This plan is for students taking the Lower, Middle or Upper Level of the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). It divides 12 weeks into three phases, with one task table for each week. Each weekly table has three columns, “Monday to Friday”, “Saturday” and “Sunday review”, which set out each day’s tasks and time. Below each table are the questions to answer during the Sunday review. The tables do not rely on color and can be printed directly; EDUBUS recommends posting one page per week beside the student’s desk.
Starting point assumed by the plan
This section describes the starting point that the plan assumes. The same 12 weeks produce very different results from different starting points, so families should first check the student’s situation against the table below.
| Assumption | What it means |
|---|---|
| Test level | Lower (applying to grades 5 to 6), Middle (applying to grades 7 to 8) or Upper (applying to grades 9 to 12) |
| Test date | Registered, or test date confirmed, about 12 weeks away |
| English reading | Can independently read a grade-level English passage and summarize its main points |
| Math progress | Keeps up with the school math curriculum, with no gap covering a full school year |
| Preparation history | Has not prepared systematically for the ISEE, or has prepared without a phased schedule |
| Available time | About 45 minutes on each weekday, about 90 minutes on Saturday and about 30 minutes on Sunday |
The plan is not recommended for direct use in the following situations:
| Situation | Reason | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Applying to grades 2 to 4 | The Primary Level test has a different structure | See the Primary 2, Primary 3 and Primary 4 level guides |
| English reading clearly below grade level | Timed practice would begin too early | First read ISEE preparation for English learners and build academic vocabulary and reading foundations |
| Whole areas of math not yet taught | The first phase is too short | First cover the course content (for example, a student applying to grade 9 who has not yet studied algebra) |
| A full practice test already completed with stable results in every section | No need to start the full cycle from diagnosis | Targeted review of remaining gaps |
If it is unclear which situation applies to the student, EDUBUS recommends a placement assessment first, before deciding whether to follow this plan or adjust the schedule. The assessment can be booked on the ISEE courses and assessment page.
Test structure behind the plan
The time and pacing of each week’s tasks follow the official number of questions and time allowed for each section. The table below lists the test structure for the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels.
| Section | Lower questions | Lower time | Middle / Upper questions | Middle / Upper time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 34 questions | 20 minutes | 40 questions | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 38 questions | 35 minutes | 37 questions | 35 minutes |
| Reading Comprehension | 25 questions | 25 minutes | 36 questions | 35 minutes |
| Mathematics Achievement | 30 questions | 30 minutes | 47 questions | 40 minutes |
| Essay (unscored) | 1 prompt | 30 minutes | 1 prompt | 30 minutes |
| Total | 128 questions | 2 hours 20 minutes, plus two breaks | 161 questions | 2 hours 40 minutes, plus two breaks |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
This table affects preparation in two ways. First, Verbal Reasoning is the most time-pressured section: at the Middle and Upper Levels, the student has an average of only 30 seconds per question. This section depends mainly on vocabulary built up over time, and there is no time during the test to deliberate over each question. Second, the official guidance states that wrong answers are not penalized and only correct answers are counted, so every question should be answered in practice and on practice tests, with no blanks. Below, VR, QR, RC and MA refer to the four scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement.
Overview of the three phases
This section explains how the 12 weeks are divided and what should be judged at the end of each phase.
| Phase | Weeks | Goal | Judgment at the end of the phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Diagnosis and foundations | Weeks 1 to 4 | Identify weak points in the four sections; close math content gaps and build vocabulary foundations first | Whether errors of the same type are fewer than in week 1; how to allocate time across the four sections in Phase 2 |
| Phase 2: Section training | Weeks 5 to 9 | Timed practice by section at official timing; first full practice test in week 7 | Whether the problems revealed by the practice test are addressed in weeks 8 and 9 |
| Phase 3: Practice test review | Weeks 10 to 12 | Second full practice test in week 10; then two weeks of error review, a lighter load and test day preparation | Whether any frequent errors remain unaddressed before the test |
Time allocation for the four sections in each phase
The four sections improve in different ways, so their weight differs across the three phases. The frequencies in the table below refer to dedicated practice sessions for the section each week, not including daily vocabulary practice.
