What is on the ISEE Lower Level?
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Short answer
The ISEE Lower Level, for students applying to grades 5 and 6, has four scored multiple-choice sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement — plus one essay that is not scored. Testing time is 2 hours 20 minutes, with two scheduled 10-minute breaks.
The five sections, in order
| Section | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Verbal Reasoning | 34 | 20 |
| 2 · Quantitative Reasoning | 38 | 35 |
| 3 · Reading Comprehension | 25 | 25 |
| 4 · Mathematics Achievement | 30 | 30 |
| 5 · Essay (not scored) | 1 prompt | 30 |
| Total | 127 questions + essay | 140, plus two 10-minute breaks |
Every student at this level sees the same structure. For security there are several versions of the test, so two children on the same day may not see the same questions.
Two kinds of section
The test provider groups the four scored sections in pairs. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are reasoning sections: they look at how a student works with words and numbers, and are meant to show what a student is ready to learn. Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement are achievement sections: they show what a student knows and can do now.
Reading passages are drawn from both the sciences and the humanities, so the section checks more than reading level alone.
Which level your child takes
The level follows the grade your child is applying to, not the grade they are in now. Lower Level is for applicants to grades 5 and 6, which usually means students currently in grades 4 and 5. Applicants to grades 7 and 8 take the Middle Level, which has more questions and runs 2 hours 40 minutes.
Online or paper
Depending on where your child tests, the format is online or paper. Both have the same number of questions, the same timing, and the same chance to go back and change answers within a section.
- Online: answers are selected on screen and the essay is typed.
- Paper: answers are bubbled on a separate answer sheet and the essay is handwritten.
- Calculators, rulers and phones or smartwatches are not allowed, unless a calculator is part of an approved accommodation.
- Wrong answers do not take points away, so it makes sense to answer every question.
Where Glentavo fits
Glentavo's full-length practice tests follow this published structure: the four sections and the 30-minute essay, in one sitting with the two breaks. The questions are written for Glentavo and are not taken from any ISEE form. Practice tests are online, so the essay is typed.