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ISBN 9780525569404
Ebook ISBN 9780525569794
SSAT is a registered trademark of the Secondary School Admission Test Board, and ISEE is
a registered trademark of the Educational Records Bureau, neither of which are affiliated with,
nor endorses, The Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.
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Acknowledgments
The Princeton Review would like to thank Shaina Walter Bowie for her
hard work revising and developing test material for this book.


Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgments

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A Parent’s Introduction
A Student’s Introduction

Part I: The Basics of Both Tests
1 Learning Vocabulary
2 Fundamental Math Skills for the SSAT & ISEE
3 Answer Key to Fundamental Math Drills
4 Writing the Essay

Part II: The SSAT
5 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the SSAT
6 SSAT Math
7 SSAT Verbal
8 SSAT Reading
9 Answers and Explanations for SSAT Practice Drills

Part III: SSAT Practice Tests
10 Upper Level SSAT Practice Test
11 Middle Level SSAT Practice Test
12 Answer Key to SSAT Practice Tests

Part IV: The ISEE


13 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the ISEE
14 ISEE Math
15 ISEE Verbal
16 ISEE Reading
17 Answers and Explanations for ISEE Practice Drills


Part V: ISEE Practice Tests
18 Upper Level ISEE Practice Test
19 Middle Level ISEE Practice Test
20 Lower Level ISEE Practice Test
21 Answer Key to ISEE Practice Tests


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CRITICAL CONNECTION



A Parent’s Introduction


HOW CAN I HELP?
Congratulations! Your child is considering attending a private school,
and by virtue of the fact that you hold this book in your hands, you
have recognized that either the SSAT or the ISEE is an important part
of the admissions process. Providing your child with the information
contained in this book is an excellent first step toward a strong
performance on the SSAT or the ISEE.
As a parent, however, you know well the fine line between support and
intrusion. To guide you in your efforts to help your child, we’d like to
offer a few suggestions.

Have a Healthy Perspective
Both the SSAT and the ISEE are standardized tests designed to say
something about an individual student’s chances for success in a
private school. Neither is an intelligence test; neither claims to be.
Set realistic expectations for your child. The skills necessary for a
strong performance on these tests are very different from those a
student uses in school. The additional stress that comes from being
expected to do well generally serves only to distract a student from
taking a test efficiently.
At the same time, beware of dismissing disappointing results with a
simple, “My child doesn’t test well.” While it is undoubtedly true that
some students test better than others, this explanation does little to
encourage a student to invest time and effort into overcoming
obstacles and improving his or her performance.
Be Informed

The SSAT and the ISEE are neither achievement
tests nor intelligence tests. To score well, your child
needs to understand what is tested and how it is
tested.


Know How to Interpret Performance
Each level of the SSAT and ISEE covers a range of grade levels It is
impossible to interpret scores without considering the grade level of
the student. Percentile rankings have much more value than do either
raw or scaled scores, and percentiles are the numbers schools use to
compare students.

Remember That This Is Not an English or a Math Test
There are both verbal and math questions on the SSAT and on the
ISEE. However, these questions are often based on skills and concepts
that are different from those used on a day-to-day basis in school. For
instance, very few English teachers—at any level—spend a lot of time
teaching students how to approach analogy or sentence completion
questions.
This may be frustrating for parents, students, and teachers. But in the
final judgment, our educational system would take a turn for the worse
if it attempted to teach students to do well on the SSAT, the ISEE, or
even the SAT. The fact that the valuable skills students learn in school
don’t directly improve test scores is evidence of a flaw in the testing
system, not an indictment of our schools or those who have devoted
their professional careers to education.

Realize That All Tests Are Different
Many of the general rules that students are accustomed to applying to

tests in school do not apply to either the SSAT or the ISEE. Many
students, for instance, actually hurt their scores by trying to work on
every question. Although these tests are timed, accuracy is much more
important than speed. Once your child learns the format and structure
of these tests, he or she will find it easier to apply his or her knowledge
to the test and will answer more questions correctly.