| Section | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VR | Vocabulary 10 minutes daily; question-type practice once a week | Vocabulary 10 minutes daily; timed practice 1 to 2 times a week | Daily vocabulary review | Vocabulary requires long-term building and continues without interruption |
| MA | Twice a week, the largest share | Timed practice 1 to 2 times a week | Review of practice test errors | Content gaps come first; QR builds on this foundation |
| QR | Once a week, only to learn the question types | Timed practice 1 to 2 times a week, with a growing share | Review of practice test errors | Depends on content knowledge; increase after MA gaps are closed |
| RC | Once a week | Timed practice 1 to 2 times a week | Review of practice test errors | Improves slowly; maintained throughout, timed from Phase 2 |
| Essay | 1 diagnostic essay in week 1 | 1 essay a week, timed at 30 minutes | 1 essay in each practice test | Unscored, but sent to schools with the scores and read by them |
EDUBUS assessment: Phase 1 gives the most time to Mathematics Achievement because math gaps are the easiest to locate and the easiest to close within a few weeks. Verbal Reasoning improves the most slowly, and intensive memorization just before the test has limited effect, so vocabulary practice starts in week 1 and continues without interruption through week 12.
Scheduling the two full practice tests
A full practice test means completing an entire test in one sitting, including the essay, with official timing, section order and breaks. The two practice tests are scheduled in week 7 and week 10.
| Practice test | Week | Reason for this week |
|---|---|---|
| Practice test 1 | Week 7 | More than two weeks of timed practice have been completed, so the result reflects the student’s pacing; weeks 8 and 9 remain to address problems |
| Practice test 2 | Week 10 | Phase 2 training is complete, so the test checks the effect of the adjustments; with two weeks left before the test, there is time for one full round of error review |
The week 1 diagnosis already shows foundational gaps, so a full practice test taken too early would repeat the same information. A full practice test is also not scheduled in the final week, for two reasons. First, a full practice test is physically tiring, and the student should stay in good condition during the week before the test. Second, if a practice test in the final week goes poorly, there is no time left to address the problems, and the result can undermine the student’s confidence.
Both practice tests follow the same requirements:
- The start time matches the official test; the official test is on a Saturday morning, so the practice test is also scheduled for a Saturday morning.
- Time each section at official timing, with two breaks, and do not pause or go back.
- Complete the essay as usual, because schools receive the essay.
- Answer every question. The official guidance states that wrong answers are not penalized, and an unanswered question has no chance of earning a point.
- Use a different test for each practice test, and do not reuse the sample questions from the week 1 diagnosis.
ERB provides a free What to Expect on the ISEE guide for each of the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels, and the official description states that each includes one paper practice test, which can serve as the material for one of the practice tests. For students registered for a computer-based test, EDUBUS recommends taking the other practice test on a computer, for example the full practice test in the EDUBUS online learning system.
Phase 1: Diagnosis and foundations (weeks 1 to 4)
Phase 1 answers one question: where the student’s weak points are. Week 1 is a section-by-section diagnosis, weeks 2 and 3 build foundations, and week 4 is a phase quiz. For the diagnosis, EDUBUS recommends the free online sample questions provided by ERB, which the official description says cover every question type on the test. In weeks 2 to 4, each day from Monday to Thursday begins with 10 minutes of vocabulary practice, which is included in that day’s time.
Week 1: Section-by-section diagnosis
All four diagnostics this week use the corresponding section of the official online sample questions.
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: set up a vocabulary notebook; VR diagnosis, untimed. Tuesday: MA diagnosis, noting for each question whether the student felt confident. Wednesday: QR diagnosis. Thursday: RC diagnosis, recording the time spent on each passage. Friday: 1 diagnostic essay, timed at 30 minutes, plus 10 minutes of vocabulary | Parent and student sort the errors in all four sections together into “did not know”, “misread” and “ran out of time” | Rest, or review the new words recorded this week |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 40 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Rank the four sections from strongest to weakest, write down the most common type of error in each section, and decide the focus for building foundations in weeks 2 and 3. If several sections show many “did not know” errors, the student’s starting point differs substantially from the plan’s assumptions, and EDUBUS recommends confirming the schedule with an advisor first.
