002D04BN00000-0702CW
27. Ms. Hammond put the names of all her
students in a hat. The probability that she
will pull out a boy’s name at random is
Which line or pair of lines, when folded, 3 out of 7. There are 12 girls in the class.
will allow the semicircles to exactly match How many boys are in Ms. Hammond’s
the original figure? class?
(A) line p only (A) 3
(B) line s only (B) 4
(C) both line p and line s (C) 9
(D) both line p and line r (D) 11
I2MLQXXXCN21CN00000-CA34CW
I2MLQXXXCM02EGCQ091-CQ09CW
25. The ingredients in the recipe were evenly
28. Use the diagram of the cube to answer the
mixed and equally divided into 5 bags.
question.
RECIPE
10 cups of crisp corn cereal
7 cups of pretzel sticks
2 cups of raisins
3 cups of chocolate chips
1 cup of sunflower seeds

Approximately how many cups of the

mixture were placed in each bag?

1 How many small cubes are being used to

(A) 3 build the large cube?
2
(B) 4 (A) 32
1 (B) 48
(C) 4
2 (C) 64
(D) 5 (D) 96

83 Go on to the next page.

 2 QR
I3MLQ2002D03AG17004-0700AW
29. Four students recorded the number of 31. Use the figure shown to answer the
minutes spent reading at home for one question.
night and recorded their data in the graph
shown.

How many triangular regions can be made

in the figure by only drawing line
segments from vertex P to the other
vertices?

(A) 4
(B) 5
(C) 6
Based on this graph, which conclusion is
(D) 7
true about the number of minutes spent
reading? I3MLQ2002D04CN00000-0701DW
32. Kara has a box of chocolates with different
(A) The mean is between 18 and 19. cream fillings: caramel, vanilla, cinnamon,
(B) Eric read fewer minutes than Mandy. orange, and cocoa. The probability of
(C) The range is greater than the number choosing a chocolate filled with caramel is
of minutes Joey read. 4 out of 9. Which combination of
(D) Lisa read the same number of chocolates is possible?
minutes as Joey and Eric combined.
(A) 4 caramel chocolates and 9 others
I2MLQXXXAA02CN00000-AQ29BW (B) 16 caramel chocolates and 36 others
30. Which equation can be read as “2 more (C) 18 caramel chocolates and 8 others
than 6 times a number is equal to 10 less (D) 20 caramel chocolates and 25 others
than the number”? Let n represent the
unknown number.

(A) 2 + (6 × n) = 10 – n
(B) 2 + (6 × n) = n – 10
(C) 2 × (6 × n) = 10 – n
(D) 2 × (6 × n) = n – 10

84 Go on to the next page.

QR 2
I2MLQXXXBN13CN00000-BQ31BW I2MLQXXXCA02CGCA351-CA35DW
33. Josh did the problem shown with his 35. Use the number line shown to answer the
calculator. question.

51  743
25

What is a reasonable estimation for his P is the average of Q and another number.
answer? What is the other number?

(A) between 1,000 and 1,200 (A) 3

(B) between 1,200 and 2,000 (B) 6
(C) between 2,000 and 2,500 (C) 14
(D) between 2,500 and 3,000 (D) 18

I2MLQXXXCN13FN00000-CQ19BW
34. What is the value of n in the expression
30 15  45 
= n?
3

(A) 200
(B) 600
(C) 900
(D) 1,800

STOP. If there is time, you

may check your work in this
85 section only.
 Reading Comprehension

LOWER LEVEL

Practice Test

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

86
RC 3
Section 3
Reading Comprehension
20 Questions Time: 20 minutes

This section contains four short reading passages. Each passage is followed by five questions based on
its content. Answer the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that
passage. You may write in your test booklet.

STOP. Do not go on
87 until told to do so.
 3 RC
Questions 1– 5
Passage LB03

1 His days already crowded with work, 26 Frederick Douglass’ whole family worked
2 Frederick Douglass found time for another job. 27 on the Railroad. His five children helped him
3 As a former slave himself, he made time to 28 hide the slaves and make them comfortable.
4 work on the Underground Railroad. 29 “Remember,” Frederick said, “they are guests
5 The Underground Railroad was not a 30 in our house.” They had to be quick guests.
6 railroad with trains and tracks. But it did have 31 Traveling on the Underground Railroad was
7 passengers, conductors, stations, and 32 dangerous. Grown-ups talked in whispers and
8 stationmasters. Runaway slaves were the 33 children learned to play in whispers, too.
9 passengers, and the conductors were the people 34 In 1850, the Underground Railroad became
10 who led them North. The station was where 35 more dangerous when a new law was passed.
11 they rested and hid—usually the homes of 36 Called the Fugitive Slave Law, it said that
12 people who hated slavery. These were 37 runaway slaves must be returned to their
13 stationmasters. 38 masters. Anyone caught hiding slaves would be
14 Frederick Douglass’ home in Rochester, 39 fined or thrown in jail.
15 New York, was a station on the Underground 40 Slaves were not safe anywhere in the
16 Railroad. He never knew when to expect a 41 United States. They had to escape to Canada.
17 group of slaves. Usually they came late at night 42 Frederick Douglass’ home in Rochester became
18 with a knock on the door. Frederick and Anna, 43 an important station, since it was the last station
19 his wife, would look at each other and know— 44 on the line on Lake Ontario. Across the lake lay
20 the Underground Railroad was running. Anna 45 the safety of Canada.
21 would ready the house and Frederick would go 46 Over the years, Frederick Douglass helped
22 to the door. He wouldn’t open it. First he would 47 over 400 slaves escape. Each time he thought,
23 whisper, “Who’s there?” “A friend with 48 “There goes one less slave, one more free
24 friends,” someone would answer. Then 49 person.”
25 Frederick knew it was safe to let them inside.

88 Go on to the next page.

RC 3
I2ELCXXXBM01APLB030-BR10CW I2ELBXXXBS01BLB030-BR13CW
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to 4. According to the passage, how did
Frederick Douglass’ job change in 1850?
(A) relate the various roles Frederick
Douglass played in his lifetime. (A) It became harder because fewer
(B) analyze the reasons for the operation people worked with him.
of the Underground Railroad. (B) It became more complicated because
(C) describe Frederick Douglass’ work he had to involve his family.
with the Underground Railroad. (C) It became more dangerous because,
(D) discuss the characteristics of the if caught, he could now go to prison.
slaves who used the Underground (D) It became easier because more
Railroad. former masters came and retrieved
the slaves.
I2ELBXXXBO01DPLB030-BR11CW
2. The passage states that the slaves filled I2ELBXXXBO01DLB030-BR15DW
which role on the Underground Railroad? 5. The passage provides information to
answer which question?
(A) conductors
(B) engineers (A) In which state did the Underground
(C) passengers Railroad originate?
(D) stationmasters (B) What was Frederick Douglass’ work
other than his work with slaves?
I2ELBXXXBV03B LB030-BR12AW (C) Why did Frederick Douglass have
3. In line 36, “Fugitive” most nearly means his family members help him in his
work?
(A) escapee. (D) After 1850, what was the destination
(B) immigrant. of most slaves on the Underground
(C) pirate. Railroad?
(D) wanderer.