Provide All the Resources You Can
This book has been written to provide your child with a very thorough
review of all the math, vocabulary, reading, and writing skills that are


necessary for success on the SSAT and ISEE. We have also included
practice drills for each chapter and practice tests that simulate actual
SSAT or ISEE examinations.
The very best practice test questions, however, are naturally the ones
written by the organizations who write the real test questions—the
Enrollment Management Association (EMA) for the SSAT and the
Educational Resources Bureau (ERB) for the ISEE. We encourage you
to contact both organizations (addresses and phone numbers can be
found on this page) to obtain any resources containing test questions
that you can use for additional practice.
In addition, both the SSAT and the ISEE change with time in very
subtle ways. Thus, we suggest supplementing the information in this
book with ERB’s What to Expect on the ISEE, which you can find at
isee.erblearn.org, and and EMA’s The Official Study Guide for the
SSAT, which you can order at ssat.org/prepare/official-guide.
Make sure the materials you choose are, to the greatest extent
possible, reflective of the test your child will take and not a test that
was given years earlier. Also, try to avoid the inevitable confusion that

comes from asking a student to follow two different sets of advice.
Presumably, you have decided (or are about to decide) to trust The
Princeton Review to prepare your child for this test. In doing so, you
have made a wise decision. As we have said, we encourage you to
provide any and all sources of additional practice material (as long as
it is accurate and reflective of the current test), but providing other
test preparation advice tends to muddy the waters and confuse
students.

Be Patient and Be Involved
Preparing for the SSAT or the ISEE is like learning how to ride a
bicycle. You will watch your child struggle, at first, to develop a level of
familiarity and comfort with the test’s format and content.
Developing the math, vocabulary, reading, and writing skills that your


child will use on the SSAT or the ISEE is a long-term process. In
addition to making certain that he or she is committed to spending the
time necessary to work through the chapters of this book, you should
also be on the lookout for other opportunities to be supportive. One
way to do this is to make vocabulary development into a group activity.
In the vocabulary chapter, we provide an extensive list of vocabulary
words; learn them as a family, working through flashcards at the
breakfast table or during car trips. You may even pick up a new word
or two yourself!
Important: If your child is in a lower grade, you may want to offer
extra guidance as he or she works through this book and prepares for
the test. Because this book covers preparation for the full range of
grade levels taking the tests (first through eleventh grades), some of
the content review will be beyond the areas that your child is expected

to know. It is an excellent idea to work through the book along with
your younger child, so that he or she doesn’t become intimidated by
these higher-level questions that should be skipped. Check out your
Student Tools to see the suggested study schedule.

A SHORT WORD ON ADMISSIONS
The most important insight into private school admissions that we can
offer is that a student’s score on the SSAT or the ISEE is only one of
many components involved in admission decisions. While many
schools will request SSAT or ISEE scores, all will look seriously at your
child’s academic record. Think about it—which says more about a
student—a single test or years of solid academic performance?
In terms of testing, which is the focus of this book, some schools will
specify which test they want applicants to take—the SSAT or the ISEE.
Others will allow you to use scores from either test. If you are faced
with a decision of whether to focus on the SSAT, the ISEE, or both, we
encourage you to be an informed consumer. This book contains
practice tests for the ISEE and the SSAT, and your child should
attempt both. Then, based on the requirements of your desired school


and the results of the practice tests, you can decide which test best
suits your child. Students may register to take the ISEE up to three
times in a 12-month admission cycle, once in any or all of three testing
seasons. The seasons are Fall (August–November), Winter
(December–March), and Spring/Summer (April–July). ISEE does not
encourage multiple testing, but does offer students and families that
option. The SSAT may be taken up to nine times in an academic year—
the eight Standard administration dates and one Flex test.
Be an Informed Parent

For the most accurate information about their
admissions policies, don’t hesitate to call the
schools to which your child may apply.

There are some differences in subject matter between the two tests.
The SSAT, for example, contains a section on analogies, which many
students may not be familiar with; the ISEE includes a section of
sentence completions. On the other hand, Middle and Upper Level
ISEE test-takers will be faced with a number of quantitative
comparison questions in the Math section, and these can be tricky at
first, especially for younger students. Take these differences into
consideration if you have the option to choose between the two tests.