Week 2: Building foundations (math content and vocabulary)
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: MA, teach and practice the first content gap identified by the diagnosis. Tuesday: RC, read 1 passage closely and write one sentence summarizing each paragraph. Wednesday: MA, teach and practice the second content gap. Thursday: VR synonym questions, studying this week’s new words grouped by root. Friday: QR, learn the question types with 3 to 5 questions of each type, untimed | 30 minutes of error review; mixed practice across the four sections, untimed | Vocabulary review; weekly review |
| Time | 45 minutes each day, including 10 minutes of vocabulary | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether new words were added to the vocabulary notebook every day; whether the two MA content gaps still produced errors in Saturday’s mixed practice.
Week 3: Building foundations (covering every question type)
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: MA, teach and practice the next content gap while compiling English math terms. Tuesday: RC, one set each of main idea, detail and inference questions. Wednesday: MA, mixed practice on this week’s and last week’s topics. Thursday: VR sentence completion, first identifying the contrast and cause-and-effect signal words in each sentence. Friday: QR, continue learning the question types and start recording the time spent on each question | 30 minutes of error review; mixed practice across the four sections, untimed | Vocabulary review; weekly review |
| Time | 45 minutes each day, including 10 minutes of vocabulary | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether every question type in the four sections has been practiced at least once; whether “did not know” errors are starting to decrease.
Week 4: Phase quiz
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: MA, close the last obvious content gap. Tuesday: 1 RC passage, timed at the pace of official timing for the first time. Wednesday: mixed VR synonyms and sentence completion, timed for the first time. Thursday: mixed QR question types, timed for the first time. Friday: rest, only 10 minutes of vocabulary | Phase quiz: one short timed set for each of the four sections, followed by error review | Phase review compared with the week 1 diagnosis |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 10 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week (end of Phase 1): Compared with week 1, whether errors of the same type have decreased, and which of the four sections is still the weakest. Use these results to decide which section is practiced twice a week in Phase 2 and which is practiced once.
Phase 2: Section training (weeks 5 to 9)
Phase 2 answers the question of whether the student can complete each section within the official time. From this phase onward, all practice is timed; on Saturdays, the student completes two sections back to back at official timing to build sustained attention for the test. The first full practice test takes place in week 7. In this phase, each day from Monday to Friday begins with 10 minutes of vocabulary practice, which is included in that day’s time.
Week 5: Starting timed practice
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday to Thursday: timed practice in QR, RC, MA and VR in that order. Friday: 1 essay, timed at 30 minutes | VR and QR back to back at official timing; error review | Vocabulary review; weekly review |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 40 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether each section was completed within the time allowed; if not, which type of question took too long.
Week 6: Extra practice on the weakest section
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: timed practice in the weakest section. Tuesday: RC timed practice. Wednesday: MA timed practice. Thursday: second timed practice in the weakest section. Friday: 1 essay, timed at 30 minutes | RC and MA back to back at official timing; error review | Vocabulary review; weekly review; prepare materials for next week’s practice test |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 40 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether “ran out of time” errors have decreased compared with week 5; confirm the date, start time and materials for the week 7 practice test.
Week 7: First full practice test
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday to Thursday: timed practice in VR, QR, RC and MA in that order. Friday: rest, only 10 minutes of vocabulary | Practice test 1: one complete test, including the essay and two breaks, at official timing | Practice test review: classify every error and record how much of each section was completed |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 10 minutes on Friday | About 3 hours | 45 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Which of the four sections shows no change compared with the week 4 quiz, and which section was not completed within the time allowed. These two findings determine the plan for weeks 8 and 9.
Week 8: Adjusting to the practice test results
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: redo the errors in the weakest section of the practice test and practice similar questions. Tuesday: RC or VR timed practice (whichever was weaker on the practice test). Wednesday: timed practice in the weakest section of the practice test. Thursday: QR or MA timed practice (whichever was weaker on the practice test). Friday: 1 essay, timed at 30 minutes | The two weakest sections of the practice test back to back at official timing; error review | Vocabulary review; weekly review |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 40 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether every “did not know” error from practice test 1 has been redone and mastered.
