The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) score report requires careful reading the first time. Each scored section carries three different numbers, the report includes a detailed Analysis page, and the essay is not scored. This guide follows the official explanations published by the test organiser (ERB, now part of E3n). It sets out the items on the report, how schools read the scores, the rules for sending scores and retaking the test, and the steps for deciding whether a retake is worthwhile.
Items on the score report
The Lower, Middle and Upper Levels each have four scored sections. Their results are sent to both the family and the schools the family selects. The essay is unscored and is sent only to schools.
| Section | What it measures, according to the official description |
|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | Vocabulary and reasoning, through synonym and sentence completion questions |
| Quantitative Reasoning | Using mathematical understanding to estimate, apply logic, compare quantities, analyze data and interpret graphs |
| Reading Comprehension | Understanding main and supporting ideas in a passage, making inferences and using context clues |
| Mathematics Achievement | Numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability |
| Essay (unscored) | A short essay written in response to an assigned prompt |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
The Primary Level, for students applying to grades 2 to 4, has fewer sections. Primary 2 includes auditory comprehension, reading and mathematics; Primary 3 and Primary 4 include reading and mathematics. The ISEE is therefore organised into four main levels with six grade-entry points.
Each scored section reports three types of score.
| Score type | Range | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Scaled score | 760 to 940 per section | A converted score that adjusts for small differences between test forms |
| Percentile rank | Compared with same-grade students from the prior three years | The share of the comparison group scoring at or below the student |
| Stanine | 1 to 9 | Which of nine bands the score falls into, from lowest to highest |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
A stanine (short for “standard nine”) divides the scores of a comparison group into nine bands. Stanines 4, 5 and 6 together cover the middle 54 percentile points. Stanines 1 to 3 cover the bottom 23 percentile points, and stanines 7 to 9 cover the top 23. Because each band is wide, two students whose percentile ranks differ by a few points can share the same stanine.
Each item below can be compared directly with the report in hand.
Scaled score
Each scored section has its own scaled score between 760 and 940. It is converted from the raw score, which is the number of questions answered correctly. Every test form is written to the same specification, and the conversion adjusts for small differences in difficulty between forms. The scaled score is useful for comparing one student’s results across two test dates, but on its own it does not show where the student stands among other applicants.
Percentile rank
The percentile rank compares the student with students in the same grade who took the ISEE over the prior three years. The official example is a Mathematics Achievement percentile of 70, which means that the student scored as well as or better than 70% of that group.
Stanine and the meaning of 9999
The stanine places each section into one of nine bands. When parents in Irvine and across Orange County refer to a “9999”, they mean a stanine of 9 on all four scored sections. Each section falls in the top band of the same-grade comparison group. It does not indicate that every question was answered correctly.
Stanine Analysis
The Stanine Analysis graph draws a shaded band one stanine above and one stanine below each observed score. The organiser explains that a student’s score can vary on a retake even when the student’s ability has not changed, and the band represents that range. For example, a Verbal Reasoning stanine of 5 is shown with a band from 4 to 6.
The Analysis section
The Analysis section breaks down the number of questions in each section and shows the result for each question type, with a legend that explains the symbols and terms. It is the most useful page for diagnosis because it shows where points were lost. The organiser also notes that each multiple-choice section contains several unscored questions that may be used on future editions. Students cannot identify these questions, so every question warrants full effort.
The essay
The essay has no score. Families do not receive a copy of it; only the schools that receive the score report do.
How schools read ISEE scores
The official explanations indicate four points about how the report is read on the school side.
| Point | Official position |
|---|---|
| Comparison group | Percentile ranks and stanines compare the student with same-grade ISEE test takers from the prior three years, not with all students |
| Strength of the group | Students applying to independent schools are generally of higher ability and achievement than the overall student population, so a percentile in the middle range on the ISEE is often strong when set against all students |
| Cut-off scores | The organiser does not publish cut-off scores and advises families to ask each school’s admissions office how scores are interpreted and used |
| Essay | Schools may read the essay as a sample of writing the student produced independently under test conditions |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
When the Stanine Analysis bands for two sections overlap, the gap between them may reflect ordinary variation rather than a real difference in strength. Irvine families can ask each target school, during a campus visit or an admissions conversation, how it weighs the four sections and whether it reads the essay.