Resources
SSAT

The Enrollment Management Association (EMA)
609-683-4440
www.ssat.org


ISEE

Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
800-989-3721
www.erblearn.org

www.iseetest.org



REGISTERING FOR THE SSAT
Before you go any further in preparing for the SSAT, you must
complete one essential step: sign up for the SSAT. There are eight
Standard administrations of the Middle and Upper Level tests every
year—generally in October, November, December, January, February,
March, April, and June. Elementary Level testing is offered on five of
those dates (generally December through April). Students also have
the option to take one Flex test per academic year. Additional
information on Flex testing can be found at ssat.org/flex. Testing sites
can fill up; by registering early, your child will avoid the possibility of
having to take the test at an inconvenient or unfamiliar second-choice
location. You can register online at www.ssat.org, or call the EMA at
609-683-4440 to receive a registration form by mail.
The regular registration deadline for the test (at U.S. testing centers) is
usually three weeks before the test date. You may return the
registration form by mail along with the $144 registration fee ($85 for
the Elementary Level test) for test centers in the United States,
American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Saipan, USVI, and Canada (or $279 for
international test centers), or you may submit your registration form
by fax. If you register online, you can pay the fee with a credit card. In
some cases, you may be able to obtain an SSAT fee waiver.
Plan Ahead
Not only will early registration give you one less
thing to worry about as the test approaches, but it
will also make it easier to get your first-choice test
center.

If you forget to register for the test or decide to take the SSAT at the
last minute, you may be facing a late registration deadline, or if the
time you register is within two weeks of the test date, you will face a

rush registration deadline (for U.S. testing centers). If you still have at
least two weeks, you can register online late and pay an additional $45
late registration fee. After that point (within the two-week period
before the exam), you must pay an $85 rush registration fee. If you


have already registered and want to change your testing date or
location, there’s a change fee of $35.
Students who need special testing accommodations must apply for
accommodations at least two weeks before the test. Sunday testing is
available, but only for those students who are unable to take a
Saturday test for religious reasons. Make sure to apply for
accommodations early. You won’t be able to register until your
accommodation has been approved.

REGISTERING FOR THE ISEE
Before you go any further in preparing for the ISEE, you must do one
essential thing: sign up for the ISEE. Go to the ISEE website,
www.iseetest.org, and create an online account to register for the ISEE
at an ISEE test site school or a Prometric Test Center* in your area.
Students may register to take the ISEE one time in any or all of three
testing seasons. The ISEE testing seasons are defined as Fall (August–
November), Winter (December–March), and Spring/Summer (April–
July). Families do not have to select schools to receive ISEE scores at
the time of registration; they may add them at no extra charge after a
test is scored. The regular registration deadline for the ISEE is three
weeks before the test date. The registration fee varies by location and
test date, and you can pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or
check.
Testing fees for the ISEE range from:

• $125–$230 for mail-in or online registration
• $150–$255 for phone registration
• $225 for individual testing at a Prometric Testing
Center

Late Registration
For one week after the official registration date closes (up to two weeks
before the test date), you may register at www.iseetest.org. The fee for


late registration ranges from $155 (online registration for large group
testing) to $285 (phone registration for Small Group Testing at a
Satellite Site).

Walk-in Registration
Walk-in registration is available at a limited number of ISEE test site
schools. It is available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be
assured due to limitations on testing materials and staff. There is an
additional $40 fee for this service and it must be processed online by
credit card only. If you are a candidate for walk-in registration, you
must call the test site school directly to see if you may be
accommodated.
* Prometric testing centers offer Lower, Middle, and Upper Level ISEE tests in over 400
locations throughout the world and the tests are online only.


A Student’s Introduction


HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

You’ve got a hefty amount of paper and information in your hands.
How can you work through it thoroughly, without spending eight
hours on it the Saturday before the test?
Plan ahead.
Before you start, go to your Student Tools and download the study
guide. We’ve broken down the contents of this book into 12 study
sessions and suggested a timeline for you to follow. Some of these
sessions will take longer than others, depending on your strengths and
weaknesses. If any of them takes more than two hours, take a break
and try to finish the session the following day. You may want to do
one, two, or three sessions a week, but we suggest you give yourself at
least a day or two in between to absorb the information you’ve just
learned. The one thing you should be doing every day is quizzing
yourself on vocabulary and making new flashcards.
We also caution against thinking that you can work through this book
during summer vacation, put it aside in September, and be ready to
take the test in December. If you want to start that early, work
primarily on vocabulary until about 10 weeks before the test. Then you
can start on techniques, and they’ll be fresh in your mind on the day of
the test. If you’ve finished your preparation too soon and have nothing
to practice on in the weeks before the test, you’re going to get rusty.
If you know you are significantly weaker in one of the subjects covered
by the test, you should begin with that subject so you can practice it
throughout your preparation.
If You Want to Start Early
If you have more than ten weeks to prepare, start
with vocabulary building and essay writing. These
skills only improve with time.



