Your ISEE Scoring Questions Answered

Many test-takers ask us about the ISEE scoring process. Here are your top three questions, answered!

How does ISEE Scoring Work?

The ISEE exam has 5 sections in total, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematical achievement, and the essay section. However, the essay is directly submitted to your schools where it is then graded. So, your typical ISEE score is the accumulation of the first four sections.

The ISEE scoring process has a few steps. It starts with your raw score which is based on the number of questions you answered correctly. This is then converted into a scaled score which is accompanied by a percentile rank. This percentile represents how you compare to other test takers. So, if you are in the 89th percentile, this does not mean you answered 89 percent of questions correctly. Instead, it means scored higher than 89 percent of test-takers. Your percentile score is then converted into “stanines”, with a scale marked from 1 to 9 (9 being the highest)

Percentile ——Stanine

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

For example, if you scored the 89th percentile, then you’d have a stanine score of 8.

What is a ‘good’ ISEE score?

A good ISEE score is subjective and depends on the school you plan on applying to. For example, a 6 is good enough to get into many good schools, whereas elite, private schools might prefer an 8-9, or maybe even a 7. Hence, it’s always better to aim for 7s or higher in all categories to get into top schools.

While 5 is considered to be the average score of the ISEE test, it must be noted that the ISEE is a difficult test with its degree of complexity increasing with every level. A student receiving a 5 cannot be termed as an average student as the score is subjective.

A low score can be compensated with remarkable extracurriculars, grades, and activities.

How can you get a ‘good’ ISEE score?

If you’re looking to get a great score on the ISEE, it’s extremely important to keep practicing and learn how to solve each type of question on the test. Once you learn how to solve each type of question, the practice sections will become easier and easier for you.

We, at ISEE academy, have had years of experience and use proven methods to ensure our students improve and are successful. We teach you how to solve each type of question that appears on the test so you can be familiar and confident with all common questions. We also teach tricks and strategies to speed up the problem-solving process.