ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice

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• About ISEE Quantitative Reasoning
  • Word Problems
  • Quantitative Comparison Questions
• ISEE Tips- Quantitative Reasoning
  • ISEE Word Problem Tips
  • ISEE Quantitative Comparison Tips
• Quantitative Reasoning Prep

About ISEE Quantitative Reasoning

There are two ISEE math sections: Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement. The ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section evaluates the development of your child’s reasoning skills. This section assesses how well your child thinks mathematically, as opposed to how much math s/he has learned. Little to no calculations are required in the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section, as the importance of this section is your child’s mathematical reasoning ability and thinking.

There are two different types of questions on the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning: Word Problems and Quantitative Comparison Questions (only on middle and upper levels). All of the questions on the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section are grade specific at each level.

All of the questions in both of the ISEE Math sections, Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievements, are associated with the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The following NCTM branches are used as the basis for the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section:

• Numbers and Operations
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Data Analysis & Probability
• Problem Solving

Word Problems

The Word Problem questions present background information in the form of a text, as opposed to mathematical notation. The question is then followed by four answer choices, one of which is the correct answer.

Below, you can see an example of a Word Problem from an Upper Level ISEE test:

Answer: A (1 : 16)

Quantitative Comparison Questions

The Quantitative Comparison Questions, found only on the middle and upper levels, present two quantities for comparison. There are two columns, Column A and Column B, displaying the quantities to be compared. The answer choices among the Quantitative Comparison Questions are always the same four options:

1. The quantity in Column A is greater.
2. The quantity in Column B is greater.
3. The two quantities are equal.
4. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

Below, you can see an example of a Quantitative Comparison question from an Upper Level ISEE test:

Answer: C (the two parts are equal)

ISEE Tips - Quantitative Reasoning

There may be problems that are easier for you and other problems that are more difficult for you. A good strategy is to first answer the questions that you know and then return to the more difficult questions. If you are still unsure what the answer is, use the rest of your time coming up with the best guess. Even if you do not know the answer at all, it is a good idea to guess on the ISEE, as points are not deducted for incorrect answers.

• ISEE Word Problem Tips
• ISEE Quantitative Comparison Tips

ISEE Word Problem Tips

• Hint: Read the entire question and determine what the question is asking.
• Hint: Underline relevant information and cross out information that is irrelevant.
• Hint: Determine what steps are needed to find the answer or if you can solve the problem by estimating. Calculating may be unnecessary and wrong answers may be eliminated if good estimations are made. Look at the answer choices to see if one of them is your estimation.
• Hint: This above strategy should only be used for quantitative word problems which you understand. It should not be used for those that you do not understand well.
• Hint: All of the answer choices on the ISEE are listed in order, either from least to greatest, or greatest to least.

ISEE Quantitative Comparison Tips

• Hint: Before doing anything else, determine if there is sufficient information given in order to compare the given quantities. If there is not enough information, select D: “The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.”
• Hint: If calculation is required when comparing quantities, estimate when possible - make sure to write the estimate in the corresponding column.
• Hint: While many of the problems in this section only provide quantities for comparison, some questions supply additional information, either before or after the quantities. Make sure to carefully read all of the information provided prior to answering the question.

ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Prep

Help your child prepare for the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section with TestPrep-Online! We will offer ISEE Practice Test packs, which include ISEE Quantitative Reasoning, word problems, and quantitative comparisons. The ISEE Practice Test pack includes realistic practice tests as well as helpful tips, allowing your child to become familiar with the test structure. Help your child start preparing for the ISEE test with TestPrep-Online so that s/he can come to the test with confidence and ready to succeed. 

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