Return to ISEE Practice Book ISEE / SSAT Preview Pages Neva L. Fenno, M.S. Ed., MLIS Core Learning Resources 1562 First Ave #205-1163 New York, NY 10028-4004 1-866-923-4942 ~ Fax: 1-312-324-3098 teachers@core-standards.org Copyright Core Learning Resources, 2012, all rights reserved. Table of Contents Introduction a Synonyms Pretest 1 Verbal Reasoning 6 Synonyms Post Test 10 Analogies 15 Quantitative Reasoning 35 Math Glossary 39 Reading Comprehension 74 Math Achievement Pretest 109 Math Achievement 119 Math Achievement Post test 124 The Essay (Writing Sample) 134 Index 139 Appendix A (Scoring) a (141) ISEE - Independent School Entrance Examination The ISEE is an admission test that has three levels: A Lower Level, Middle Level, and Upper Level. The Lower Level is for students currently in grades 4 and 5 who are candidates for admission to grades 5 and 6. The Middle Level is for students in grades 6 and 7 who are candidates for grades 7 and 8. The Upper Level is for students in grades 8 through 11 who are candidates for grades 9 through 12. At all levels, the ISEE consists of three parts: (a) carefully constructed and standardized verbal and quantitative reasoning tests that measure a student's capability for learning; (b) reading comprehension and mathematics achievement tests that provide specific information about a student's strengths and weakness in those areas; and (c) an essay. The ISEE essay is timed and written in response to a prompt. The essay is not scored; it is photocopied and sent only to the targeted schools. The ISEE testing levels, number of questions, and timing: Lower Level (candidates for Grades 5 and 6) Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes Test Verbal Reasoning # of Items 34 Time (min) 20 Quantitative Reasoning Reading Comprehension Mathematics Achievement Essay 38 35 25 25 30 30 30 a Middle Level (candidates for Grades 7 and 8) Test Verbal Reasoning # of Items 40 Time (min) 20 Quantitative Reasoning 37 35 Reading Comprehension 36 35 Mathematics Achievement 47 40 Essay 30 Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes Upper Level (candidates for Grades 9–12) Test Verbal Reasoning # of Items 40 Time (min) 20 Quantitative reasoning 37 35 Reading Comprehension 36 35 Mathematics Achievement Essay 47 40 30 Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes b The ISEE provides: Standard assessment of each applicant’s skills and a ranking of abilities and achievement against peers Standards aligned with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the International Reading Association (IRA), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Confirmation from statisticians that each item is relevant, content specific, and suited to providing the most accurate assessments Disclaimer: Core Learning Resources is not affiliated in any way to ERB or SSAT, producers and publishers of the ISEE and SSAT tests. The material presented in this guide is intended to assist a student who will prepare for these exams, but is not a replica of either. c SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) 2012-2013 Standard Test Calendar October 13, 2012 November 10, 2012 December 8, 2012 January 5, 2013 February 2, 2013 March 2, 2013 April 20, 2013 June 8, 2013 What is the SSAT? The SSAT is a multiple choice test designed for students in grades 3 through 11 and is administered on three levels: • Elementary (for students currently in grades 3-4) • Middle (for students currently in grades 5-7) • Upper (for students currently in grades 8-11) Both the Middle and Upper level SSAT consist of verbal, quantitative (math) and reading comprehension sections. The verbal questions test your vocabulary, verbal reasoning, and ability to relate ideas logically. The quantitative (math) questions test your ability to solve problems involving arithmetic, basic algebra and geometry, and concepts. The reading comprehension section tests your ability to understand what you read. All tests are printed and administered in English. In addition to the sections listed above, the test includes a writing sample portion. The style of the writing sample will differ depending on which level test you take. Your essay is not graded, but a copy will be sent to schools. d Reasons for Taking the SSAT The SSAT measures student ability. It is not an achievement test; therefore, it acts as a common denominator for schools in measuring a student’s academic capabilities, regardless of school record. When used for admission by independent schools, the test is only one piece of information that is considered. Schools also review the applicant’s school grades, volunteer or extracurricular participation, teacher recommendations, essays and interview results. SSAT scores, however, do carry some weight in varying degrees among independent schools. Consequently, you should be as prepared to take the test as possible. The SSAT provides predicted 12th grade SAT scores for