ISEE exam: registration, test dates, length and scores

ISEE test registration

To register for ISEE exam dates, create an account at iseeonline.erblearn.org. ERB calls online registration the fastest and easiest way to secure a testing date, and dates are first come, first served. Phone registration is possible but costs an extra $35.

If your child needs accommodations, they must be approved before you can book a date. Approval is valid for 15 months, and accommodations are not flagged on the score report.

Source: ERB — ISEE Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026. Checked 19 October 2026.

ISEE test dates: testing seasons

ERB does not run the ISEE on a single national date. It sets three testing seasons, and individual ISEE test dates at schools, offices, Prometric centers and at home are listed in the registration portal.

• Fall: August, September, October, November
• Winter: December, January, February, March
• Spring/Summer: April, May, June, July

Source: ERB — ISEE Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026. Checked 19 October 2026.

ISEE test dates 2025 and ISEE test dates 2026

The 2025–2026 testing year follows the three seasons above. If you are looking for ISEE test dates 2026 for fall admission, the Fall season runs August to November 2026 and Winter runs December 2026 to March 2027. ISEE test dates 2025 belong to last year’s Fall and Winter seasons, which have passed.

A student may take the ISEE once per testing season, up to three times a school year. ERB suggests testing twice if possible, so plan the first attempt early enough to leave a second season before your schools’ deadlines.

Source: ERB — ISEE for Families. Checked 19 October 2026.

How long is the ISEE test?

How long is the ISEE exam? It depends on the level. The times below are testing time; breaks come on top.

• Lower Level (applying to Grades 5–6): 2 hours 20 minutes, plus two 5- to 10-minute breaks
• Middle Level (Grades 7–8) and Upper Level (Grades 9–12): 2 hours 40 minutes, plus two 5- to 10-minute breaks
• Primary 2, 3 and 4: 53, 54 and 60 minutes, plus one 5- to 10-minute break

Source: ERB — ISEE Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026. Checked 19 October 2026.

How long does the ISEE test take on the day?

Adding the two breaks to the testing time, a Middle or Upper Level sitting takes 2 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours, and a Lower Level sitting 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes. Arrival and check-in come on top of that.

Source: ERB — ISEE Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026. Checked 19 October 2026.

ISEE test scores: what the report shows

ISEE scores count correct answers only; wrong answers are not deducted. ERB equates scores to a common scale and reports ISEE exam scores in four ways: scaled scores, percentile ranks, stanines and a stanine analysis.

Percentile ranks compare your child only with students applying to the same grade who took the ISEE during the past three years, which ERB describes as a very competitive group. A stanine is a score from 1 to 9, with 5 as the midpoint. The essay is not scored, whatever the essay topic at Lower, Middle or Upper Level; schools receive a copy with the report.

Online test scores are released within three to five days; paper scores take five to ten days for Grades 5–12 and seven to 14 days for Grades 2–4. You can send results to up to six schools.

Source: ERB — ISEE Guidelines for the Use of Scores in the Admission Process. Checked 19 October 2026.

What is a good ISEE score?

ERB sets no passing score and no cut scores. Its guide to ISEE test scoring states that, in general, a stanine of 1–3 is below average, 4–6 is average and 7–9 is above average. Because the norm group is students applying to selective schools, an average stanine already compares your child with a strong group.

So what is a good score on the ISEE test depends on the schools you apply to. ERB also warns that small differences in percentile ranks between sections may not be meaningful.

Source: ERB — What to Expect on the ISEE, Upper Level (2021). Checked 19 October 2026.

Average ISEE scores for private schools and score calculators

ERB does not publish average ISEE scores for private schools, and schools set their own expectations. Ask each admission office directly how it uses ISEE results.

There is no official ISEE score calculator. Percentiles come from the norm group of the past three years, so a scaled score or percentile cannot be calculated exactly from a practice test. In your ISEE prep, use practice tests to find weak sections, not to predict a number.

Source: ERB — ISEE Guidelines for the Use of Scores in the Admission Process. Checked 19 October 2026.

ISEE exam: questions people ask

How do I register for the ISEE?

Online at iseeonline.erblearn.org, which ERB calls the fastest way to secure a date. Phone registration costs an extra $35. Source: ERB Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026, checked 19 October 2026.

How long is the ISEE test?

Lower Level 2 hours 20 minutes; Middle and Upper Level 2 hours 40 minutes; each plus two 5- to 10-minute breaks. Source: ERB, checked 19 October 2026.

When are ISEE test dates?

In three seasons: Fall (August–November), Winter (December–March) and Spring/Summer (April–July). Specific dates are listed in the registration portal. Source: ERB, checked 19 October 2026.

How soon do ISEE scores come out?

Within three to five days for online tests; five to ten days for paper tests in Grades 5–12. Source: ERB Quick Facts Guide 2025–2026, checked 19 October 2026.

What are good ISEE scores?

ERB sets no cut score. In general, stanines 4–6 are average and 7–9 above average; each school decides what it looks for. Source: ERB What to Expect guide, checked 19 October 2026.

Who is in the ISEE percentile comparison?

Students applying to the same grade who took the ISEE in the past three years. Source: ERB Guidelines for the Use of Scores, checked 19 October 2026.