Understanding the ISEE Score Reports - How to interpret scaled scores, stanines, and percentiles

Sep 15, 2026

Understanding the ISEE report explains how performance results are presented for each scored section. It details the Analysis area, including how scaled scores (760–940) are calculated from raw correct answers and placed onto a common scale across multiple test forms. It further clarifies what the Test Profile, Stanine Analysis, and percentile rank represent, describing comparisons between ability and achievement measures and how stanines (1–9) and percentile standings are derived from norm-group results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

ISEE report overview

Scaled scores and common scaling

Test Profile and essay handling

Stanine analysis comparisons

Stanines and percentile ranks

Understanding the ISEE Report Figure 1. Sample ISR – Lower Level The Analysis section gives a clear breakdown of the number of questions in each section. The legend key below the analysis chart explains the symbols and terms in the results area. ISEE scaled scores for each section range from 760 to 940. The scaled score is derived from the raw score–the number of questions the student answered correctly–but is more useful than the raw score because the scaled score has the same meaning regardless of which form of the assessment is used. ERBadministers multiple versions of the test each year. The scaled score takes these slight differences into account and allows ERB to report a score on a common scale that has the same meaning for all students regardless of the form of the test that was taken. | The ISEE consists of four sections which are scored and included on a report to both schools and families. The Test Profile provides information about the student’s overall performance on each section ofthe ISEE, except the essay;
an unscored copy of the essay is sent to each school for which the student requests score reports.
To read more about the ISEE score report, please seethe What to Expect onISEE Guide. | | --- | | | | Stanine Analysis permits comparisons between a student’s performance on both the ability tests and the related achievement tests. Specifically these comparisons are made between Verbal Reasoning (V) and Reading Comprehension (R), and Quantitative Reasoning (Q) and Mathematics Achievement (M) . | | | | A stanine is a score from 1 to 9, with 5 as a midpoint. Stanines are derived by dividing the entire range of students’scores into nine segments as the chart below indicates.
Percentile | Rank Stanine 1–3 | 1
4 –10 | 2 11–22 | 3 23–39 | 4 40–59 | 5 60–76 | 6 77–88 | 7 89–95 | 8 96–99 | 9 | | | | The percentile rank shows the student’s standing when compared to other students in the norm group for this examination. The rank is based on scores obtained from all students ina given grade who have taken the test over the past three years. A percentile rank of 65 on a given section indicates that the student scored as well as or better that 65% of all students in the norm group and less well than 34% . This is out of a total of 99 percentile points. |

FAQs

What does the scaled score mean on the ISEE report?

Scaled scores range from 760 to 940. They are derived from raw correct answers but expressed on a common scale so results remain comparable across different test forms.

How does the ISEE report handle the essay section?

The ISEE report includes information about scored sections, while the essay is not scored on the main report. An unscored copy of the essay is sent to each requested school.

What are stanines and how are they used in the ISEE report?

A stanine is a score from 1 to 9 with 5 as the midpoint. It is created by dividing the full range of student scores into nine segments and supports comparisons through Stanine Analysis.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Caleb Sterling