The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) Tutoring Experience + Tips

July 16, 2019 By Terri
Middle Schoolers (Study Improvements)    Elementary Schoolers (Study Improvements)   

ISEE is a difficult exam for many students although it may be necessary for some students to take and score high to get adimitted by some private middle schools and high schools. Here are some tips for students and their parents how to approach this exaxm. 

1. Practice: Going over the ISEE official test book questions will allow your student and you the tutor to gain a better understanding of real, past test questions. By looking at previous exams, building that awareness and comfort with the test can make it easier for the student once they are taking the actual exam. In my experience tutoring, we went over past official ISEE exam booklets and determined which questions/topics we wanted to pay specific attention to bridge the gap.

2. Tutoring: Being interactive with your student is an incredible way to increase motivation and critical thinking skills. As such, asking them how they would approach the question before fully explaining can allow the student to express their skills and knowledge on the topic as well as help them gain confidence in answering questions on their own. If an approach doesn’t work, using a different way of solving the problem would be beneficial as it may allow your student to understand it better and see that they can solve it in various ways.

3. Studying Times: Making sure the student has amble studying time till the time of the test is important. Setting aside an hour or two a day to go over test prep questions will serve as an invaluable resource in mastering the exam. As the exam approaches, the student should consider doubling the studying time and taking additional practice tests to assess their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps having you the tutor, their parent(s), or their peer(s) can help time them as if it is a mock exam can help mimic real exam testing conditions and ease the unfamiliarity or stress of time management of the exam.

4. Confidence/Motivation: Although many questions may be difficult to solve, maintaining a level of confidence and not giving up is important in mastering any exam. Making sure your student has the right support, self-assurance, and balance is vital to health and success. Setting incentives, deadlines, and breaks in between studying can serve as a great way to motivate and raise confidence while not overwhelming the student. Having the student set realistic goals and making themselves accountable of their study habits can be the foundation of doing well on the exam.

Tutor Terri has tutored for ISEE preparation. Students scored high with a result of taking Tutor Terri's lesson and able to be accepted by a middle school with a full-scholarship. If you are interested in taking Tutor Terri's lesson, please check her tutor page or rech out to contact@inizian.com