The Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE, is a test your child may need to take when applying to independent schools in the US. The lower level entrance exam is for students entering grades 5 and 6.

To maximize test scores, your student should begin preparing for the lower level ISEE in the spring and summer to be fully prepared for testing in the fall or winter. Starting earlier in the year will help your student build better study habits, develop a deeper understanding of test concepts, and learn test-taking strategies.

The quantitative reasoning and mathematics achievement sections cover a broad range of topics, including advanced concepts that may be new to even the brightest students. Before venturing into these more advanced topics, it’s crucial to secure a strong foundation in the basics.

As an ISEE test prep tutor, I recommend focusing on these 5 key math skills and concepts for Lower Level ISEE students to master by the summer before they take the exam.

For 4th and 5th grade students, multiplication and division facts have been practiced for years. However, many students at this level still lack full fluency. Quick and automatic recall of these facts is crucial, as calculators are not permitted on the lower-level ISEE. All computations must be performed quickly, either mentally or on paper.

While doing homework and taking tests, students may develop various strategies to retrieve or recreate these facts. During the ISEE mathematics achievement and quantitative reasoning sections, students only have approximately 1 minute per question.

Given the complexity of many of the questions, students will spend the majority of their time working through the steps of reasoning. If simple calculations like multiplication and division slow them down, it’s unlikely they will complete all the questions. 

Mastering multiplication and division facts can be done by practicing, and there are countless ways to do this. Using multiple modalities can help students remain engaged and motivated.

Decimal place values up to the thousandths place

Lower Level ISEE students should have a strong grasp of decimal place values up to the thousandths place. For many students, this may be a concept that’s not fully integrated yet, so it’s essential to build true understanding..

To get the most out of ISEE math prep, the student should be able to

1. Name the decimal place values, such as tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.
2. Understand the meanings of each decimal place value.

For example, they should know that when a number is in the tenths place, that number can be written as a fraction with 10 as the denominator. This knowledge will also help when converting between fractions and decimals.

Area and perimeter for squares and rectangles

Another Lower Level ISEE math concept students should master is area and perimeter for squares and rectangles. These concepts will be tested in more complex ways on the exam, so your student needs to have a solid understanding of them.

The student should be able to:

1. Calculate the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles
2. Understand the difference between the two concepts

A single problem may require them to work between both concepts.

For example, one problem could ask students to determine the perimeter when given the area or vice versa. Another problem might ask to solve for missing side lengths when given the area or perimeter. If your student thoroughly understands these concepts, he or she will be better equipped to handle the quantitative reasoning and mathematics achievement sections on the Lower Level ISEE test.

Equivalent fractions

Establishing fluidity with fractions is essential, as they underpin many related topics, including fraction-to-decimal conversions, ratios, and probability. When preparing for the ISEE, students often need additional practice with fractions and decimals, as these areas may not have been thoroughly covered in school yet

Students should be able to:

1. Spot equivalent fractions quickly
2. Understand that all fractions have many equivalents
3. Determine whether fractions are larger or smaller than 1/2

This will improve testing agility.

Answer choices that contain fractions are almost always simplified fractions, so it’s imperative that students are able to recognize equivalent fractions to select the correct answer.

When solving multi-step word problems, students often encounter unsimplified fractions. Without a strong understanding of equivalent fractions, they may fail to recognize the correct answer among the choices, even if their fraction is mathematically correct.

Factors, multiples, and divisibility

As with equivalent fractions, a strong grasp of factors and multiples can boost a student’s speed and accuracy on the Lower Level ISEE. Since these concepts are often confused, it’s important to take the time to clearly differentiate them.

For example:  2 x 3 = 6.

6 is a multiple of 2 and a multiple of 3.

2 and 3 are the factors of 6.

Divisibility is another key concept that appears both implicitly and explicitly throughout the math sections. Many students I work with either haven’t learned or don’t remember the divisibility rules for 3, 6, and 9. A fun and exciting way to learn and review these rules is by using my Watermelon Math flashcards!

Most ISEE practice tests and materials feature the full variety of practice questions for the exam, so the strategy for strengthening these foundational skills will require a more targeted approach. I often use  practice materials from websites like IXL.com and Mathworksheets4kids.com, as well as books from Scholastic and Flashkids.

Check out the worksheets and activity pages I’ve designed to give students extra practice with the topics that often require repetition. 

The Lower Level ISEE math sections cover a multitude of topics with varying degrees of difficulty. Mastering these 5 foundational concepts first can help students better navigate the easy to medium questions, and strengthen their ability to tackle the more challenging topics covered in the harder questions. Building these foundations takes time, so it’s smart to start practicing in the spring or summer before the exam to ensure peak performance.