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The Middle Level ISEE test, and the Upper Level that shares its format

Students applying to grades 7 and 8 take the Middle Level ISEE test, and students applying to grades 9 to 12 take the Upper Level. E3n says both levels of the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) follow the same structure, with four scored sections and an unscored essay. The content steps up at Upper Level, which E3n describes as a high school entrance exam.

  • Grades 7 and 8Middle Level: grades applying to
  • Grades 9 to 12Upper Level: grades applying to
  • 2 hours 40 minutesTesting time for each, plus two breaks
Where to study

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

Middle and Upper Level sections

SectionQuestionsTime
Verbal Reasoning4020 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning3735 minutes
Reading Comprehension3635 minutes
Mathematics Achievement4740 minutes
Essay (unscored)1 prompt30 minutes

A 10-minute break follows Quantitative Reasoning, and another follows Mathematics Achievement.

What’s on the Middle Level ISEE test?

The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) guide for the Middle Level describes each section:

  • Verbal Reasoning: synonyms and one-word sentence completions, 17 to 23 of each. 35 of the 40 questions count.
  • Quantitative Reasoning: 18 to 21 word problems and 14 to 17 quantitative comparisons, where you compare two amounts and say which is greater, whether they’re equal or whether you can’t tell. 32 count.
  • Reading Comprehension: six passages averaging 450 words, each with six questions. 30 count.
  • Mathematics Achievement: whole numbers, decimals, percents and fractions, algebraic concepts, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability, based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards for grades 6 to 8. 42 count.

How the Upper Level is different

  • Verbal Reasoning has 19 synonyms, 12 one-word sentence completions and 9 with paired words.
  • Reading passages run from 300 to 600 words.
  • Mathematics Achievement follows NCTM standards for grades 8 to 11, and ERB says its calculations go up to second-year algebra. Its skill areas are number sense, algebraic concepts, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability.

Counts come from ERB’s What to Expect on the ISEE guides for the Middle and Upper Levels, copyright 2021. The number of questions that count is the same at both levels.

Preparing for either level

There’s a free E3n sample test and an ERB guide for each of the two levels, listed with the paid options on the study options page.

Study options and official practice →ISEE vocabulary →How ISEE scores work →
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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Everything else, in one place

OverviewStudy optionsISEE vs SSATSSATTest lengthResultsTest locationsAccommodations

Levels and sections

Lower LevelMiddle and UpperVocabularyEssay