ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) by ERB — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A survey asked 40 students their favorite subject. Results: Math 12, Science 8, English 10, History 10. What percentage chose Math?

12%
30% (Correct answer)
25%
20%

Correct answer: 30%

12 out of 40 students chose Math; 12/40 = 0.30, which equals 30%.

Question 2: On ERB math, what is the mean of the data set: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50?

30 (Correct answer)
35
40
25

Correct answer: 30

Mean = sum of values ÷ number of values = (10+20+30+40+50) ÷ 5 = 150 ÷ 5 = 30.

Question 3: What does ERB stand for?

Evaluation and Research Bureau
Educational Records Bureau (Correct answer)
Educational Review Board
Educational Rating Board

Correct answer: Educational Records Bureau

ERB stands for Educational Records Bureau, the organization that develops and administers the ISEE and other assessments.

Question 4: What does the ERB's ISEE essay section require students to do?

Complete a short vocabulary exercise
Write a five-paragraph essay scored by ERB graders
Write a response to a provided prompt that is sent to schools unscored (Correct answer)
Answer a multiple-choice question about grammar

Correct answer: Write a response to a provided prompt that is sent to schools unscored

The ISEE essay is not scored by ERB but is sent directly to the applying schools alongside the rest of the score report.

Question 5: The word 'benevolent' most nearly means:

Hostile
Cautious
Clever
Generous and kind (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Generous and kind

Benevolent describes a person who is well-meaning and kind, often generous toward others.

Question 6: How many ways can 3 books be arranged on a shelf from a set of 5 different books (order matters)?

125
15
60 (Correct answer)
10

Correct answer: 60

This is a permutation: 5 × 4 × 3 = 60, since order matters and each slot has fewer choices.

Question 7: Which vocabulary word means 'to make something less severe or harsh'?

Mitigate (Correct answer)
Aggravate
Illuminate
Exacerbate

Correct answer: Mitigate

Mitigate means to lessen the gravity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.

Question 8: A table shows that a plant grew 2 cm in Week 1, 4 cm in Week 2, 6 cm in Week 3, and 8 cm in Week 4. If the pattern continues, how much will the plant grow in Week 6?

12 cm (Correct answer)
10 cm
16 cm
14 cm

Correct answer: 12 cm

The plant grows 2 more centimeters each week; Week 5 = 10 cm, Week 6 = 12 cm.

Question 9: Which prefix means 'against' and is useful for decoding ERB vocabulary words?

Super-
Pro-
Inter-
Anti- (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Anti-

The prefix 'anti-' means against or opposed to, as seen in words like antibiotic or antisocial.

Question 10: If 'cacophony' is to 'noise' as 'aroma' is to _____, which completes the analogy?

Color
Scent (Correct answer)
Texture
Sound

Correct answer: Scent

Cacophony refers to a type of noise, just as aroma refers to a type of scent, making 'scent' the correct answer.

Question 11: On the ERB ISEE verbal section, what does an analogy question primarily test?

Spelling accuracy
Relationships between word pairs (Correct answer)
Sentence structure
Grammar knowledge

Correct answer: Relationships between word pairs

Analogy questions on the ERB ISEE test whether students understand the logical relationship between two words and can identify a parallel relationship in another pair.

Question 12: What is the opposite of 'verbose' as tested in ERB antonym questions?

Wordy
Repetitive
Elaborate
Concise (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Concise

Verbose means using more words than necessary, so its antonym is concise, meaning brief and to the point.

Question 13: What is the next number in the pattern: 2, 4, 8, 16, ...?

28
24
64
32 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 32

This pattern is a geometric progression where each number is obtained by multiplying the previous number by 2. Starting with 2, the sequence is 2 (x2) = 4, 4 (x2) = 8, 8 (x2) = 16. Following this rule, the next number would be 16 multiplied by 2, which equals 32.

Question 14: If a bag contains 4 red marbles and 6 blue marbles, what is the probability of drawing a red marble?

4/6
1/4
2/5 (Correct answer)
3/5

Correct answer: 2/5

Probability = favorable outcomes / total outcomes = 4 / (4+6) = 4/10 = 2/5.

Question 15: On the ERB verbal section, context clues are used to:

Count the number of sentences
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding text (Correct answer)
Identify grammar mistakes
Find the main character

Correct answer: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding text

Context clues are hints found in surrounding words or sentences that help readers determine the meaning of an unknown word.

Question 16: What should a student do the night before the ERB ISEE test to perform best?

Memorize vocabulary lists for several hours
Attempt a full practice test
Stay up late studying new material
Get a full night of sleep and review light notes (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Get a full night of sleep and review light notes

Rest is critical for cognitive performance — sleeping well the night before ensures better focus, memory retrieval, and problem-solving ability on test day.