At Each Session
At each practice session, make sure you have sharpened pencils, blank
index cards, and a dictionary. Each chapter is interactive; to fully
understand the techniques we present, you need to be ready to try
them out.
As you read each chapter, practice the techniques and do all the
exercises. Check your answers in the Answer Key as you do each set of
problems, and try to figure out what types of errors you made so you
can correct them. Review all of the techniques that give you trouble.
Get Your Pencil Moving
You’ll get the most out of this book by trying out
techniques as you read about them.

As you begin each session, review the chapter you completed during
the previous session before moving on to a new chapter.

When You Take a Practice Test
We recommend some specific times to take practice tests in the
following session outlines. Here are some guidelines for taking these
tests.
Time yourself strictly. Use a timer, watch, or stopwatch that will
ring, and do not allow yourself to go over the allotted time for any
section. If you try to do so on the real test, your scores will
probably be canceled.
Take a practice test in one sitting, allowing yourself only the
breaks that you’ll have on test day (see pages this page for SSAT
and this page for ISEE) and no more than two minutes between
other sections. You need to build up your endurance for the real
test, and you also need an accurate picture of how you will do.
Always take a practice test using an answer sheet with bubbles to

fill in, just as you will do for the real test. For the practice tests in
this book, use the attached answer sheets. You need to be


comfortable transferring answers to the separate sheet because
you might end up skipping around a bit.
Thoroughly fill in each bubble you choose, and make no other
marks in the answer area.
As you fill in the bubble for a question, check to be sure you are on
the correct number on the answer sheet. If you fill in the wrong
bubble on the answer sheet, it won’t matter if you’ve worked out
the problem correctly in your test booklet. All that matters to the
machine scoring your test is the No. 2 pencil mark.
The EMA and the ERB consider their Score Reports
proprietary information, so we can’t reproduce them
for our practice tests. You can get an idea of how
you did by marking off how many you got right in the
answer key after each test. Keep the learning going!

The Day of the Exam
Wake up refreshed from at least eight hours of sleep the night
before.
Eat a good breakfast.
Arrive at the test center about a half hour early.
Have with you your SSAT admission ticket or ISEE Verification
Letter, four No. 2 pencils with erasers, and, for the paper ISEE
only, two working blue or black pens (erasable pens are
acceptable). The test center may not allow you to take food or
beverages into the room, but you can leave them in the hall, in
case you have a chance to get them during a short break. Do not

take a cell phone or any books, papers, or calculators.
Remind yourself that you do not have to work out every question
on the test to get a good score. Don’t let yourself become rushed.
Pace yourself.
And take a sweater! You never know how cold the


room might be.

GENERAL TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES FOR
THE SSAT & ISEE
Pacing
Most people believe that to do well on a test, it is important to answer
every question. While this is true of most of the tests you take in
school, it is not true of many standardized tests, including the SSAT
and ISEE. On these tests, it is very possible to score well without
attempting all of the questions; in fact, many students can improve
their scores by answering fewer questions.
“Wait a second. I can get a better score by attempting fewer
questions?” Yes. On the Middle and Upper Level SSAT you are
penalized only for the questions you answer incorrectly, not for the
questions you skip. Because all of the questions are worth the same
amount of points, it’s just as good to answer a question you
understand than waste time with one you don’t. So for the most part,
you’ll give your attention to problems you think you can answer, and
decide which questions are too thorny to waste time on. This testtaking approach is just as important to score improvement as your
knowledge of vocabulary and math rules!
On the ISEE, it is best to answer all questions
because there is no guessing penalty.


In general, all math and verbal questions on the SSAT and ISEE
gradually increase in difficulty from first to last. (The one exception is
the Reading section, where question difficulty is mixed.) This means
that for most students, the longest and most complicated problems are
at the end of each section. For this reason, all students should focus
the majority of their attention on the questions they know they can
answer. Why rush through these and make careless errors, when you