Rules for sending scores
| Rule | Official position |
|---|---|
| Release timing | Online tests usually 3 to 5 days; paper tests usually 5 to 10 days |
| Automatic sending | Scores are released to the family account and sent automatically to the schools selected at registration |
| What can be sent | Only a complete report; sections from different test dates cannot be combined |
| Adding schools | Allowed after scores are released, at no extra fee |
| Removing schools | Allowed only up to the test date |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
Retake rules: testing seasons and attempts
| Testing season | Months | Attempts allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | August to November | 1 |
| Winter | December to March | 1 |
| Spring/summer | April to July | 1 |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
A student may therefore take the ISEE up to three times in one school year. Because only a complete report can be sent, a retake means that all four sections are taken again, and a strong section can also move down.
Steps for deciding whether to retake
- Confirm the earliest target-school deadline. Check whether the next testing season still releases scores before that deadline, allowing for the release times listed above. If it does not, a retake will not help the current application.
- Compare the four sections. Identify any section that is clearly below the others by percentile rank. The organiser treats a one-stanine difference as normal variation, so a gap of a single stanine without a real change in skill does not by itself justify a retake.
- Identify the cause in the Analysis section. Determine whether lost points are concentrated in one question type or toward the end of the section. The second pattern usually indicates time pressure rather than missing knowledge (see the diagnosis notes below).
- Judge whether the cause can be addressed in time. A retake is usually worth considering when the errors fall in question types that can be addressed within a few weeks, or when the student was unwell or mismanaged time on test day.
- Weigh the other sections. A retake is usually less useful when the other sections are already strong, since all four sections are taken again and any of them can move down.
Diagnosing a weaker section
The time allowed for each section affects how errors should be read.
| Section | Lower Level | Middle and Upper Level |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
Source: official ERB ISEE materials.
Verbal Reasoning. A low score usually has one of two causes: a limited vocabulary, or failure to recognize the contrast, cause or comparison signalled inside a sentence completion item. Vocabulary grows through steady study, preferably by word roots and in context. Sentence completion improves when the student first identifies the signal words and then predicts the meaning of the blank. This section also allows the least time per question, so speed is a common factor.
Reading Comprehension. The first step is to determine whether the student is unable to understand the passages or unable to finish them. Errors concentrated on inference, tone and viewpoint questions call for practice in returning to the text for evidence. Errors concentrated on the final passages call for work on pacing. When Reading Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning are both low, vocabulary is usually the first priority.
Quantitative Reasoning. A low score here alongside a normal Mathematics Achievement score usually indicates that the student can calculate but does not look for structure before starting. Useful practice includes estimation, testing specific values, comparing quantities and reading graphs.
Mathematics Achievement. This section is closest to the school curriculum, so lost points often correspond to topics not yet taught or not yet secure. Students test for the grade they are applying to enter, so some content may be ahead of their current class and must be studied in advance.
EDUBUS score report assessment
An EDUBUS advisor can review the student’s score report against its Analysis section and recommend which section to address first and whether a retake fits the application timeline. Families can contact EDUBUS to arrange a review. Course options and the placement assessment are described on the ISEE courses and assessment page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 70th percentile on the ISEE mean that an Irvine student answered 70% of the questions correctly?
No. According to the official explanation, a percentile rank compares a student with other students in the same grade who took the ISEE over the prior three years. A 70th percentile means that the student scored as well as or better than 70% of that comparison group. It does not directly indicate the share of questions answered correctly.
What do Irvine and Orange County parents mean by an ISEE 9999?
9999 refers to a stanine of 9 on all four scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement. Each section falls in the top band of the same-grade comparison group. It does not indicate that every question was answered correctly.
Do Orange County private schools publish a minimum ISEE score for admission?
The test organiser does not publish cut-off scores, and it advises families to ask each school's admissions office how scores are interpreted and used. Irvine families can raise this question during a campus visit or an admissions conversation, including whether the unscored essay is read.
How soon after the test do Irvine families receive ISEE scores?
According to the official score report page, results for online tests are usually available in 3 to 5 days, and results for paper tests in 5 to 10 days. Scores are released to the family account and sent automatically to the schools selected at registration. An Irvine student facing a January deadline should therefore allow at least this much time.
Can an Irvine student send the best section scores from two different ISEE test dates?
No. Only a complete score report can be sent to a school. Families cannot send part of a report, and they cannot combine one section from one test date with another section from a different test date. Schools can be added after scores are released at no extra fee, but schools selected at registration cannot be removed after the test date.
How many times can an Orange County student take the ISEE in one school year?
The school year is divided into three testing seasons: fall (August to November), winter (December to March) and spring/summer (April to July). A student may test once per season, which allows up to three attempts per school year.
