After ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) scores are released, parents usually need to settle three questions: what each item on the score report means, which test date’s scores go to which school, and whether a retake is needed. All three are governed by the official rules of the test organizer, ERB, and by school deadlines. This page first explains the report and the rules, then sets out the steps for deciding on a retake, and finally describes two schedules that are common among Irvine families.
What each item on the score report means
This section explains what each item on the score report represents and how to use it when deciding whether to retake the test.
| Report item | Meaning | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Scaled Score | Converted from the number of questions the student answered correctly | Compare the same section across test dates |
| Percentile Rank | The share of students in the comparison group who scored at or below the student | Judge each section’s relative position among same-grade test takers |
| Stanine | Divides the comparison results into nine bands; a higher number means a higher band | The measure parents and schools cite most often |
| Stanine Analysis | A range marked on either side of the actual band | Shows the reasonable range of score variation |
| Analysis | Lists the number of questions and the student’s responses by section and question type | Identifies the cause of a weakness and sets preparation priorities |
| Essay | Parents do not receive the essay; only schools that receive the scores receive a copy | The essay is not part of the report parents can see |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
Percentiles and stanines are derived by comparison with all test takers applying to the same grade over the prior three years. When a student retakes the test and still applies to the same grade, the comparison group is unchanged, so the percentiles from the two test dates can be compared directly. The “9999” that Irvine parents often mention means a stanine of 9 on all four scored sections; each section falls in the top band of the same-grade comparison group. The test organizer does not publish admission cut-off scores and advises families to ask each admissions office directly how scores are used.
Score sending rules
This section explains which test dates a school can see and whether parents can send only one of them.
| Rule | Official explanation |
|---|---|
| Whether parents receive the report | Parents automatically receive the score report every time |
| Whether sending is optional | Optional; parents decide whether to send the report to the schools they apply to, and the official page states “The choice is yours” |
| What can be sent | Only a complete report; a family cannot send some section scores alone or combine sections from two test dates |
| When recipient schools can be removed | Before the test date; after the test they cannot be removed, and these schools automatically receive the complete report for that test date when scores are released |
| Adding schools after the test | After the report is generated, schools can be added in the parent account at no additional fee |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
As a result, a school sees the reports that the parent sends. When the family wants a school to see only one test date, the steps are as follows:
- Before the test date, remove any school not yet confirmed from the recipient list.
- After scores are released, review the report and select the test date to send.
- Add the school in the parent account, send the selected report, and confirm before the deadline that the school has received it.
One detail is not stated on the official pages: when a school is added after the test, whether it receives only the report the parent selects or every report in the account. The official explanation governs this point. Families should read the on-screen prompts in the parent account before acting, or confirm with ISEE customer service through the channels listed in the admission.org help center. Before sending scores, families should also check each target school’s admission page for its score submission requirements.
EDUBUS recommendation: if the first test is mainly a way to become familiar with the exam format, the family may leave the recipient list empty at registration and decide after scores are released whether to send them. The trade-off is that schools must then be added manually after scores are released, and this step must be completed before each deadline.
Retake rules: testing seasons and attempts
This section explains how many times a student can test in one year, the interval between two tests, and the time needed for scoring and registration.
| Rule | Official explanation |
|---|---|
| Testing seasons | Fall, August to November; winter, December to March; spring/summer, April to July |
| Number of attempts | At most one test per testing season, and at most three per school year |
| Retake interval | A student who tests in September must wait until December to test again |
| Time to results | Online tests usually 3 to 5 days; paper tests usually 5 to 10 days |
| Registration lead time | Online tests at least 3 days before the test date; paper tests at least 21 days before, with late registration for paper tests from 20 to 14 days before the test |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
All four scored sections are rescored on a retake. Because only a complete report from one test date can be sent, “focusing on one section” means shifting preparation time toward the weak section, not retaking a single section. A student who pauses reading and vocabulary practice to prepare for mathematics may score lower than before on the other sections.
Steps for deciding whether to retake
This section sets out the order for deciding on a retake. The conclusion at each step limits the choices at the next, so the steps should be completed in order.
- Confirm the target schools’ deadlines. Check each school’s admission page and sort the deadlines from earliest to latest. If no testing season remains before the deadline, do not retake; shift the time to the application materials.
- Review each scored section. Use the percentiles and stanines to identify the one or two sections that are clearly behind. Then review the responses by question type in the Analysis to distinguish between two causes: material not yet learned, and insufficient time or frequent careless errors.
- Set the preparation focus. When only one section is clearly behind, concentrate on that section; when several sections are behind, prepare across all of them. In either case, practice in the other sections must continue.
- Check whether the next testing season allows enough time. Count backward from the typical time to results, 3 to 5 days for online tests and 5 to 10 days for paper tests, and allow time for score sending. If results would arrive before the deadline, register for the next season; if they would arrive after it, apply with the current scores.
