ISEE Test Scores Interpretation

The ISEE provides four scores, one for each section, except for the essay portion of the test, which is evaluated by the school(s) your child is applying to. The majority of schools consider each separate score and the average of the four scores.

The test provides five different types of scores, each based on a different type of calculation:

• ISEE Raw Score
• ISEE Scaled Score
• ISEE Percentile Ranking
• ISEE Stanine Score
• ISEE Stanine Analysis

How To Read ISEE Test Scores

The schools you apply to will know how to read the ISEE scores and will be able to interpret them to get an understanding of your child's potential.

The raw score shows how many questions your child answered correctly on each section of the ISEE test. It's a simple point system:

• 1 point for every question answered correctly
• 0 points for any question answered incorrectly or left blank

So, if your child got 35 questions right in the Verbal Reasoning section, their raw score for that section would be 35.

The raw score is the starting point for calculating your child's scaled score, percentile rank, and stanine for each section of the test. While the raw score represents their actual number of correct answers, the scaled score and percentiles allow for a meaningful comparison between test forms. You won't see the raw score written out on the score report itself, but you will be able to see which questions were answered correctly.

Your child will receive a scaled score between 760-940 for each of these four sections. The scaled score is calculated from the raw score (number of questions answered correctly) in a way that accounts for slight differences between test versions.

In addition to the scaled scores, the report shows percentile ranks and stanines for each section. These allow you to see how your child scored compared to other students.

This shows the percentage of students from the same grade that your child scored higher than over the last 3 years

For example, a 65th percentile means your child scored higher than 65% of students

This is a score from 1 to 9, with 5 as the middle.

It divides up all students' scores into 9 segments.

This score is another way to report a percentile and is derived by taking the student’s scores into nine segments, as seen in the chart below:

Stanines compare your child's reasoning and achievement section scores (e.g. Verbal Reasoning vs Reading Comprehension)

Stanines 8 and 9 are very good ISEE scores. Stanine 7 is a good ISEE score

The report will also show an analysis breaking down the number of questions and providing a key to understand the scoring symbols used.

Your child's essay is not scored but a copy is sent to each school you requested score reports for.

The stanine analysis allows you to compare your child's performance on the reasoning sections (Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning) to their performance on the related achievement sections (Reading Comprehension and Math Achievement). The stanine analysis helps identify potential strengths and weaknesses by making these types of comparisons between reasoning and achievement.

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You will receive an email when your child's test score report is ready. How quickly you receive the report depends on the test type and grade level:

• If your child took the test online, you'll get the score report in 3-5 days.
• If your child took the paper test and is applying for grades 2-4, you'll get the report in 7-14 days.
• If your child took the paper test and is applying for grades 5-12, you'll get the report in 5-10 days.

To send your child's scores to schools, you need to add those schools to their score recipient list. You can do this when registering or after getting the score report. But once your child starts the exam, you cannot remove schools from the list.

Check the deadlines for sending scores with the schools you're applying to. You can manage the school list for free at iseeonline.erblearn.org. If you need to make changes by phone, there is a $30 fee.

There are many factors to consider when applying to schools, including application essays, interviews, teacher recommendations, and grades. Properly preparing for the ISEE test is an excellent way to boost your child’s chances of getting accepted to his or her program of choice. A high score on the ISEE test can lead to a greater percentile ranking, and can assist your child in standing out against other candidates. Start practicing today, and help your child reach his or her true potential!

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There are many factors to consider when applying to schools, including application essays, interviews, teacher recommendations, and grades. Proper preparation for the ISEE is an excellent way to increase your child's chances of getting into the program of his or her choice. A high score on the ISEE can lead to a higher percentile ranking and help your child stand out from other applicants. Start practicing today and help your child reach his or her true potential with a good ISEE score.

Click here for free ISEE Sample Questions