Side by side (Middle and Upper Levels)
| ISEE | SSAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Educational Records Bureau (ERB) | The Enrollment Management Association |
| Levels | Lower (entering grades 5-6), Middle (7-8), Upper (9-12) | Elementary (3-4), Middle (5-7), Upper (8-11) |
| Verbal | 40 questions in 20 minutes: synonyms and sentence completions | 60 questions in 30 minutes: 30 synonyms and 30 analogies |
| Math | Quantitative Reasoning (37 in 35 min) and Mathematics Achievement (47 in 40 min) | Two Quantitative sections, 25 questions in 30 minutes each |
| Reading | 36 questions in 35 minutes | 40 questions in 40 minutes |
| Writing | 30-minute essay, not scored, sent to schools | 25-minute writing sample, not scored, sent to schools |
| Answer choices | 4 | 5 |
| Scores | Scaled scores, percentiles and stanines (1-9) against other applicants | Scaled scores and percentiles against other test takers of the same grade |
The biggest differences
Analogies are only on the SSAT. Some students find them quick once they learn to name the relationship ("a feather covers a bird"); others find them hard. The ISEE has sentence completions instead.
The ISEE splits math into reasoning and curriculum-style questions, and its Middle and Upper Quantitative Reasoning sections include quantitative comparisons (which of two quantities is bigger). The SSAT asks more straightforward math in two shorter sections.
The SSAT has more questions per minute in Verbal (60 in 30 minutes). Pacing practice matters more there.
How to choose
Look at each school on your list. If one accepts only one test, that decides it. If they all take both, have your child do one timed verbal section and one timed math section of each test here, then compare the percentages right.
Plan for at least 6 to 8 weeks of practice, a few short sessions a week, with one full timed test every two or three weeks.
Check the details
Formats change from time to time. The numbers above are from the test makers' published formats as of fall 2026; confirm the current details with ERB and The Enrollment Management Association before test day. We are not affiliated with either.