those students taking the test in the 7th through 10th grades, participation in this testing exercise will also provide you with valuable information regarding your educational strengths and weaknesses. SSAT "Standard Test" A standard test is a group administration held at many sites worldwide on 8 Saturdays each year. You may take a standard test as often as you like, up to 8 times per year. You may register online until the Wednesday prior to the test date subject to availability. For schedules and timelines: SSAT Website: http://www.ssat.org ISEE Website: http://erblearn.org/ e Pretest - Synonyms - 20 minutes, 4 choices per item (ISEE format) 1. inclination A. B. C. D. category contribution design tendency anger caricature dissent longing 3. adversity A. cupidity B. difficulty C. diffidence D. duplicity 4. mawkish A. B. C. D. contumacious copious insipid onerous 5. succinct A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. appraise insinuate justify observe 7. capricious 2. furor A. B. C. D. 6. evaluate burdensome concise palatial superfluous A. B. C. D. adolescent importune rambling whimsical 8. ominous A. B. C. D. anxious arrogant immature portentous 9. credulous A. austere B. diaphanous C. trustful D. valid 10. invidious A. capricious B. envious C. turgid D. verbose 1 Verbal Test (Synonyms and Analogies) Differences between SSAT and ISEE on this subtest: SSAT gives you 5 choices (A-F), ISEE provides 4 (A-D) We know a young man who reads the dictionary. He feels this is the only way to learn vocabulary. As you grow older, you are exposed to more and more words. Along the way you learn synonyms for words, or words that mean the same thing. Hot and warm for instance are synonymous, not exactly the same, but on a test, if warm was a choice for synonym of hot, you would select it as your answer. You just completed the pretest for this section, it is a very good sample and shows the kinds of words you will face on the tests. It is modeled on the ISEE with four choices. Explore the sites at the list below, then take the posttest for the section. There are so many wonderful websites that help with vocabulary learning, here’s a list of some favorites: http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ - games #1 Choice http://www.vocabularycoach.com/ - 4,000 words for you to learn http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm resources to explore http://wordsmith.org/words/today.html - new word each day http://www.ogtprep.com/highschool_ogt.htm - crosswords http://www.synonym.com/ - synonyms and thesaurus http://tinyurl.com/2wd3zgr - list of synonym sites http://quizlet.com/create_set/ - make your own online flashcards fun with a friend If we had our way, school schedules would include entire classes on vocabulary development, it’s that important. 6 How to answer synonym questions Read the question carefully. Consider every answer choice. One choice is always the best response. Eliminate and cross out obviously wrong choices, get them out of your field of vision. Use word analysis techniques to help you with difficult words. Try using the word in a sentence of your own, you can write in the book to try out your sentence. Think about different meanings of some words. Perhaps you’ve focused on the wrong meaning. Word Analysis Skills How are words built? Certainly words are collections of letters in the alphabet. You can actually increase your vocabulary and your test score by learning about the structure of words. This will help you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words you come across in the verbal ability part of the exam. Knowing what the parts of words mean is the key to figuring out words you’ve never seen before. Take a look at the word: biography 7 You know that a biography is something written about a person’s life. But, what words parts tell you this. The second part of the word “graphy” comes from a Greek word that means “writing.” The first part of the word “bio” is also from the Greek and means “life.” Put the pieces together and you have “biography” the story of a person’s life. If you add the Latin word for self “auto”, you get “autobiography”, a story written about your own life. Think about other words that contain the same parts; automobile, biochemistry, and autograph. Can you see how their meanings are derived from their parts? Studying root words is an exercise that will help you all your life. Another tactic for developing a huge vocabulary is taking Latin in school. Many independent schools still offer Latin as part of their curriculum. You might consider making that one of the characteristics you value in your choice of schools. Each word part has a specific purpose. There are three types of word parts, prefixes, roots or stems, and suffixes. Prefixes are attached to root words at the beginning of the word, suffixes are attached at the end. Roots or stems are the basic elements of words that determine their