Week 9: Completing section training
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday to Thursday: timed practice in VR, QR, RC and MA in that order. Friday: 1 essay, timed at 30 minutes | The two sections practiced least in this phase, back to back at official timing; error review | Phase 2 review; prepare materials for next week’s practice test |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 40 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week (end of Phase 2): Whether all four sections can be completed within the time allowed; which question types still produce repeated errors, compiled into a list to carry into Phase 3.
Phase 3: Practice test review (weeks 10 to 12)
Phase 3 introduces no new content and answers only one question: which errors are still likely to recur on the test. The second full practice test takes place in week 10, and weeks 11 and 12 are for reviewing errors while gradually lightening the load.
Week 10: Second full practice test
Each day from Monday to Friday this week begins with 10 minutes of vocabulary practice, which is included in that day’s time.
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday and Tuesday: repeat practice on the question types in the Phase 2 error list. Wednesday: 1 essay, timed at 30 minutes. Thursday: a few questions in each of the four sections to stay sharp. Friday: rest, vocabulary only | Practice test 2: one complete test, including the essay and two breaks, starting at the same time as the official test | Practice test review: compare each section with practice test 1 and list the errors that must be addressed before the test |
| Time | 45 minutes each on Monday and Tuesday; 40 minutes on Wednesday; 30 minutes on Thursday; 10 minutes on Friday | About 3 hours | 45 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Compared with practice test 1, how the completion of each section and the types of errors have changed; list the errors to review in week 11, limited to a number that can be handled within one week.
Week 11: Error review
Each day from Monday to Friday this week includes vocabulary review.
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: redo the VR and RC errors from practice test 2. Tuesday: redo the QR and MA errors from practice test 2. Wednesday: one timed set of similar questions for each item on the error list. Thursday: one set in the weakest section at official timing. Friday: read the test day checklist and confirm the test format, location and items to bring | Two sections back to back at official timing, starting at the same time as the official test; error review | Weekly review; condense the error log into a one-page “review before the test” sheet |
| Time | 45 minutes each day Monday to Thursday; 30 minutes on Friday | 90 minutes | 30 minutes |
Review checkpoint for this week: Whether any questions on the error list have not yet been redone; whether the “review before the test” sheet has been condensed to one page.
Week 12: Lighter load and the test
This table assumes a Saturday test. If the test falls on a different day, align the schedule backward from the test day. Each day from Monday to Thursday includes vocabulary review.
| Item | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Monday: a small timed set in each of the four sections. Tuesday: read the “review before the test” sheet. Wednesday: one set of familiar practice questions to keep the rhythm. Thursday: prepare identification, supplies and the route for test day. Friday: no practice questions; follow the test day schedule and go to bed on time | Test | Rest; record the student’s impressions of the test for reference after scores are released |
| Time | 40 minutes on Monday; 30 minutes each on Tuesday and Wednesday; 20 minutes on Thursday; no practice on Friday | — | — |
Review checkpoint for this week: On the day before the test, whether items and the route have been confirmed. Keep the post-test notes, and after scores are released, review them together with the practice test records before deciding whether to retake in the next testing season. See retakes and score sending for details.
Weekly review method
Sunday is review time in every weekly table. The review focuses not on scores but on the causes of errors. EDUBUS recommends sorting the week’s errors into the three types in the table below and recording them in an error log (a template is available in the free resource center).
| Error type | Meaning | How to address it the following week |
|---|---|---|
| Did not know | A concept or word has not been learned | Schedule dedicated teaching and practice; add it to the vocabulary notebook or content list |
| Misread | The student knows how to solve it but made an error in reading the question, calculating or checking the choices | In timed practice, circle key words in the question and check once after finishing |
| Ran out of time | The student knows how to solve it but did not finish within the time allowed | In practice for the same section, shorten the time per question and answer the familiar questions first |
In the review, the parent’s role is to record and to ask, not to teach the questions. Each week the parent only needs to ask the student three questions:
- Which type of error was most common this week?
- What caused this type of error?
- How does the student plan to improve next week?