89 Go on to the next page.

 3 RC
Questions 6–10
Passage LC02

1 When a building is torn down, a vacant lot 21 vacant lot. Birds will leave undigested seeds on
2 is created. However, the lot will not remain 22 the ground in their droppings. Other seeds may
3 “vacant” for long. Soon the first plants will 23 drop off the clothing of people walking near or
4 appear. 24 across the vacant lots. Eventually, seeds of
5 On rare occasions, seeds may remain under 25 plants and spores of mosses and ferns will find
6 buildings for decades, perhaps a hundred years 26 their way to the lot.
7 or more. The building over them keeps them 27 If the lot is left free to develop for many
8 dry and preserved. Once the building goes, 28 years and receives adequate sunlight and rain,
9 rainwater may dampen the seeds and cause 29 its plant life will follow a predictable life cycle.
10 them to sprout. When this happens, new plants 30 Its first plant inhabitants will be weeds and
11 will start growing in the vacant lot. 31 wild flowers, such as dandelions and clover.
12 This sort of thing happened in London after 32 Over the years, grasses will appear, followed
13 the city was bombed during the Second World 33 by vines and quick-growing trees such as the
14 War. After many damaged buildings were torn 34 white pine. In a few years, the lot will probably
15 down, beautiful wild flowers that had not been 35 become home to birds, insects, and many small
16 known to grow in London for hundreds of 36 animals.
17 years started growing in the vacant lots. 37 Vacant lots may appear to be ugly, harsh
18 Even if this does not happen with old seeds, 38 places. Yet, they teach us something. They
19 plants will show up anyway. Some of the seed 39 prove that life, if given half a chance, will take
20 swill is carried in the wind to the newly formed 40 over any place it can—even a vacant lot.

90 Go on to the next page.

RC 3
I2ELCXXXCM01APLC020-CR06AW I2ELCXXXCI01IP LC020-CR08CW
6. Which best expresses the main idea of the 9. In the fifth paragraph (lines 27–36), the
passage? author implies that the return of life to a
vacant lot would be held back if
(A) Life will return even to a vacant lot
in the city. (A) animal life disappeared from the
(B) Animals will not live in a vacant lot area.
until plant life has developed. (B) people did not walk near or across
(C) The clothing of people walking the lot.
through the city carries plant seeds. (C) the lot did not get enough water and
(D) Many buildings in London were sunlight.
destroyed by bombing during the (D) the lot became covered with grasses
Second World War. and vines.

I2ELCXXXCO1DP LC020-CR09CW I2ELCXXXCO01FPL C020-CR10CW

7. Which best characterizes plant life as it is 10. The function of the last paragraph
described in the passage? (lines 37– 40) is to

(A) beautiful (A) provide an exciting ending to the

(B) edible passage.
(C) persistent (B) leave the reader with an unsolved
(D) untidy mystery.
(C) summarize one of the main ideas of
I2ELCXXXCI01IP LC020-CR07AW the passage.
8. The author implies that a good place to (D) provide evidence that the author’s
look for seeds of plants that no longer argument is correct.
grow in the city would be

(A) in the dirt under very old buildings.

(B) in places that are full of dandelions
and clover.
(C) in open fields that receive a lot of
sunlight and rain.
(D) on the clothing of people walking
through vacant lots.

91 Go on to the next page.

 3 RC
Questions 11–15
Passage LC07

1 On a recent trip to the Oakland Museum to 13 looking worried and distraught as the train
2 see a display of African American quilts, 14 pulled out.
3 several students got lost. We boarded two 15 I went upstairs to speak with the
4 different subway cars, and about six students 16 stationmaster, who phoned ahead to check with
5 who were in the car next to mine decided to 17 security personnel. They reported that the
6 take advantage of my not being there. They 18 students had not disembarked at the next
7 began walking from one car to the other, which 19 station. So the stationmaster got on the paging
8 they are not supposed to do. When we came to 20 system and announced, “Will Ms. Logan’s
9 our stop, they didn’t know it was time to get off 21 students please call 214. Will Ms. Logan’s
10 since they were in a different car. As I was 22 students please call 214.” I returned to the train
11 counting noses in the station, I saw six of them 23 platform downstairs to see the rest of my class
12 pressed up against the glass in the last car, 24 running around wildly looking for a phone.

92 Go on to the next page.

RC 3
I2ELCXXXCM01APLC070-CR36DW I2ELCXXXCO01EPLC070-CR32AW
11. The passage is primarily concerned with 14. The passage supplies information to
describing answer which question?

(A) the benefits of traveling by train. (A) Where were the students going?
(B) the importance of visiting museums. (B) Where were the students coming
(C) the strengths and weaknesses of from?
subway security. (C) How many students were in the total
(D) the teacher’s experience with a group?
group of students. (D) How did the class react when the
students were all reunited?
I2ELCXXXCV03BPLC070-CR34CW
12. In line 18, “disembarked” most nearly I2ELCXXXCS01BPLC070-CR33DW
means 15. According to the author, a group of
students did not get off the subway at the
(A) called. appropriate station because
(B) continued.
(C) gotten off. (A) their teacher miscounted noses.
(D) asked for help. (B) the subway paging system was not
working.
I2ELCXXXCI01IPLC070-CR35CW (C) they were distracted by the other
13. Which can be inferred from the last passengers.
sentence (lines 22–24)? (D) they were not in the same car as their
teacher.
(A) The students were bored and desired
exercise.
(B) The students were trying to find their
lost classmates.
(C) The students who were not lost
thought they should call 214.
(D) The telephones on the subway
platform were not operating
properly.

93 Go on to the next page.

 3 RC
Questions 16–20
Passage LA05

1 One spring I celebrated the first ant parade 17 added a piece of apple, some raw egg white,
2 that found its way into my kitchen by allowing 18 milk, and vinegar.
3 it to do whatever it wanted to. A steady line of 19 I soon learned that they were interested in
4 ants filed from a crack just below a windowsill 20 everything except the vinegar, but their real
5 to the corner of my sink, where I keep a small 21 favorite was the honey. There were always four
6 drainer of vegetable wastes for my compost 22 or five ants crowded around the honey drop,
7 heap. Another line was headed just as steadily 23 while just one or two were exploring the other
8 in the other direction. 24 substances.
9 Because my drainer contained too many 25 As much as I enjoyed watching the ants
10 odds and ends for me to see exactly what it was 26 making their food choices, I concluded that
11 the ants were after, I set up a feeding station to 27 such encouragement was not good for our
12 determine their food preferences. I turned a 28 relationship. So I cleared up my feeding station
13 dinner plate upside down, and on its rounded, 29 and began my annual effort to eliminate or
14 easily accessible surface, I dabbed a few items: 30 protect the foods that invite ants to forage
15 a little peanut butter, some honey, some cottage 31 indoors.
16 cheese, and plain water. As the day went by, I

94 Go on to the next page.

RC 3
I2ELAXXXAM01APLA050-AR26CW I2ELAXXXAF02CPLA050-AR24AW
16. The main purpose of the passage is to 19. By saying that such encouragement
describe how was not “good for our relationship”
(lines 27–28), the author is suggesting
(A) ants locate food and take it to their that the ants could become
nests.
(B) ants find their way into people’s (A) annoying.
homes. (B) dangerous.
(C) the author learned about ants’ food (C) unappreciative.
preferences. (D) unfriendly.
(D) the author protects the kitchen
against ants. I2ELAXXXAV03BPLA050-AR25BW
20. In line 30, “forage” most nearly means to
I2ELAXXXAI01ILA050-AR22DW
17. The author’s attitude toward ants is best (A) build a nest.
described as one of (B) look for food.
(C) form a parade.
(A) annoyance.
(D) raise offspring.
(B) disgust.
(C) dismay.
(D) interest.