meaning. Many root words cannot stand on their own. They need prefixes and/or suffixes to become meaningful. Word roots can have both prefixes and suffixes, and sometimes multiples of both. Each addition changes the meaning of the word. Learning about roots, prefixes and suffixes can be very boring if you’re looking at lists and lists of them. Have some fun with it. 8 Posttest - Synonyms - 20 minutes 40 questions, 4 choices (ISEE format) 1. ferocity A. B. C. D. gloominess indigence speed truculence concord decline effulgence subjugation 3. volatile A. agitated B. changeable C. conspicuous D. erratic 4. estimate A. B. C. D. conclusion contradiction equation guess 5. exhaust A. B. C. D. A. A. B. C. apposite assiduous genuine questionable 7. dwindle 2. decay A. B. C. D. 6. veritable annoy deplete engine placate A. B. C. D. diminish eradicate intertwine verify 8. eccentric A. B. C. D. distinctive idiosyncratic impromptu recalcitrant 9. attractive A. obstinate B. prudent C. slender D. winsome 10. designate A. calculate B. conserve C. name D. sanction 10 A sentence that might work is “ice is an ingredient of a glacier”. See how this carries through or not. If you’re thinking a path is an ingredient of a forest, ask yourself “must a forest have a path”? Likewise in D, is a feather an ingredient? Circle your answer to each question. The first pages organize the analogies according to specific types of relationships. This will help you recognize those relationships and concentrate on them. The second part contains a variety of analogy relationships in random order. This will give you practice in determining what the relationship is before you attempt to complete the analogy correctly. Analogies based on synonym relationships. “:” stands for “is to” or “as” 1.SMALL : MINIATURE : LARGE : A. shark B. dwarf C. minute D. giant 2. BOSS : EMPLOYER : EMPLOYEE : A. worker B. president C. manager D. director 3. DIG : EXCAVATE : A. attempt : prevent B. avenge : revenge C. try : convict D. kill : slay 4. DEVIOUS : CIRCUITOUS : A. yodel : B. yield : C. yield : D. simmer yield wield submit : submit 5. PLEASURE : ENJOYMENT : A. Satan : demon B. hate : abhorrence C. fate : love D. hate : love 6. ORIGINATE : INVENT : A. song : score B. copy : imitate C. study : work D. copy : work 19 Quantitative Reasoning - Practice 1. In the simplest form, -11 - (-2) is A. 7 B. 9 C.-9 D.-11 2. Find the average of 6.47, 5.89, 3.42, .65, and 7.09. A. 3.920 B. 4.704 C. 4.705 D. 5.812 3. Change 0.03125 to a common fraction. A. 3/64 B. 1/16 C. 1/64 D. 1/32 4. A roll of carpeting will cover 224 square feet of floor space. How many rolls will be needed to carpet a room 36' X 8' and another 24' X 9'? A. 2.25 B. 2.50 C. 4.25 D. 4.50 5. After deducting a discount of 30%, the price of a coat was $35.00. The regular price of the coat was A. $24.50 B. $42.00 C. $50.00 D. $116.67 35 SSAT/ISEE Mathematics Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning (Math Part One (the other Math section is called Mathematics Achievement) You cannot use a calculator on the SSAT or the ISEE The #1 difficulty with this subtest is time, you have 35 minutes to answer 35 questions (ISEE). There are two differences between the SSAT and ISEE on this quantitative reasoning sub-test. The SSAT Upper Level test provides the student with 5 choices for each multiple choice question, 4 on the Upper Level ISEE. On the SSAT there are 30 questions, 35 minutes to finish, on the ISEE, there are 35 questions in 35 minutes. Questions on both quantitative reasoning subtests are multiple choice. To help you manage your time, glance through all 35 questions, do the easiest ones first, then as you start doing the harder ones, use process of elimination. Write in the book, and cross off selections that are clearly incorrect. This helps to pare it down to size. #1 Study Tip Reviewing your math vocabulary will greatly improve your chances of success. There are some math glossary games here; http://www.ogtprep.com/mathgloss.htm Words you should know on the next pages. (If you have the Ebook version, click on the words for more resources.) 40 One way to boost scores is to increase the rate at which you read, there are some free Internet resources to help you do that. Three steps of basic speed reading. 1. Avoid subvocalization - The worst reading habit of slow readers is subvocalization -- the tendency to read the words to yourself (move your lips) as you see them on the page. 2. Narrow in on the important parts - Read blocks of words instead of individual ones, then pay attention to a paragraph's key sentences early on, and skim or skip the rest if it's not essential. 