The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) and HSPT (High School Placement Test) are both commonly used standardized tests for admission to private schools in the United States. The ISEE is typically used for admission to grades 5-12, while the HSPT is typically used for admission to high school. Both tests assess a student’s skills in reading, math, and language, and also include an essay component. The tests are used by schools to help evaluate a student’s academic ability and potential for success in their program.
Crucially, students should know that even strong familiarity with the content tested on these exams does not automatically translate to strong test scores. Preparing specifically for the exams, rather than just for the content they test, is strongly encouraged.
HSPT
The HSPT (High School Placement Test) is specifically for 8th graders seeking admission to certain Catholic high schools. The HSPT is unique in that different concepts are tested simultaneously within one section. The typical HSPT exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes and contains 298 multiple-choice questions. The exam consists of the following sections:
- One 16-minute Verbal section, which is designed to test a student’s knowledge of synonyms, antonyms, analogies, and his or her ability to make verbal classifications. This section contains 60 questions.
- One 30-minute Quantitative section, which contains 52 multiple-choice questions. This section tests a student’s knowledge of how to complete number series, geometric and non-geometric comparisons, and number manipulations.
- One 45-minute Mathematics section, which contains 64 multiple-choice questions. This section tests knowledge of more linear math skills, including arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
- One 25-minute Language Skills section, which contains 60 multiple-choice questions. This section tests a student’s ability to identify grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuational errors.
The HSPT does not penalize students for wrong answers, so it is better to guess than leave anything blank. Each correct answer is worth one point. The total number of points a student earns is then converted into a scaled score, which ranges from 200-800. Registration for the HSPT is typically carried out by the individual school requiring it. Families will want to contact the school for registration information.
ISEE
The ISEE offers a Lower Level test for 4th and 5th graders, a Middle Level for 6th-8th graders, and an Upper Level for 9th-12th graders. The ISEE is most commonly used by private and parochial schools. The ISEE consists of 5 sections that span 2 hours and 40 minutes:
- One 20-minute Verbal section, which tests vocabulary through synonyms and sentence completions
- One 35-minute Quantitative Reasoning section, which tests the ability to reason mathematically and arrive at statistical solutions to problems given
- One 35-minute Reading section, which tests reading comprehension
- One 40-minute Mathematics Achievement section, which tests arithmetic, algebra, and geometry (depending on the level)
- One 30-minute Essay, which tests your overall writing skills and ability to present and defend a thesis
Similar to the HSPT, the ISEE does not penalize students for wrong answers, so there is no reason to ever leave a question blank. Scaled scores for each section range from 760 to 940, and stanine scores range from 1 to 9.
The ISEE now offers students the ability to take the test at home. For more information on the test, at-home administration, or registration, see the website of ERB (Educational Records Bureau), the organization administering the test.
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