I2ELAXXXAO01EPLA050-AR23DW
18. The author turned the dinner plate upside
down (lines 12 – 13) in order to

(A) make the food visible from far away.

(B) keep the food safe from other
insects.
(C) keep the ants from carrying the food
away.
(D) make it easier for the ants to climb
onto it.

STOP. If there is time, you

may check your work in this
95 section only.
 Mathematics Achievement

LOWER LEVEL

Practice Test

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

96
MA 4
Section 4
Mathematics Achievement
25 Questions Time: 25 minutes

Each question is followed by four suggested answers. Read each question and then decide which one of
the four suggested answers is best.

Find the row of spaces on your answer document that has the same number as the question. In this row,
mark the space having the same letter as the answer you have chosen. You may write in your test
booklet.

SAMPLE QUESTION: Sample Answer

Which number is divisible by 6 without a remainder?
(A) 16
(B) 33
(C) 48
(D) 64
The correct answer is 48, so circle C is darkened.

STOP. Do not go on
97 until told to do so.
 4 MA
I2MLAXXXCM02DGCQ151-CQ15BW I2MLAXXXCN11AN00000-CA04AW
1. Use the triangle to answer the question. 4. What is the standard form for two hundred
three thousand forty-nine?

(A) 203,049
(B) 203,409
(C) 230,490
(D) 234,900

I2MLAXXXCN11AGCQ011-CQ01BW
5. Use the number line to answer the
question.
What is the perimeter of the triangle?
(P = s + s + s)

(A) 18 feet
What number is represented by point P on
(B) 36 feet
the number line?
(C) 54 feet
(D) 72 feet (A) 73
(B) 77
I2MLAXXXCD04BN00000-CA05AW
2. A total of 28 students were asked which (C) 79
one of three snacks—ice cream, popsicles, (D) 83
or frozen yogurt—they preferred. If
17 students said they preferred ice cream, I2MLAXXXCN13BN00000-CA13CW

and 4 students said they preferred 6. What is the value of the expression
popsicles, how many students said they 308 + 197?
preferred frozen yogurt?
(A) 405
(A) 7 (B) 495
(B) 11 (C) 505
(C) 15 (D) 515
(D) 21
I2MLAXXXCA02AN00000-CA06BW

I2MLAXXXCG01AN00000-CQ05DW
7. Which expression is equal to 20?
3. What is the name of a rectangle with sides
of equal length? (A) (3  5) + 4 – 7
(B) 3  (5 + 4) – 7
(A) hexagon (C) 3  5 + (4 – 7)
(B) octagon (D) 3  (5 + 4 – 7)
(C) pentagon
(D) square

98 Go on to the next page.

MA 4
I2MLAXXXCD02AN00000-CA07DW (1 of 2 cluster)
8. A class put three cans full of water in the sun. Each can was covered and had a thermometer in it to
measure the temperature of the water in degrees Fahrenheit. One can was painted black, one can
was painted white, and one can was painted silver. The table shows the data collected.

TEMPERATURE EXPERIMENT
Black Can White Can Silver Can
Start 50F 50F 50F
10 min 53F 50F 52F
20 min 57F 51F 54F
30 min 62F 51F 56F
40 min 68F 52F 58F
50 min 75F 52F 60F

At 50 minutes, how much warmer was the water in the black can than the water in the white can?

(A) 8F
(B) 13F
(C) 18F
(D) 23F

I2MLAXXXCN21EN00000-CA03CW I2MLAXXXCA01BN00000-CA25AW
9. Which fraction is equivalent to 0.4? 11. If 2  (□ + 4) = 22, what number does
□ stand for?
1
(A)
4 (A) 7
1 (B) 9
(B)
40 (C) 11
4 (D) 15
(C)
10
I2MLAXXXCN23DN00000-CQ21DW
4
(D) 12. Chris buys five items costing $3.49,
100 $11.99, $0.50, $2.99, and $16.99. What is
the estimated total cost of Chris’ items?
I2MLAXXXCN13BN00000-CA18BW
10. What is the value of the expression
(A) between $20 and $25
2,000 – 165?
(B) between $25 and $30
(A) 1,735 (C) between $30 and $35
(B) 1,835 (D) between $35 and $40
(C) 1,935
(D) 2,835

99 Go on to the next page.

 4 MA
I2MLAXXXCD01CGCA021-CA02DW
13. The graph shows the population of four towns.

How many more people live in Southville than live in Eastville?

(A) 3,000
(B) 5,000
(C) 10,000
(D) 15,000

I2MLAXXXCN13CN00000-CA16AW I2MLAXXXCD04BGCA112-CA11BW
14. Lake Superior has an area of about 15. Use the diagram to answer the question.
31,700 mi2. Which lake has an area closest
1
to that of Lake Superior?
3
(A) Lake Nyasa, which has an area of
11,430 mi2 If one of the cards is picked up at random,
(B) Lake Tanganyika, which has an area what is the chance that it will be a ?
of 12,700 mi2
(C) Lake Huron, which has an area of (A) 1 out of 4
23,000 mi2 (B) 1 out of 3
(D) Lake Victoria, which has an area of (C) 1 out of 2
26,828 mi2
(D) 2 out of 3

100 Go on to the next page.

MA 4
I2MLAXXXCD02BN00000-CQ26BW
16. Use the table to answer the question.

HOPE SCHOOL’S SCORES

Event 1 7.9 8.2 8.3 7.8 8.0
Event 2 8.3 8.3 8.4 8.0 7.9
Event 3 7.6 8.1 7.5 7.4 7.7
Event 4 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.6 7.7

What is the mode of this set of data?

(A) 7.6
(B) 7.9
(C) 8.0
(D) 8.3

I2MLAXXXCN21DN00000-CQ24DW
I3MLA3001N11GXXXX0-0780CW
1 9
17. Use the set of numbers shown to answer 19. Which fraction is between and ?
the question. 2 10

{2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …} 1
(A)
4
Which describes this set of numbers? 1
(B)
3
(A) odd numbers 2
(B) even numbers (C)
5
(C) prime numbers 4
(D) composite numbers (D)
5
I3MLA1104A02CN00000-0704AW I3MLA1104A01AN00000-0703BW
18. If the area of a rectangle is 20 cm2, which 20. Use the number sequence to answer the
equation can be used to determine the question.
width of that rectangle? (A = lw, where
A = Area, l =length, and w = width.) 2, 4, 8, 14, 22, 32, ___
What is the next number in the sequence?
20
(A) w
l (A) 34
l (B) 44
(B) w
20 (C) 54
(C) w  20l (D) 64
(D) w  20l

101 Go on to the next page.

 4 MA
I2MLAXXXCM02BGCA281-CA28DW
21. Use the Time Zone map to answer the question.

An airplane leaves Seattle at 1:00 P.M. and arrives 4 hours later in Detroit. What time is it in
Detroit?