Arrangements for the final two weeks
The principle for the final two weeks is a lighter load, no new content, and attention only to known errors. The practice load in week 11 is close to that of earlier weeks, but all of it centers on the error list from practice test 2. In week 12 the load decreases day by day, and no practice questions are done in the two days before the test.
EDUBUS recommendation: the most common problem in the final two weeks is that parents, after seeing the practice test 2 score, suddenly increase the amount of practice, which sends the student into the test fatigued. A more effective approach is to condense the error log into one page, review that page repeatedly before the test, and make sure the student gets enough sleep the rest of the time. Daily vocabulary review continues until the day before the test, because it is the lowest-cost way to keep Verbal Reasoning skills sharp.
Test day arrangements differ by test format, so the student should finish reading the test day checklist in week 11.
Arrangements when less than 12 weeks remain
If less than 12 weeks remain before the test, EDUBUS does not recommend simply doubling the weekly tasks in this plan. When the schedule is compressed, an advisor usually decides what to keep and what to cut based on the student’s starting point, rather than shortening every phase equally. Compression follows these principles:
| Component | How it is handled when compressed |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis | Not skipped, though it can be completed within a few days; everything that follows depends on the diagnostic results |
| Full practice test | Keep at least one full practice test |
| Error review | Leave at least one week after the practice test |
| Sections with large foundational gaps | Addressed first |
| Sections that are already stable | Maintained with practice only, with no increase in load |
Another option is to move to the next testing season. According to the official rules, the school year is divided into three testing seasons, and a student may test at most once per season:
| Testing season | Months |
|---|---|
| Fall | August to November |
| Winter | December to March |
| Spring/summer | April to July |
Whether to reschedule also depends on the application deadlines of the target schools, which need to be checked school by school.
An EDUBUS advisor can compress the plan into a shorter version based on the student’s assessment results, and can also consider the target schools’ deadlines in judging whether to reschedule. Families who would like help can book an advisor through the contact section at the bottom of the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time per day does the 12-week plan require for an Irvine student with a heavy school workload?
The plan assumes about 45 minutes on each weekday, about 90 minutes on Saturday and about 30 minutes on Sunday, with about 3 hours reserved on the Saturday of each practice test week. Lower Level students applying to grades 5 to 6 can shorten weekday sessions to about 35 minutes. These times are EDUBUS recommendations and can be adjusted to the student's school workload, but the daily vocabulary practice should not be interrupted.
When should an Irvine student planning to test in the fall season start the 12-week plan?
Count back 12 weeks from the confirmed test date; that week is week 1 of the plan. According to the official rules, the fall testing season runs from August to November, and a student may test at most once per season. If the test date has not been set, EDUBUS recommends completing registration and fixing the date first, and then planning backward, so that the two practice tests and the final two weeks can be placed accurately.
Should an Irvine student postpone the test if the second practice test score is lower than the first?
A single change in a practice test score is not enough reason to postpone. EDUBUS recommends first analyzing the result section by section. If the drop is concentrated in one section and the errors are mostly misreadings or lack of time, reviewing that section's errors in the last two weeks is enough. If several sections drop at once, or clear gaps in foundational knowledge appear, an advisor can consider the target schools' deadlines and judge whether to move to the next testing season. According to the official rules, the school year is divided into three testing seasons, and a student may test at most once per season.
Can an Irvine student who is an English learner follow this 12-week plan directly?
If the student still has difficulty reading English passages at grade level, the timed practice in the plan will begin too early. EDUBUS recommends first spending several weeks on academic vocabulary and reading, and then starting the plan, or having an EDUBUS advisor rebuild the schedule around the student's starting point.
Can Irvine students applying to grades 2 to 4 use this plan?
No. Applicants to grades 2 to 4 take the Primary Level test, which includes only sections such as reading and mathematics, with no Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning, and its timing and number of questions also differ. Preparation for the Primary Level is covered in the corresponding level guides.
Do Irvine students already enrolled in an EDUBUS group class also need to follow this plan?
Group classes follow their own schedule, and this plan is intended mainly for students preparing independently or with one-on-one tutoring. Group class students can use the weekly review method and the timing of the two practice tests as a reference, and should agree on the details with their teacher to avoid repeating the same practice in and out of class.
