The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and used by most independent private schools in the US for admissions. Students submit ISEE scores along with grades, teacher recommendations, and interviews.

ISEE Levels

The ISEE has four levels based on the student's current grade:

Format

Middle and Upper levels share the same structure (2 hrs 40 min total):

Lower Level has fewer questions and shorter sections (2 hrs 20 min total). Primary Level is a short early-literacy assessment (53–60 minutes).

Scoring

The ISEE uses a three-layer scoring system. The stanine is what admissions committees actually care about.

• Scaled score: 760–940 per section

• Percentile: compares the student to same-grade peers tested over the past three years

• Stanine (1–9): the percentile grouped into nine bands

Top-tier schools typically look for stanines of 7 or higher. The essay is ungraded but sent to every school the student applies to.

No guessing penalty — never leave questions blank.

Testing Schedule & Registration

The ISEE runs year-round across four seasons. Students may take it up to three times per year — once per season.

Register at erblearn.org. Choose between in-school paper tests, Prometric centers, or at-home testing via ProProctor. Scores post within a few days.

When to Start Preparing

For Middle and Upper level, plan for 3–4 months of prep. Many concepts (especially Mathematics Achievement) are grade-ahead, so students often encounter material they haven't seen in school yet.

• 4 months out: Diagnostic test; review vocabulary and math gaps

• 2–3 months out: Targeted section work, weekly tutoring

• Final month: Full-length timed tests, essay practice

Prep with Matter

Our ISEE tutors know the test, the independent-school landscape, and what stanines each target school actually expects. See our ISEE programs →