(A) 10 A.M.
(B) 1 P.M.
(C) 5 P.M.
(D) 8 P.M.

I2MLAXXXCN21BN00000-CA33DW I2MLAXXXCM02DN00000-CQ31CW
22. What is the sum of 2.9 + 1.7? 23. What is the perimeter of a rectangle that
has a length of 8 inches and a width of
3
(A) 3 5 inches? (P = 2l + 2w)
5
1 (A) 13 inches
(B) 4
5 (B) 23 inches
2 (C) 26 inches
(C) 4
5 (D) 28 inches
3
(D) 4
5

102 Go on to the next page.

MA 4
I2MLAXXXCG02BGCA221-CA22CW I2MLAXXXCN23EN00000-CA19AW
5
24. Use the coordinate grid to answer the 25. Terry had 5 feet of wire. He used
question. 8
3
3 feet of the wire to make a lamp. How
4
many feet does he have left?

7
(A) 1
8
1
(B) 2
8
1
(C) 2
2
7
(D) 2
What are the coordinates of point P in the 8
figure?

(A) (1, 7)
(B) (1, 8)
(C) (8, 1)
(D) (8, 2)

STOP. If there is time, you

may check your work in this
103 section only.
 Essay

LOWER LEVEL

Practice Test

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

104
What to Expect on the ISEE Practice Test – Essay

Essay Topic Sheet

The directions for the Essay portion of the ISEE are printed in the box below. Use the pre-lined pages in
Appendix B (pages 135–136) for this part of the Practice Test.

NOTE: The page references in the directions below refer to the page numbers at the bottom of the
answer sheet, not to the page numbers of the What to Expect on the ISEE book.

You will have 30 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic printed on the
other side of this page. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another
topic is not acceptable.

The essay is designed to give you an opportunity to show how well you can
write. You should try to express your thoughts clearly. How well you write is
much more important than how much you write, but you need to say enough
for a reader to understand what you mean.

You will probably want to write more than a short paragraph. You should also
be aware that a copy of your essay will be sent to each school that will be
receiving your test results. You are to write only in the appropriate section of
the answer sheet. Please write or print so that your writing may be read by
someone who is not familiar with your handwriting.

You may make notes and plan your essay on the reverse side of the page.
Allow enough time to copy the final form onto your answer sheet. You must
copy the essay topic onto your answer sheet, on page 3, in the box provided.

Please remember to write only the final draft of the essay on pages 3 and 4 of
your answer sheet and to write it in blue or black pen. Again, you may use
cursive writing or you may print. Only pages 3 and 4 will be sent to the schools.

Directions continue on the next page.

105
What to Expect on the ISEE Practice Test – Essay

REMINDER: Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of page 3 of your answer
sheet.

Essay Topic

If you were granted the power to change one thing about

your community, what would you change and why?

 Only write on this essay question

 Only pages 3 and 4 will be sent to the schools
 Only write in blue or black pen

Notes

106
 S CORING THE
P RACTICE T EST

L OWER L EVEL

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

107
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test

Step-by-Step Directions
When you have finished all five sections of the Practice Test, you will be ready to grade and score your
test. Follow the steps on these next pages exactly as written, and you will soon know your score and
how you did compared to other students who have taken a similar practice test, except for the essay.

You will have three scores when you finish: your raw score, your scaled score range, and your quartile
ranking. As you determine these three scores, enter them in the table below.

ISEE PRACTICE TEST SCORING

Verbal Quantitative Reading Mathematics
Reasoning Reasoning Comprehension Achievement
1. Raw Score
2. Scaled Score Range
3. Quartile

Finding Your Raw Score

The number of questions that you have answered correctly is called your “raw score.” As you will see,
you get one point for every question that you answer correctly, but no points for a question you answer
incorrectly or omit.

1. Turn to page 111 and place your answer sheet beside the column headed Verbal Reasoning.
2. Enter the answer that you chose for question 1 in the “Your Answer” column. Next, move to the
column to the right and put a “+” if your answer is correct. Leave this box blank if your answer
is wrong or if you skipped this question.
3. Continue until you have entered your answers beside the correct answers to each of the
30 Verbal Reasoning questions.
4. Move your Practice Test answer sheet beside the column headed Quantitative Reasoning on
page 112 and follow steps 2 and 3 above. (Note: Although the Practice Test Answer Key lists
questions by NCTM standards, on the actual Individual Student Report (ISR), your results for
Quantitative Reasoning are listed as “Word Problems.”)
5. Move to Reading Comprehension (page 113) and Mathematics Achievement (page 114) in turn
and follow steps 2 and 3 above. Remember to skip questions you did not answer as you mark
down your answers.
6. Count the number of correct (+) answers in each section. For example, if you have 12 “+” marks
in Verbal Reasoning, write 12 next to Total Correct.
7. Count each section separately and write down the number of correct answers next to Total
Correct. These are your raw scores.
8. Enter the raw scores for each section on line 1 of the table above.

For a full explanation of scaled scores, percentiles, and stanines, please see the “Understanding the
Individual Student Report (ISR)” section of this book.

108
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test

Finding Your Scaled Score

You will need to convert (change) your raw score to a scaled score to see what it means and how you
compare with other students who took a similar test. This step is necessary because there are different
forms of the ISEE, and the scaled score helps the people who score the ISEE compare your score with
other scores. We have provided a scaled score range for each raw score, because the Practice Test that
you took cannot be equated exactly with the real ISEE test. The reason: the Practice Test was not taken
under a real testing environment at a school or ISEE office. Nevertheless, the score you calculate here
will be sufficiently close for you to feel confident in the score you can expect. Your actual ISEE score
report will show a single scaled score for each section rather than the ranges shown on these conversion
tables. Follow these steps exactly.

1. Turn to the conversion tables on pages 115–118. Note there are several tables (one for each
section).
2. Find the correct conversion table for the raw score of the section you wish to equate. For
example, in the table for Verbal Reasoning, find the line that lists the total of your correct
answers (your “raw” score) on the Verbal Reasoning section. Find the reported range of scaled
scores beside your raw score. Record these numbers under the corresponding column on
line 2 of the table on page 108.
3. Repeat for the other three sections.

Finding Your Quartile Score

Your quartile score is based on how you compare to other students applying to the same grade. Using
the comparative data table that is next to the conversion table in each separate section, find the quartile
that corresponds to your scaled score. Record the quartile for each section on line 3 of the table on
page 108.

Reviewing Your Essay

The ISEE does NOT score your essay. A photocopy of your essay will be sent to each school you listed
to receive your scores. Each school will judge the essay independently, using its own standards.
Remember, the essay and the rest of the ISEE are only two of the pieces of information admission
officers will use to determine your potential for success at their schools.

