ISEE Test-Taking Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the ISEE, points are NOT deducted for wrong answers. What is the best strategy for questions you cannot solve?
- Leave them blank to avoid penalty
- Make an educated guess after eliminating choices (Correct answer)
- Always pick choice C
- Skip the entire section
Correct answer: Make an educated guess after eliminating choices
Since there is no guessing penalty on the ISEE, you should answer every question, guessing after eliminating wrong options.
Question 2: How should you manage time on a section with 40 questions in 35 minutes?
- Spend equal time and skip hard ones to return later (Correct answer)
- Solve them strictly in order no matter how long each takes
- Answer only the last ten questions
- Read every question twice before starting
Correct answer: Spend equal time and skip hard ones to return later
Pacing yourself and marking tough questions to revisit keeps you from losing time on a single hard item.
Question 3: What is the smartest first step when a reading passage has several questions?
- Answer questions from memory without rereading
- Skim the passage, then refer back to it for each question (Correct answer)
- Read only the first and last sentences
- Guess based on the title alone
Correct answer: Skim the passage, then refer back to it for each question
Referring back to the passage for evidence yields more accurate answers than relying on memory.
Question 4: If two answer choices in a math problem look almost identical, what does that often signal?
- Both are wrong
- One is a common trap based on a likely mistake (Correct answer)
- You should pick the longer one
- The question is unscored
Correct answer: One is a common trap based on a likely mistake
Test writers often include a distractor matching a predictable error, so check your work carefully.
Question 5: What is the benefit of using the answer sheet bubbles carefully and checking alignment?
- It earns bonus points
- It prevents shifting answers out of sync with questions (Correct answer)
- It makes the test shorter
- It impresses the proctor
Correct answer: It prevents shifting answers out of sync with questions
Misaligned bubbles can cause every following answer to be marked wrong, so verify question numbers.
Question 6: For a vocabulary synonym question with an unfamiliar word, what helps most?
- Guessing the longest answer
- Using word roots, prefixes, and context clues (Correct answer)
- Choosing the first option always
- Skipping it permanently
Correct answer: Using word roots, prefixes, and context clues
Breaking a word into roots and affixes often reveals its meaning even when the word is unfamiliar.
Question 7: Why is reading all four answer choices before selecting one important?
- It wastes time
- A later choice may be more precise or complete (Correct answer)
- The first choice is always wrong
- It is required by the rules
Correct answer: A later choice may be more precise or complete
The best answer may not be the first that seems right, so review all options before choosing.
ISEE Test-Taking Strategies 2
On the ISEE, points are NOT deducted for wrong answers.
What is the best strategy for questions you cannot solve?