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ISEE practice tests, prep books and tutoring

Start with what the test makers give away. E3n has a free online sample test for every level of the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), and the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) guides called What to Expect on the ISEE each hold a full paper practice test. The paid ISEE practice test packages come from Test Innovators, E3n’s official practice partner. For the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), E3n sells its own practice and offers a free mini test.

  • FreeISEE online sample tests and guides
  • $80Official SSAT Online Practice, one year
  • $89 to $419Test Innovators paid ISEE packages
Where to study

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

Official practice, paid packages and tutoring compared

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
ISEE online sample testsOfficial sample tests, every ISEE levelFrom E3n, which runs the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). E3n says the tests mimic the look and feel of the real online ISEE, and its score reports look like the ones families get.
FreeOne online sample test each for Primary 2, 3 and 4 and the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels, ending with a sample score report
E3n: ISEE Preparation (all sample tests) ↗
What to Expect on the ISEEOfficial guides (PDF), Lower, Middle and Upper LevelsWritten by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) with the test developer, copyright 2021. E3n says the guides introduce the test and aren’t training books for strategies.
FreeThe whole guide for each level, with sample questions, three sample essay topics, a full practice test, answer keys and score tables
ERB: Lower Level guide (PDF) ↗ERB: Middle Level guide (PDF) ↗ERB: Upper Level guide (PDF) ↗
SSAT Mini-Practice Test and Elementary guidesOfficial SSAT practiceFrom E3n, which runs the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). The Elementary guides are PDFs with section overviews, study tips and practice questions.
FreeA 30-question online Mini-Practice Test with a report of the ten strongest and weakest topics, and free Grade 3 and Grade 4 Elementary Level study guides
E3n: SSAT Mini-Practice Test ↗E3n: Elementary SSAT study guides ↗
Apps and websites
Official SSAT Online Practice and Guide BooksOfficial SSAT practice, Middle and Upper LevelsE3n says both have the same four full-length practice tests, 600 questions, written by the team that writes the SSAT. Online Practice adds 15 section tests and more than 50 subject quizzes. Middle and Upper Level books are sold separately.
Online Practice $80 for a year; Guide Book $70; both for $130Online Practice is included with an SSAT fee waiver; regular shipping on guide books is free
E3n: The Official SSAT Practice ↗
Test Innovators (ISEE)Official ISEE practice partnerE3n names Test Innovators as its official ISEE practice provider. Paid packages add full-length practice tests (1, 3 or 6), and Advanced adds a retired ISEE test, 2,650+ practice exercises and a video course. Prices are from Test Innovators’ package pages.
Free plan; Quick Start $89, Expanded $309, Advanced $419 for 12 months (Lower, Middle and Upper)A free plan with the What to Expect sample test online, and the Advanced package free with an ISEE fee waiver
Test Innovators: Upper Level ISEE packages ↗Test Innovators: Lower Level ISEE packages ↗
In person
The Princeton ReviewISEE and SSAT private tutoringThe 18-hour Comprehensive package covers the whole exam; the 10-hour Targeted package covers one or two areas. The same prices are shown on its ISEE and SSAT pages.
$167 an hour for 18 hours ($3,000), or $180 an hour for 10 hours ($1,800)Not listed on its ISEE and SSAT tutoring pages
The Princeton Review: ISEE tutoring ↗The Princeton Review: SSAT tutoring ↗
Varsity TutorsISEE private tutoringOne-to-one ISEE tutoring, with tutor profiles on the page. It shows no prices and asks you to call or send a short form.
Not listedNot listed
Varsity Tutors: ISEE tutoring ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Is there a free ISEE practice test?

Yes, two kinds. E3n’s online sample tests cover Primary 2, 3 and 4 and the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels. They look and work like the real online ISEE, and they end with a sample score report like the one families get after the test.

Every ISEE registrant also gets a free option from Test Innovators with a practice test and personal feedback. E3n says that free option is an interactive version of the sample test in its What to Expect guide, so it isn’t a different test.

E3n: Primary 2 sample test ↗E3n: Primary 3 sample test ↗E3n: Primary 4 sample test ↗E3n: Lower Level sample test ↗E3n: Middle Level sample test ↗E3n: Upper Level sample test ↗

ISEE practice test PDFs: the What to Expect guides

ERB wrote one guide for each of the three upper levels: Lower (applying to grades 5 and 6), Middle (grades 7 and 8) and Upper (grades 9 to 12). Each one has:

  • An introduction to the test and how schools use the scores.
  • Sample questions for every section, with tips, and three sample essay topics.
  • A full practice test with answer keys and tables to turn a raw score into a scaled score.
  • A walk-through of the Individual Student Report (ISR), the real score report.

The guides carry a 2021 copyright date. E3n says they aren’t training books for test strategies and using them doesn’t guarantee any result. E3n lists no guide for the Primary Levels, which have only the online sample tests.

ERB: What to Expect on the ISEE, Lower Level (PDF) ↗ERB: What to Expect on the ISEE, Middle Level (PDF) ↗ERB: What to Expect on the ISEE, Upper Level (PDF) ↗

Test Innovators ISEE prep packages

PackagePricePractice tests
Free$01 sample test
Quick Start$891 full-length test and the sample test
Expanded$3093 full-length tests and the sample test
Advanced$4196 full-length tests, the sample test and 1 retired ISEE

These are Test Innovators’ own prices for the Lower, Middle and Upper Levels, with 12 months of access. Test Innovators says every package includes a What to Expect guide and a 20-minute tutor consultation for parents. With an ISEE fee waiver, the Advanced package is free.

E3n’s score report page calls Test Innovators the only place to take several E3n-approved full-length ISEE practice tests.

Test Innovators: Upper Level ISEE packages ↗

Official SSAT practice tests and guide books

ItemPrice
Mini-Practice Test (30 questions)Free
Online Practice (1 year)$80
Guide Book$70
Guide Book and Online Practice$130

E3n says its own practice is written by the people who write the SSAT, and that Test Innovators’ SSAT packages include E3n practice tests only in its top Valedictorian package. Online Practice is included with an SSAT fee waiver. For the Elementary Level, E3n has free Grade 3 and Grade 4 study guides with practice questions.

E3n: The Official SSAT Practice ↗E3n: Free SSAT Mini-Practice Test ↗E3n: Free Elementary SSAT study guides ↗

ISEE test tutoring and prep books from other companies

ERB’s 2021 What to Expect guides say they’re the only book approved by ERB, written with the test developer, Measurement Incorporated, and that other programs or materials aren’t approved by ERB. The guides were written before the 2026 merger, and E3n names Test Innovators as the official ISEE practice partner.

The study options list shows two tutoring companies from their own pages: The Princeton Review, with the same hourly packages for the ISEE and the SSAT, and Varsity Tutors, which shows no prices. Check that a tutor covers the right test, ISEE or SSAT, and your child’s level.

How to prepare for the ISEE test

  1. Find your child’s level from the grade they’re applying to, and read what’s on it.
  2. Take E3n’s free online sample test for that level to get used to the screens and question types.
  3. Work through the What to Expect guide and its practice test, then score it with the tables in the back.
  4. Go back over wrong answers section by section.
  5. Spread practice over several weeks. The ISEE Quick Facts Guide says last-minute cramming isn’t typically a successful approach.
How long the ISEE takes at each level →The Lower Level ISEE →The Middle and Upper Level ISEE →
Sources: E3n · ERB · Test Innovators and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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