Many students and parents in the Los Angeles area are aware of the ISEE, the aptitude entrance exam for manyprivate schools. There are varying levels of testing: Lower, Middle and Upper, depending on the grade the student is entering. There are 3 testing
windows for the exam (Aug-Nov, Dec-Mar, Apr-July). The other common entrance tests are the HSPT (Catholic Schools) and SSAT (used by some private schools). We’ve seen that the difficulty level of the ISEE and SSAT tend to be very similar, whereas the HSPT questions are a bit less difficult than those two.

One recommended way that students can prepare for the ISEE is to sign up for an ISEE exam prep course that typically meets 1-2 times per week, where homework and practice tests are given. To help with the often-challenging questions, it can be helpful to work with a private tutor during this period of preparation to maximize the effectiveness of the class. The tutor can focus in on the areas of weakness for the student and provide additional problems. Some learning centers offer proctored test situations to help simulate the test experience. Test nerves can get the best of even the most prepared students, so this is a great thing to take advantage of for practice purposes!

ISEE prep is somewhat similar to ACT/SAT prep in that the student practices. sample questions, the topics are similar (math, quantitative, verbal, reasoning, essay), and the student learns the test-taking strategies. Practice builds confidence, ability and comfort. It really is possible to feel very prepared going into the exam on the big day!

There is often a whirlwind of emotions for students and parents around the ISEE exam. Many parents have a particular school in mind that they really wish for their child to attend and the student often feels this pressure. It’s recommended that student and parent be prepared to be okay, and happy with, three school options to lessen the stress and manage expectations. The exam may be taken multiple times and the highest score will be considered by the schools. During ISEE prep time, remember to practice relaxing and to enjoy the process of learning. With practice, a little extra help and an open mind regarding school choices, your child is on their way to great ISEE exam success!