For this Practice Test, we suggest that you ask an adult who knows you to read your practice essay and
give you feedback about how you did, using the tips for essay writing found on page 58.

109
This page is intentionally left blank.

110
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Answer Keys

ISEE Practice Test Answer Keys

Verbal Reasoning Answer Key—Lower Level (30 items)

Your + If
Item Key *Type
Answer Correct
1 D S
2 B S
3 C S
4 C S
5 A S
6 B S
7 C S
8 C S
9 D S
10 C S
11 D S
12 D S
13 B S
14 D S
15 D S
16 A SWR
17 A SWR
18 C SWR
19 A SWR
20 A SWR
21 D SWR
22 D SWR
23 C SWR
24 B SWR
25 D SWR
26 C PR
27 D PR
28 B PR
29 B PR
30 C PR
TOTAL CORRECT

*Key to Type of Item

S = Synonyms
SWR = Single Word Response
PR = Phrase Response

111
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Answer Keys

Quantitative Reasoning Answer Key—Lower Level (35 items)

Your + If
Item Key *Type
Answer Correct
1 A ND
2 C NW
3 B NW
4 A M
5 A A
6 B G
7 B NW
8 A ND
9 D A
10 D D
11 D D
12 D A
13 C M
14 D A
15 D A
16 B A
17 A ND
18 C D
19 C ND
20 A A
21 D NW
22 C M
23 B ND
24 D G
25 C ND
26 B ND
27 C D
28 C M
29 A D
30 B A
31 B G
32 D D
33 B NW
34 B NW
35 D A
TOTAL CORRECT

*Key to Type of Item

NW = Numbers and Operations A = Algebraic Concepts
(Whole Numbers) G = Geometry
ND = Numbers and Operations M = Measurement
(Decimals, Percents, Fractions) D = Data Analysis and Probability

(On the actual Individual Student Report, your results for Quantitative Reasoning will only list
Word Problems.)

112
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Answer Keys

Reading Comprehension Answer Key—Lower Level (20 items)

Your + If
Item Key *Type
Answer Correct
1 C MI
2 C OL
3 A V
4 C SI
5 D OL
6 A MI
7 C OL
8 A I
9 C I
10 C OL
11 D MI
12 C V
13 C I
14 A OL
15 D SI
16 C MI
17 D I
18 D OL
19 A T/S/F
20 B V
TOTAL CORRECT
*Key to Type of Item
MI = Main Idea
SI = Supporting Ideas
I = Inference
V = Vocabulary
O/L = Organization/Logic
T/S/F = Tone/Style/Figurative Language

113
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Answer Keys

Mathematics Achievement Answer Key—Lower Level (25 items)

Your + If
Item Key *Type
Answer Correct
1 B M
2 A D
3 D G
4 A NW
5 B NW
6 C NW
7 B A
8 D D
9 C ND
10 B NW
11 A A
12 D ND
13 D D
14 A NW
15 B D
16 B D
17 C NW
18 A A
19 D ND
20 B A
21 D M
22 D ND
23 C M
24 C G
25 A ND
TOTAL CORRECT
*Key to Type of Item
NW = Numbers and Operations A = Algebraic Concepts
(Whole Numbers) G = Geometry
ND = Numbers and Operations M = Measurement
(Decimals, Percents, Fractions) D = Data Analysis and Probability

114
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Conversion Tables

Practice Test Conversion Tables and Percentiles (Quartiles)

Verbal Reasoning Conversion Table — Lower Level

2012 ISEE Practice Tests

Scaled Score Ranges
(Min. = 760 and Max. = 904)
Raw
*Reported Range
Score
30 874 904
29 870 900
28 866 896
27 862 892
26 859 889
25 855 885
24 851 881
23 847 877
22 843 873 Comparative Data
21 840 870 Scaled Score Quartiles
20 836 866 Based on 2012–2013 ISEE Norms
19 832 862 Applicants
75th 50th 25th
18 828 858 to Grade
17 824 854 5 857 840 821
16 820 850 6 871 856 837
15 817 847
14 813 843
13 809 839
12 805 835
11 801 831
10 798 828
9 794 824
8 790 820
7 786 816
6 782 812
5 779 809
4 775 805
3 771 801
2 767 797
1 763 793
0 760 790

*Minimum reported range is 30 points wide.

115
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Conversion Tables

Quantitative Reasoning Conversion Table — Lower Level

2012 ISEE Practice Tests

Scaled Score Ranges
(Min. = 764 and Max. = 907)
Raw
*Reported Range
Score
35 877 907
34 874 904
33 870 900
32 867 897
31 864 894
30 861 891
29 858 888
28 854 884
27 851 881
Comparative Data
26 848 878
Scaled Score Quartiles
25 845 875
Based on 2012–2013 ISEE Norms
24 841 871
Applicants
23 838 868 75th 50th 25th
to GRADE
22 835 865
21 832 862 5 859 843 828
20 829 859 6 870 856 840
19 826 856
18 822 852
17 819 849
16 816 846
15 813 843
14 810 840
13 806 836
12 803 833
11 800 830
10 797 827
9 793 823
8 790 820
7 787 817
6 784 814
5 780 810
4 777 807
3 774 804
2 771 801
1 768 798
0 764 794

*Minimum reported range is 30 points wide.

116
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Conversion Tables

Reading Comprehension Conversion Table — Lower Level

2012 ISEE Practice Tests

Scaled Score Ranges
(Min. = 762 and Max. = 913)
Raw
*Reported Range
Score
20 883 913
19 877 907
18 871 901
17 865 895
16 859 889
15 853 883
14 847 877
13 841 871 Comparative Data
12 835 865 Scaled Score Quartiles
11 829 859 Based on 2012–2013 ISEE Norms
10 823 853 Applicants
75th 50th 25th
9 816 846 to GRADE
8 810 840 5 854 834 815
7 804 834
6 868 848 828
6 798 828
5 792 822
4 786 816
3 780 810
2 774 804
1 768 798
0 762 792

*Minimum reported range is 30 points wide.

117
What to Expect on the ISEE Scoring the Practice Test – Conversion Tables

Mathematics Achievement Conversion Table — Lower Level

2012 ISEE Practice Tests

Scaled Score Ranges
(Min. = 781 and Max. = 904)
Raw
*Reported Range
Score
25 874 904
24 870 900
23 866 896
22 862 892
21 859 889
20 855 885
19 851 881
18 847 877
Comparative Data
17 844 874
Scaled Score Quartiles
16 840 870 Based on 2012–2013 ISEE Norms
15 836 866 Applicants
14 833 863 75th 50th 25th
to GRADE
13 829 859 5 863 848 833
12 825 855
6 876 863 848
11 822 852
10 818 848
9 814 844
8 811 841
7 807 837
6 803 833
5 800 830
4 796 826
3 792 822
2 788 818
1 785 815
0 781 811
*Minimum reported range is 30 points wide.