Question 17: Two data sets have the same mean of 50. Set A has a range of 10, and Set B has a range of 60. What can you conclude?

Set A's data is more spread out than Set B's
Set B's data is more spread out than Set A's (Correct answer)
Set B has more data points than Set A
Both sets have the same distribution

Correct answer: Set B's data is more spread out than Set A's

A larger range indicates greater spread; Set B's range of 60 means its data values are more spread out than Set A's range of 10.

Question 18: A researcher surveys 30 out of 300 students in a school to determine favorite after-school activities. This is an example of what type of data collection?

Experiment
Sampling (Correct answer)
Observational study
Census

Correct answer: Sampling

Sampling involves collecting data from a subset (30 students) of the total population (300 students) to draw conclusions about the whole group.

Question 19: Which skill is most closely related to social awareness?

Empathy (Correct answer)
Time management
Problem-solving
Public speaking

Correct answer: Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, which is a foundational element of social awareness. To recognize and respond appropriately to others' feelings and needs, one must first be able to empathize with them. While other skills like problem-solving can be related, empathy is the most direct and fundamental connection.

Question 20: A bar graph shows book sales for four genres: Mystery 120, Romance 95, Science Fiction 80, Biography 105. Which genre had the second-highest sales?

Biography (Correct answer)
Science Fiction
Mystery
Romance

Correct answer: Biography

Ordering from highest to lowest: Mystery (120), Biography (105), Romance (95), Science Fiction (80) — Biography is second.

Question 21: What is the definition of social awareness?

Understanding and managing one’s own emotions
The ability to memorize facts about society
Recognizing and responding appropriately to the feelings and needs of others (Correct answer)
Creating a personal budget for social events

Correct answer: Recognizing and responding appropriately to the feelings and needs of others

Social awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence, focusing on how individuals perceive and interact with others. It involves the ability to understand and empathize with the feelings, perspectives, and needs of people around them. This skill is crucial for effective communication and positive social interactions.

Question 22: On an ERB math problem, if a train travels 180 miles in 3 hours, what is its average speed?

54 mph
45 mph
60 mph (Correct answer)
90 mph

Correct answer: 60 mph

Average speed = distance ÷ time = 180 ÷ 3 = 60 mph.

Question 23: Why is active listening important for social awareness?

It allows you to multitask effectively
It helps you avoid hearing things you dislike
It ensures you dominate a conversation
It shows genuine interest and helps you understand others’ perspectives (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It shows genuine interest and helps you understand others’ perspectives

Active listening involves fully concentrating on what others are saying, both verbally and nonverbally, to truly understand their message and feelings. This demonstrates genuine interest and respect, which builds trust and strengthens relationships. It is crucial for gaining insight into others' perspectives and responding appropriately, enhancing social awareness.

Question 24: Which active reading strategy is most helpful when preparing for ERB reading sections?

Read each passage three times before answering
Annotate key ideas, underline main points, and ask questions (Correct answer)
Focus only on the first and last sentences
Read as fast as possible without pausing

Correct answer: Annotate key ideas, underline main points, and ask questions

Annotating text by underlining key ideas and writing brief notes helps readers track main ideas and return efficiently to important details.

Question 25: What is the benefit of using process of elimination on ISEE multiple-choice questions?

It only works for math questions
It guarantees the correct answer
It replaces the need to read the question
It increases the probability of choosing correctly by removing wrong answers (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It increases the probability of choosing correctly by removing wrong answers

Eliminating clearly wrong answer choices narrows the options and improves the odds of selecting the correct answer even when uncertain.

Question 26: How should students approach an ERB math question they find very difficult?

Leave it blank to avoid penalty
Skip it entirely and never return
Spend as much time as needed until solved
Make a best guess, mark it, and return if time allows (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Make a best guess, mark it, and return if time allows

Since the ISEE has no guessing penalty, students should make an educated guess, flag the item, and return to it if they have remaining time.

Question 27: What is the role of transitions in idea development?

To make the text shorter
To connect ideas smoothly and logically (Correct answer)
To create a sense of urgency in the text
To replace supporting details

Correct answer: To connect ideas smoothly and logically

Transitions are words, phrases, or sentences that create connections between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. They guide the reader through the text, indicating relationships such as cause and effect, comparison, or sequence. This smooth and logical flow is crucial for effective idea development and overall coherence.

Question 28: Which of the following is a prime number?

15
9
21
17 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 17

17 is a prime number because it has no factors other than 1 and itself.

Question 29: What is the area of a rectangle with length 12 and width 7?

38
96
84 (Correct answer)
19

Correct answer: 84

The area of a rectangle = length × width = 12 × 7 = 84 square units.

ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) by ERB

The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), is a standardized admissions test used by private independent schools for applicants in grades 5–12. It assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and mathematics achievement.

Questions

35 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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