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The Lower Level ISEE test, for students applying to grades 5 and 6

Students applying to grades 5 and 6 take the Lower Level ISEE test. The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) at this level has four scored multiple-choice sections and an unscored essay. Every multiple-choice question has four answer choices, and only right answers count.

  • Grades 5 and 6Grades students are applying to
  • 128Questions, counting the essay prompt
  • 2 hours 20 minutesTesting time, plus two 10-minute breaks
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Lower Level ISEE sections and timing

SectionQuestionsTime
Verbal Reasoning3420 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning3835 minutes
Reading Comprehension2525 minutes
Mathematics Achievement3030 minutes
Essay (unscored)1 prompt30 minutes

The sections run in this order. A 10-minute break follows Quantitative Reasoning, and another follows Mathematics Achievement.

What’s on the Lower Level ISEE test?

The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) guide for this level breaks each section down like this:

  • Verbal Reasoning: 17 synonyms and 17 sentence completions, 11 with one-word answers and 6 with short phrases. 30 of the 34 questions count.
  • Quantitative Reasoning: 38 word problems. Some need no calculation, and wrong answers come from errors in logic, not arithmetic. Problems may include facts you don’t need. 35 count.
  • Reading Comprehension: five passages of 300 to 600 words, each with five questions. 20 count.
  • Mathematics Achievement: whole numbers, decimals, percents and fractions, algebraic concepts, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability. 25 of the 30 count.

The questions that don’t count are tried out for future tests, and you can’t tell which ones they are. These figures come from ERB’s What to Expect on the ISEE, Lower Level, copyright 2021.

Which grade goes on the registration?

The grade your child will enter, not the one they’re in. Your child is compared only with other applicants to that grade. If a school is thinking about having your child repeat a grade, E3n can re-score a Lower Level test for a different grade.

Re-scoring and other score services →

Preparing for the Lower Level

E3n’s free Lower Level sample test and ERB’s Lower Level guide, with a full practice test, are listed with the other study options. The vocabulary and essay pages cover those two parts in more detail.

Study options and official practice →ISEE vocabulary →ISEE essay topics →
Sources: E3n · ERB and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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