ISEE (Lower/Middle/Upper) Exam Survival Guide

Audience: Independent schools | Sections: Verbal • Quant Reasoning • Reading • Math Achievement • Essay

Must-do

• Verbal: synonyms & two-blank sentence completions (tone + logic).
• QR: comparisons, estimation, number sense; choose the easier path (don’t over-algebra).
• Reading: purpose/tone, inference, function questions; charts/paired passages (Upper).
• Math Ach.: curriculum math (algebra/geo/stats); show clean setups.
• Essay: 4-paragraph structure; specific examples.

Top traps

• Two-blank items solved in wrong order (do tone first).
• Quant comp: wasting time on full algebra when size sense works.
• Reading: line-matching traps (word match ≠ idea match).
• Math: skipping units/labels → avoidable errors.

Quick checks

• Two-blank: tone critical, logic “although” = contrast → pick negatives/contrasts.
• Compare 45\sqrt{45}45​ vs 7 (≈6.7 < 7).
• Translate: “20% of x is 30” → 0.2x = 30.
• Reading: purpose in 1 line (inform/persuade/argue…).

You will make

• Two-Blank Playbook (tone → signal word → logic).
• Estimation Ladder (roots, powers, fractions).
• Words→Equations Sheet (“per/of/is/than”).
• Reading Stem Bank by type.

Last-48h

• 15 vocab; 6 two-blank.
• 12 comparisons (estimate first).
• 10 math achievement (mix).
• 2 passages timed; 1 essay outline (7–10 min).

Speed tactics

• Lock tone, then meaning; eliminate mismatched connotations.
• Compare magnitudes before equations.
• Mark hard, move; return with leftover time.

Day-of plan

• 8-min warm-up: 5 vocab + 3 comps + 2 math.
• Keep calm; hydrate; steady tempo.