118
 U NDERSTANDING THE
I NDIVIDUAL S TUDENT
R EPORT (ISR)

L OWER L EVEL

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.
119
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

Sample Individual Student Report (ISR)

Figure 1. Sample ISR – Lower Level

120
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) consists of verbal and quantitative reasoning sections,
mathematics and reading comprehension achievement sections, and an essay that demonstrates a
student’s writing skills. The reasoning sections (Verbal and Quantitative) measure what a student is
capable of achieving or learning; the Mathematics Achievement and Reading Comprehension
sections show how well the student understands concepts already studied.

The purpose of this section of this book is to help students and their parents understand the information
presented in the Individual Student Report (ISR). The ISR is a concise and useful summary of the
student’s performance on the ISEE. Different parts of the report provide information that may be used in
the admission process to understand, compare, and evaluate student performance. A complete, actual
sample ISR is shown on the previous page (Figure 1). Two parts of the report—the Test Profile and
Analysis—are explained on the following pages.

Test Profile
The Test Profile near the top of the report provides information about the student’s overall performance
on each section of the ISEE, except the essay; an unscored copy of the essay is sent to each school for
which the student requests score reports.

Figure 2 shows the Test Profile from the sample ISR in Figure 1.

Figure 2. Sample Test Profile

The ISEE scores are reported in four ways in order to provide a comprehensive picture of the student’s
performance:
 Scaled Scores
 Percentile Rank
 Stanine
 Stanine Analysis

The Test Profile reports ISEE scores both as scaled scores and as percentile ranks with reference to
ISEE norms. These norms are based on independent school applicants in the same grade who have taken
the ISEE during the past three years. The Test Profile also shows stanines and a stanine analysis. These
terms are discussed on the following pages.

121
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

The norm group for this test is a very competitive group of students who are applying to independent
schools. Therefore, a student is compared only to other students in the same grade who have applied to
independent schools in the last three years. Given that this is a competitive group of students, a student’s
performance may be less than what it has been on other tests where the comparison group is less
selective. Admission offices are aware of this difference in the norming populations and do not expect
all applicants to be “above” the norm.

Scaled Scores

ISEE scaled scores for each section range from 760 to 940. The scaled score is derived from the raw
score—the number of questions the student answered correctly—but is more useful than the raw score
because the scaled score has the same meaning regardless of which version of the test was used. ERB
administers many different versions of the test each year. The scaled score takes these slight differences
into account and allows ERB to report a score on a common scale that has the same meaning for all
students, regardless of the version taken.

Percentile Rank

The percentile rank shows the student’s standing when compared to other students in the norm group for
this examination. The rank is based on scores obtained from all students in a given grade who have
taken the test over the past three years. Percentile rank scores range from 1 to 99. A percentile rank of 36
on Mathematics Achievement, for example, as depicted in Figure 2, indicates that the student scored as
well as or better than 36 percent of all students in the norm group and less well than 63 percent (out of a
total of 99 percentile points).

Small differences in percentile ranks on different tests may or may not represent significant differences
in performance on those sections. For this reason, ISEE scores are also reported as stanines.

Stanine

A stanine is a score from 1 to 9, with 5 as the midpoint. Stanines are derived by dividing the entire range
of students’ scores into nine segments, as follows:

Percentile
Stanine
Rank
1–3 1
4 –10 2
11–22 3
23–39 4
40–59 5
60–76 6
77–88 7
89–95 8
96–99 9

122
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

Stanine Analysis

The stanine analysis permits comparisons between a student’s performance on both the ability tests and
the related achievement tests. Specifically, these comparisons are made between Verbal Reasoning (V)
and Reading Comprehension (R), and between Quantitative Reasoning (Q) and Mathematics
Achievement (M). Each letter in the stanine analysis box in the Test Profile is the midpoint of a band
that extends to either side of the stanine score. The percentile score is an estimate of a student’s ability
or knowledge. We can be reasonably certain that a student’s “true score” falls within the band reflected
by a particular stanine. If the stanine is 5, for example, the percentile rank range is 40–59.

In the example shown in Figure 2, the band for Reading Comprehension (R) is a bit lower than, but still
overlaps, the band for Verbal Reasoning (V). This indicates that the student’s performance in reading is
mostly consistent with the estimate of her verbal reasoning ability. To a degree, because the band for
Reading Comprehension is slightly to the left of the band for Verbal Reasoning, we can infer that the
student was working below her potential. Conversely, if the Reading Comprehension band were
completely to the right of the Verbal Reasoning band, we could be reasonably certain that the student
was performing better than expected. The same kinds of comparisons can be made between the
Mathematics Achievement and the Quantitative Reasoning bands.

Analysis
In the Analysis part of the ISR, each section score indicates the number of questions answered correctly,
the number of questions answered incorrectly, and the number of questions omitted or not reached. Each
section score is broken down by type of question, providing more specific information about a student’s
relative strengths and weaknesses.

Figure 3 shows the Analysis part of the sample ISR in Figure 1.

Figure 3. Sample Analysis

123
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

In the first column, each section is broken down into curricular areas and/or skills. The next two
columns show the number of questions and the number the student answered correctly for each
subsection. The symbols in the fourth and final column indicate whether the student answered each
individual question in the subsection correctly (+), answered the question incorrectly (–), skipped the
question (S), or did not reach the question (N). Questions coded S are those that appear to have been
deliberately skipped by the student, since subsequent questions in the subsection were answered.
Questions coded N are at the end of the section (not necessarily at the end of the subsection) and were
not answered, perhaps because the student ran out of time.

For all levels, the left-to-right sequence of symbols in the fourth column reflects the order of the
questions in the section. In general, questions in each section are ordered by difficulty, with the easier
questions at the beginning and the harder questions at the end. This is not the case for Reading
Comprehension, however, as questions in that section are placed in logical order as they relate to the
associated reading passage.

Verbal Reasoning

The Verbal Reasoning section includes 15 synonym questions and 15 sentence completion questions
(10 single word response questions and 5 phrase response questions). The synonyms assess a student’s
vocabulary as well as his or her ability to understand relationships among words and subtle differences
in meaning. Sentence completion requires the student to successfully integrate information beyond the
immediate context of the phrase/sentence and incorporate subsuming concepts and ideas presented in the
text using syntactic and semantic cues. The results shown in Figure 3 indicate the student was able to
answer all of the questions.

Quantitative Reasoning

There are 35 multiple choice questions evenly distributed across the mathematical strands. This section
requires the student to show an understanding of concepts by using logical reasoning, synthesis, skill,
and comprehension. To solve a word problem, the student must invoke a rule and then apply it. In the
example in Figure 3, the student did not answer the last question.

Reading Comprehension

The Reading Comprehension section has 20 questions: five questions for each reading passage. These
include questions on main idea, supporting ideas, inference, vocabulary in context, organization, logic,
and figurative language. The questions are listed in order as they appear on the test within each of the
reading passage sections. For the other three sections of the test: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative
Reasoning, and Mathematics Achievement, the test is arranged so that easier items appear first
and more difficult items appear later.