3. Use a guide like your finger or a pen: Trace your guide along each sentence as you read, making sure that the pace is comfortable and effective in keeping your eyes where they should be. 4. Use a pencil, underline words and sentences you think may come up in the questions, take notes in the margins of the book. Here are a couple of speed reading exercises you can do online: http://www.spreeder.com/ http://www.mrkent.com/speedread/ Another quick tip – as you read, write a sentence in the margin of the book that represents the main idea. Pay special attention to topic sentences in each paragraph. This way, you won’t have to go back and reread when the most common reading question is asked “what is the main idea of this passage”. More online: http://tinyurl.com/6nfyrn2 http://www.quia.com/pop/120023.html 77 Koala Koalas, native to the Australian wilds, initially proved difficult to keep alive in zoos. Because koalas eat nothing but the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, zoos provided them with an unlimited supply of eucalyptus leaves. One zoo even planted eucalyptus trees in a special grove to ensure that the koalas had a continual supply of fresh leaves. However, koalas kept in captivity always died within a year of their arrival at the zoo. Eventually it was discovered that eucalyptus trees that are less than five years old sometimes generate hydrocyanic acid in their leaves. Taking in small quantities of this acid is fatal to the koala. In their natural habitat, the koalas’ senses tell them which eucalyptus trees have dangerous leaves, and they simply move on to other trees until they find leaves that are safe to eat. But in captivity, when their keepers unknowingly were giving them leaves contaminated with acid, the koalas were left with only two options: eat the poisonous leaves or starve. Either option was fatal to the trapped koalas. Fortunately, today’s zoos use special tests to distinguish between poisonous eucalyptus leaves and safe ones, and now koalas are eating well and thriving in zoos. 1. What is the purpose of this article? A. to inform B. to persuade C. to entertain D. to express opinion E. to express regret 78 2. What does the word contaminated mean in the following phrase? But in captivity, when their keepers unknowingly were giving them leaves contaminated with acid, the koalas were left with only two options: eat the poisonous leaves or starve. Either option was fatal to the trapped koalas. A. carried with B. polished with C. poisoned with D. grown from E. put in a box 3. What tone does the author establish in the article? A. critical B. hopeful C. straightforward D. humorous E. complimentary (1) (A) This article was written to inform. Author’s purpose is the reason or reasons an author has for writing a selection. If students learn while they are reading, one of the author’s purposes may have been to inform. In this article students learn many things about the koala. If readers enjoyed what they read, one of the author’s purposes may have been to entertain. If readers changed the way they thought about a topic or issue, one of the author’s purposes may have been to persuade. In a persuasive article however, you would see an explicit reference to point of view and many supporting details to bolster the point of view. (2) (C) The first way to figure out the meaning of a word is from its context. The context is the other words and sentences that are around the new word. Use the hints and clues of the other words and sentences. In this case, you have the word “poisonous” and “fatal” to help. 79 Math Skills Pretest - 35 Questions, 35 Minutes, Multiple Choice 7. Identify the graph that shows the location of the point on the coordinate grid. 2, 4 b g A. 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 8. Find the mean, median, mode(s), and range of the data. 16, 22, 14, 12, 20, 19, 14, 11 A. mean: 16 median: 16 mode: 14 range: 11 B. mean: 16 median: 15 mode: 14 range: 11 C. mean: 16 median: 16 mode: 14 range: 5 D. mean: 16 median: 14 mode:15 range: 11 8. B. 5 4 3 2 1 9. Which shows the number below written as a decimal? sixty-six and eighty-seven thousandths 1 2 3 4 5 6 C. 5 4 3 2 1 A. 66.87 B. 0.6687 C. 6,687,000 D. 66.087 9. 10. Complete the statement with <, >, or =. 7.81 ? 7.18 1 2 3 4 5 6 A. < B. > C. = D. 10. 5 4 3 2 1 11. Divide. Round to the nearest tenth, if necessary. 6.08 ÷ 0.008 1 2 3 4 5 6 A. 76 7. B. 0.7 C. 760 D. 7.6 11. 112 Math Skills Pretest - 35 Questions, 35 Minutes, Multiple Choice 12. Find the GCF. 70, 90 A. 10 B. 126 C. 630 D. 2 12. 13. Write the decimal as a fraction or mixed number in simplest form. 0.065 65 10,000 A. 13 2 B. C. 13 200 D. 15 5 13 16. Find the amount. 7 Cost of pound of steak at $16 per 8 pound. A. $56 B. $10 C. $3.50 D. $14 16. 17. Find the quotient. 2 12 ÷ 3 A. 13. 1 6 B. 6 C. 18 D. 1 18 17. 14. Estimate the sum or difference. 1 2 18 – 4 3 5 A. 19 B. 20 C. 14 18. Thirty gallons best describes the amount of ? . D. 13 14. A. water that a bathtub will hold B. milk in a full jug C. sugar in a pitcher of homemade lemonade 15. Find the elapsed time. 7:49 P.M. to 6:46 A.M. D. water a car washing bucket will hold A. 14 h 35 min B. 10 h 57 min C. 9 h 3 min D. 14 h 57 min 18. 15. 113