The EDUBUS assessment: the two causes in step 2 call for different kinds of preparation. Material not yet learned requires systematic instruction, and one testing season is usually enough to cover only part of it. Insufficient time and frequent careless errors respond to timed practice and error review, and they tend to improve more quickly. The Analysis shows the student’s responses for each question type and is the main basis for distinguishing between the two causes.
EDUBUS usually does not recommend a retake in the following situations:
- Results from the next testing season would arrive after the earliest target school deadline.
- The weak area stems from material not yet learned, which is difficult to cover systematically within one season.
- The percentiles of the four sections are already close, so a retake is unlikely to change any one section noticeably, and other sections may decline.
- Retake preparation would take time from interviews, application essays, recommendation letters and school visits.
- The student is clearly fatigued after the first test, and continued intensive preparation would affect schoolwork.
ISEE scores are one part of a private school application, not the whole of it.
Two common schedules for Irvine families
This section applies the rules above to two specific schedules. When Irvine families apply to private schools, test preparation usually runs alongside the start of the fall semester, and a retake usually falls in the winter testing season, close to January deadlines.
A winter retake after a fall test
| Point in time | Tasks to complete |
|---|---|
| Fall test (August to November) | Complete the first test |
| After results are released | Follow the four steps above to decide on a retake; decide which schools receive this report |
| Before the winter testing season begins | Register for the winter test; online tests at least 3 days in advance, paper tests at least 21 days in advance |
| Before the winter test | Adjust the recipient list, since schools can be removed only before the test date |
| Winter test (from December) | Complete the second test |
| After results, before the deadline | Select the report to send and confirm that each school has received it |
The earlier the fall test, the longer the preparation time between the two tests. A student who tests in November can retake in December, but only a few weeks separate the two tests, which suits weaknesses of the insufficient time and careless error type.
A winter test ahead of a January deadline
For example, Sage Hill School accepts applications for grades 7 to 12 for the 2027-28 school year, and official scores must be submitted by the January 31 application deadline.
| Test format | Official time to results | Effect on a January deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Online test | Usually 3 to 5 days | A test in early January generally still leaves time for scoring and score sending |
| Paper test | Usually 5 to 10 days | Must be scheduled earlier than an online test, with registration at least 21 days in advance |
Source: time to results and registration lead time from official ERB ISEE materials; deadline from the Sage Hill School admission page.
The official time to results is described as “usually,” not guaranteed. Families should leave at least one full scoring period as a buffer before the deadline and avoid scheduling the test in the final week before the deadline. Schools define receipt of scores differently, and each admissions office’s explanation governs.
Steps 1 and 4 of the decision process both depend on deadlines, and dates overlap easily when there are several target schools. The private school application timeline builder places each school’s deadline, interview dates and the results windows of both tests on one timeline, so the family can first confirm the earliest deadline and then work backward to the latest possible winter test date.
EDUBUS courses and assessment
A student who still cannot identify the cause of a weakness after receiving the score report can take a placement assessment, in which an EDUBUS teacher uses the Analysis in the report to set preparation priorities. Details are on the ISEE courses and assessment page.
Frequently Asked Questions
If an Irvine student is not satisfied with a fall ISEE result, when is the earliest retake?
The official rules allow one test per testing season. The fall season runs from August to November and the winter season begins in December, so a student who tested in the fall can retake the ISEE in December at the earliest. The official example is that a student who tests in September must wait until December to test again.
After an Irvine student retakes the ISEE, can schools see the earlier scores?
That depends on which reports the parent has sent. Schools have already received any report that was sent. For reports that were not sent, the official explanation is that the parent may choose not to send them. Schools listed as recipients at registration cannot be removed after the test date and receive the report automatically when scores are released. When a school is added after the test, the official pages do not state which reports that school receives. The official explanation governs; families should check in the parent account or confirm with ISEE customer service.
Can an Irvine student combine the highest sections from two ISEE test dates and send them to a school?
No. According to the official explanation, only one complete score report can be sent to a school. A family cannot send only some sections, and cannot combine a section from one test date with other sections from a different test date.
If an Irvine student takes the ISEE in January, can the scores arrive before a January 31 deadline?
The official explanation is that online test results are usually released in 3 to 5 days and paper test results in 5 to 10 days. For example, Sage Hill School requires official ISEE or SSAT scores to be submitted by January 31 for the 2027-28 school year. A test in mid- or late January leaves limited time for scoring and score sending, so EDUBUS recommends testing in December or early January and asking the admissions office how it defines receipt of scores.
Do Irvine families pay an extra fee to add a score recipient after the test?
According to the official explanation, adding a school after the score report has been generated carries no additional fee. Parents manage the list of recipient schools in the parent account, and each school must be added before its application deadline.
In what situations is an ISEE retake not advisable for an Irvine student?
A retake is usually not advisable when results from the next testing season would arrive after the target school's deadline; when the weak area stems from material the student has not yet learned and cannot be covered systematically within one season; or when retake preparation would take time away from interviews, application essays and recommendation letters. In these situations, EDUBUS usually recommends investing the time in the application materials.