124
What to Expect on the ISEE Understanding the Individual Student Report

Mathematics Achievement

There are 25 items on the Mathematics Achievement section covering six skill areas. In line with a
traditional notion of mathematics achievement, these items call for the identification of and solutions to
problems requiring one or more steps in calculation. Looking at the results for this student on the
Mathematics Achievement section, it appears the student may have run out of time, since two questions
were not reached. However, the information shown for each skill area may be useful for placement
purposes.

Conclusion
Putting the ISEE in Perspective

It is helpful to remember that students in more than one grade are taking a particular level of the ISEE.
Therefore it is possible that some of the questions may seem particularly difficult to you because you
may not have learned some of the concepts in school yet. Your score on the ISEE is compared to only
students in your grade, and those students are probably learning about the same things that you are. In
that case, good preparation for the test includes being attentive in school and keeping up with your class
work and homework. There are no benefits to frantically reviewing materials at the last minute, and in
fact, you will probably make yourself very anxious if you do this. It is more important to get a good
night’s sleep the night before and to have a proper breakfast. Remember that your ISEE scores are only
part of the admission process. Schools also want to know about you as a person and what you can
contribute to their school community.

We wish you the best of luck in your school search and hope that this book has been helpful in
showing you what to expect on the ISEE. For more information, please visit ERB’s web site at
www.erblearn.org.

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 A PPENDICES

L OWER L EVEL

Copyright © 2012 by Educational Records Bureau. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, manual,
photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission of the Educational Records Bureau.

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What to Expect on the ISEE Appendix A

Appendix A
ISEE Content and Specifications
The sample questions and practice tests represent actual questions from previous tests, as well as newly
developed questions similar to what students will find on the current ISEE. As a result, students get the
best examples of the kinds of questions and the approximate level of difficulty that they will find when
they take the ISEE. The purpose of this appendix is to provide students and their parents with additional
information about the ISEE.

Verbal Reasoning
Over the past century, academic and behavioral research have identified specific abilities that are
relevant to academic performance and, therefore, can be used as predictors of academic success. Verbal
reasoning and quantitative reasoning are among those abilities and are an integral part of the ISEE.

Verbal reasoning is the ability to reason, infer, and interpret words, sentences, and discourse in order to
extract meaning and solve problems. The student must recognize relationships, make contrasts and
comparisons, follow logic, analyze problems, and think critically about what is being asked or
expressed. Item types that are often used for verbal reasoning include the following: extracting explicit
information, following directions, inferring word or phrase meaning, determining main idea of text,
analyzing similar and dissimilar concepts and situations, and evaluating strength and logic of arguments.

The Verbal Reasoning section of the ISEE is composed of two kinds of questions: synonyms and
sentence completions. Both of these kinds of questions test the depth and breadth of the student’s
vocabulary, and both test reasoning ability in different ways. Synonyms focus more on word recognition
and the ability to understand the relationships of other words and to discriminate among subtle
differences in meaning. The reasoning function of synonyms takes place when the student must choose
the word that is closest in meaning to the prompt word from among two or more related answer choices.

Sentence completion questions not only test vocabulary, but also measure a student’s knowledge of
words and their functions. The student must use both syntactic and semantic information within the text
and identify cues within the given sentence and across sentences. The student will be required to
successfully integrate information beyond the immediate context of the phrase/sentence and incorporate
subsuming concepts and ideas presented in the text.

In the Lower Level forms of the ISEE, the sentence completion answer choices are single words or short
phrases that complete a sentence fragment in the test item so the complete sentence has logical meaning.
Sentence completions in the Middle and Upper Level forms are more complex.

The following table shows the total number of test items on the actual Verbal Reasoning section of the
Lower Level ISEE.
VERBAL REASONING SECTION
Item Type Number of Items
Synonyms 17
Sentence Completion: Single Word Response 11
Sentence Completion: Phrase Response 6
Total Items for Verbal Reasoning Section 34

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Of the 34 total items, 30 are scorable items reported on the ISR, and 4 are unscored items that may be
used on future versions of the ISEE.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning section has the student show that he or she can do more than recall and
recognize facts, definitions, and symbols; read a graph and compute using standard algorithms; or
estimate answers to computation problems. The reasoning section requires the student to show an
understanding of concepts by using logical reasoning, synthesis, skill, and comprehension. These
questions ask the student to relate and integrate his or her knowledge of mathematics. They allow the
student to show that he or she can apply that knowledge by interpreting data, solving application
problems, estimating, recognizing patterns, and solving non-routine problems. The kinds of questions
that are in the Quantitative Reasoning section are often called higher-order thinking problems.

Quantitative reasoning entails the ability to use numbers and numerical concepts in order to solve
problems. Questions may ask the student to recognize and apply a required numerical operation;
estimate numerical values; employ logic to determine what a particular problem entails; compare and
contrast quantities; analyze and interpret data; analyze, compare, predict, draw conclusions, and
summarize graphs; use reason to calculate the probability of events; understand concepts and
applications of measurement; and know how to arrive at statistical solutions to given problems.
Questions require the student to synthesize information, determine what is relevant (and irrelevant),
select appropriate analysis techniques, and apply them. The emphasis is on the ability to reason and
solve problems in a quantitative context. Actual calculations may or may not be required.

The Quantitative Reasoning section of the Lower Level ISEE consists of word problems that differ
somewhat from traditional mathematics achievement items in that some of them require no calculation.
To solve a quantitative reasoning word problem, the student must invoke a rule and then apply it. The
emphasis is on rule generation, hence the absence of calculation in some items and the simplicity of
calculation in others.

The following table shows the total number of items on the actual Lower Level Quantitative Reasoning
section.

QUANTITATIVE REASONING SECTION

Item Type Number of Items
Word Problems 38
Total Items for Quantitative Reasoning Section 38

Of the 38 total items, 35 are scorable items reported on the ISR, and 3 are unscored items that may be
used on future versions of the ISEE.

A key aspect of all quantitative reasoning word problems is that all incorrect responses are based on
logical errors, not miscalculations or other errors in form. Another feature of these problems is that they
may contain irrelevant information. The rationale is twofold. First, in a reasoning item, part of the

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problem is to sort the relevant from the irrelevant, just as a mathematician or scientist would do. Second,
as students take additional tests in the future, such as college admission tests and other tests that include
quantitative reasoning items, they will see more and more problems with irrelevant information. In one
sense, the ISEE begins to prepare students for this experience.

Reading Comprehension

Texts of various genres are used to assess reading comprehension, e.g., narrative, expository, persuasive,
or descriptive texts. Each genre presents features particular to it and may require that different reading
skills be engaged to understand and interpret the text’s meaning. For example, a persuasive passage will
likely require the reader to follow the logic of a set of arguments, contrast counterpoints, and evaluate
the opposing points of view. A narrative, on the other hand, may demand attention to detail and the
sequencing of events.

Reading comprehension may be affected not only by text type, but also by question type. Questions may
ask for straightforward comprehension of what is explicitly stated in the passage or may demand that the
reader be aware of implicit ideas. The reader may need to infer, interpret, analyze, and/or synthesize
information in order to arrive at a correct answer to a given question.

