ISEE Levels: Which Level a Student Takes, by Application Grade

How the level is chosen

This section answers the first question most families have: which level a student registers for. The test organizer, E3n (formerly ERB, website admission.org), sets the level by the grade the student is applying to enter, not by the grade the student attends on test day. A student currently in grade 5 who is applying to grade 6 takes the Lower Level, because the Lower Level covers applicants to both grade 5 and grade 6.

Families new to the American system often match a child’s current grade to a level and arrive at the wrong answer. The reliable order is to confirm the entry grade first, then look up the level.

The two most common mistakes

1. Matching the current grade to a level. A student in grade 5 who is applying to grade 6 takes the Lower Level, not the Middle Level. The target grade decides the level.

2. Assuming a lower level is easier to score well on. The level is fixed by the application grade, and the score report states the level taken. Admission offices can see it directly, and percentiles are calculated within the entry grade.

The six levels at a glance

The table lists each level with its application grade, the grade a student usually attends at the time of testing, and the totals for the scored sections. Totals exclude the unscored essay and any breaks.

Level	Applying to	Usually in	Scored questions	Scored time	Essay
Primary 2	Grade 2	Grade 1	Not listed	Not listed	None
Primary 3	Grade 3	Grade 2	Not listed	Not listed	None
Primary 4	Grade 4	Grade 3	Not listed	Not listed	None
Lower Level	Grades 5–6	Grades 4–5	127	110 minutes	Yes (unscored)
Middle Level	Grades 7–8	Grades 6–7	160	130 minutes	Yes (unscored)
Upper Level	Grades 9–12	Grades 8–11	160	130 minutes	Yes (unscored)

Source: E3n, ISEE overview (admission.org), checked 2026-08-24. Question counts and timing for the three Primary levels are not listed on admission.org.

What changes from one level to the next

This section explains how the levels differ in structure and in comparison group. The Lower, Middle and Upper Levels share the same four scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement. The Middle and Upper Levels also have identical question counts and timing, so the difference between them lies in content difficulty and in who the student is compared with.

Percentiles and stanines are calculated within the student’s own entry grade. A stanine is a nine-point scale that groups percentile ranks into bands, and it is the figure admission offices tend to read first. Because the comparison group changes with the level, a score from one level cannot be placed beside a score from another without that context. The scores page explains how each number is read.

The Primary levels are shorter and simpler. Primary 2 has three parts, Auditory Comprehension, Reading and Mathematics, while Primary 3 and Primary 4 have two parts, Reading and Mathematics. None of the three includes an essay. The essay appears from the Lower Level up, is not scored, and is sent only to the schools a family selects.

Find the right level page

Each entry below summarizes one level and links to a dedicated page with its structure, the skills it tests and a preparation route.

• Primary 2 (applying to grade 2). The youngest level, with Auditory Comprehension, Reading and Mathematics. Questions are typically supported by spoken prompts and images. The parent’s role is to make the format familiar, not to drill content.
• Primary 3 (applying to grade 3). Reading and Mathematics. The main shift is independent reading of each question, together with steady basic arithmetic.
• Primary 4 (applying to grade 4). The last Primary level and a bridge to the Lower Level. Reading passages lengthen and word problems become more layered.
• Lower Level (applying to grades 5–6). The first level with the full structure of four scored sections plus an unscored essay. Mathematics is often steadier than verbal reasoning, where synonyms and sentence completion tend to need the most attention.
• Middle Level (applying to grades 7–8). The same length as the Upper Level, with difficulty set for the younger entry grades. Reading passages include expository and argumentative writing, and mathematics reaches introductory algebra and geometry.
• Upper Level (applying to grades 9–12). The level for high school applicants. Vocabulary demands in Verbal Reasoning and time pressure in Quantitative Reasoning are usually the two main difficulties.

After the level is confirmed

Once the level is settled, the next questions concern the test itself and the calendar. What the ISEE is describes the four scored sections and how the test is built. Registration compares the four test formats and the steps to book a seat. Test dates covers the three testing seasons and the rule of one attempt per season.

Some situations call for extra care. A student who plans to skip a grade, or a family applying to schools that start at different grades, should confirm with each school which entry grade and level it expects before registering. The level is tied to the grade named in the application, so the answer can differ from what the student’s current grade suggests. Families who want a second opinion on the level and the preparation timeline can book a free consultation, where a member of the teaching team reviews the student’s current grade and application plan.