All ISEE Reading Comprehension test items are based on passages of varying lengths. For the Lower
Level test, passage length varies from 300 to 600 words. The test items that follow each reading passage
measure a student’s ability relative to Main Idea, Supporting Ideas, Inference, Vocabulary,
Organization/Logic, and Tone/Style/Figurative Language, as described in the NCTE strands.

Explanation of Strands in Reading Comprehension Section

 The Main Idea items assess the student’s ability to look for an overall message, theme, or central
idea in the passage.
 The Supporting Ideas items assess the student’s ability to identify explicit ideas that support the
main idea.
 Inference items ask the student to draw a conclusion from content not explicitly stated in the text.
Inference items may ask the student to compare and contrast ideas, interpret or analyze text,
and/or predict subsequent events or outcomes.
 Vocabulary items deal with word definitions within the context of the passage, usually in the
form of “most nearly means.”
 Organization/Logic items ask students to identify the sequence, pattern, relationship, structure,
or summary of the passage.
 Tone/Style/Figurative Language items assess the student’s understanding of mood, tone, point of
view, and figurative language such as images, irony, and personification.

At the Lower Level, there are five passages in the Reading Comprehension section, each followed by
five questions that relate to the passage. The five questions that follow each passage test the concepts
described above.

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The following table shows the total number of items in the actual Lower Level Reading Comprehension
section.

READING COMPREHENSION SECTION

Number of Items
ISEE Strand
Per Strand
Main Idea 3– 4
Supporting Ideas 3–6
Inference 4– 8
Vocabulary 4– 8
Organization/Logic 2– 4
Tone/Style/Figurative Language 1–3
Total Items on Reading Comprehension Section 25

Of the 25 total items, 20 are scorable items reported on the ISR, and 5 are unscored items that may be
used on future versions of the ISEE.

Mathematics Achievement

Mathematics Achievement test items conform to the traditional mathematics achievement items that call
for the identification and solution of a problem requiring one or more steps in calculation. Based on the
strands of the NCTM, the items require calculations ranging from simple addition and subtraction
(Lower Level) to second-year algebra (Upper Level). Item formats and rules for generating items are
summarized below.

 Items measure knowledge of content area and academic skills.

 Items assess what mathematics the student has been taught and how much the student is able to
do.
 Incorrect answer choices are based on process errors (e.g., miscalculations, using wrong
operations, wrong formulas).
 Items have the following characteristics:
o They are more concrete than abstract. They require application of standard mathematical
rules in standard situations.
o They require knowledge of terminology.
o They require knowledge of procedures, as well as concepts.

The ISEE Mathematics Achievement section on the actual Lower Level test contains 30 items. The
following table shows the skill areas and approximate number of questions testing those skill areas for
the Middle Level Mathematics Achievement section.

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MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT SECTION

Skill Areas Number of Items
Whole Numbers 4–7
Decimals, Percents, Fractions 4–7
Algebraic Concepts 4– 7
Geometry 2– 5
Measurement 2– 5
Data Analysis and Probability 4–7
Total Items on Mathematics Achievement Section 30

Of the 30 total items, 25 are scorable items reported on the ISR, and 5 are unscored items that may be
used on future versions of the ISEE.

The Mathematics Achievement section has a direct connection to what the student is learning or has
learned in mathematics in school. As stated previously, since each level is given to students in more than
one grade, it is possible that some of the questions may seem difficult because the student has not yet
learned some of the concepts. This is particularly true of the Mathematics Achievement section. But the
student’s ISEE score is compared only to students in the same grade who are also applying to
independent schools, students who are probably learning about the same things in school.

Essay

The essay prompts on the ISEE were created to be consistent with the prompts on previous editions of
the ISEE. All prompts are free of bias, global in scope, and representative of a wide variety of topics.
The Lower Level prompts ask students to write an essay that is of interest and relevant to the
experiences of students at this age. The essay will give further insight into what is important to the
applicant.

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What to Expect on the ISEE Appendix B

Appendix B
Answer Sheet
Use the answer sheet and pre-lined pages in this appendix for the Practice Test. You may want to
photocopy the answer sheet to make it more convenient to use during the Practice Test.

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What to Expect on the ISEE Index

Index
Algebraic Concepts, 31–32, 49–50 Quantitative Reasoning: Sample Test
Analysis (ISR), 123–124 Questions, 27–38
Answer Keys, 111–114 Raw Score, 18, 108–109
Appendices, 126–136 Reading Comprehension, 11
Conversion Tables, 115–118 Reading Comprehension: Answer Key, 113
Data Analysis and Probability, 37–38, 55–56 Reading Comprehension: Content/
Decimals, Percents, Fractions, 47–48, 28–30 Specifications, 129–130
Essay, 12, 57–66, 104–106, 131 Reading Comprehension: Conversion
Geometry, 33–34, 51–52 Table, 117
Individual Student Report (ISR), 119–125 Reading Comprehension: Individual Student
Inference, 39, 129–130 Report (ISR), 124
Introduction to the ISEE, 9–20 Reading Comprehension: Practice Test, 86–95
Main Idea, 39, 129–130 Reading Comprehension: Sample Test
Mathematics Achievement, 11–12 Questions, 39–42
Mathematics Achievement: Answer Key, 114 Sample Test Questions and Essay, 21– 66
Mathematics Achievement: Content/ Scaled Score, 18, 121–122
Specifications, 130–131 Scoring the Practice Test, 107–118
Mathematics Achievement: Conversion Sentence Completion, 22, 25–26, 127
Table, 118 Stanine, 19, 108–109, 121–122
Mathematics Achievement: Individual Student Stanine Analysis, 123
Report (ISR), 125 Supporting Ideas, 39, 129
Mathematics Achievement: Practice Test, Synonyms, 22–24
96–103 Test Directions, 69
Mathematics Achievement: Sample Test Test Profile (ISR), 121–123
Questions, 43–56 Time Allotted, 16, 68
Measurement, 35–36, 53–54 Tone/Style/Figurative Language, 39, 129
NCTE, 10, 129 Understanding the Individual Student Report
NCTM, 10, 27, 43, 130 (ISR), 119–125
Numbers and Operations, 28–30, 45–48 Verbal Reasoning, 11
Organization/Logic, 39, 129 Verbal Reasoning: Answer Key, 111
Percentile, 108–109, 121–122 Verbal Reasoning: Content/
Practice Test, 67–106 Specifications, 127–128
Practice Test Answer Sheet, 132–136 Verbal Reasoning: Conversion Table, 115
Quantitative Reasoning, 11 Verbal Reasoning: Individual Student
Quantitative Reasoning: Answer Key, 112 Report (ISR), 124
Quantitative Reasoning: Content/ Verbal Reasoning: Practice Test, 70–75
Specifications, 128–129 Verbal Reasoning: Sample Test
Quantitative Reasoning: Conversion Table, 116 Questions, 22–26
Quantitative Reasoning: Individual Student Vocabulary, 39, 129
Report (ISR), 124 Whole Numbers, 28, 45–46
Quantitative Reasoning: Practice Test, 76–85 Word Problems, 11, 128–129

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 WHAT TO EXPECT
ON THE ISEE

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