ISEE Middle Level Secrets Study Guide: ISEE Test Review for the Independent School Entrance Exam

As a tutor, I'm always looking for good prep books to use with my students. The Mometrix ISEE Middle Level Secrets Study Guide is not one of them.First, it's a haphazard collection of general topics the Middle Level ISEE tests, without actually catering any strategies to the specific ISEE. For example, the book starts by discussing essay writing & identifying run-on sentences. This is odd because: A) The essays are not graded, & B) Run-on sentences, or any grammar for that matter, are not tested in the multiple-choice ISEE. So why lead an ISEE Study Guide with a topic that won't even be scored?Even worse, the guide makes no effort whatsoever to provide a strategy to the Quantitative Comparisons (QC) section, which is unique to the ISEE. A QC strategy is absolutely necessary in any self-respecting ISEE guide. Likewise, the QC section in the practice test is terribly designed. For example, Question #23 on page 84 asks a student to compare the values of 4^8 to 66,000. Students are not allowed a calculator on math sections (which, by the way, is NOT mentioned in the guide), so a student would have to answer the Mometrix question with a long calculation-by-hand, and considering the ISEE provides limited blank space and no extra scratch paper, the real ISEE would never require a student to make such an effort. Real ISEE exponent questions have to be designed such that they can be answered by manipulating both quantities to have the same base, allowing the student to compare only the exponents, and thus a full calculation of the expressions is unnecessary.Mometrix claims it is the "World's Most Comprehensive Test Preparation Company." If that means putting together poorly formatted problems about general subject matter that vaguely resembles what will be on an actual test, then maybe it should stay away from attempting to be the "Most Comprehensive" test prep company and actually work on being a "Good" test prep company. If you want a Middle ISEE Guide that's worth your money, get "Success on the Middle Level ISEE: A Complete Course" by Christa Abbott. It's almost $14 cheaper, but more importantly, it actually provides strategies specific to the ISEE as well as accurate practice tests that are more closely modeled to the practice test provided by the ERB.

The book we received was so useful. What they've done is to breakdown many of the concepts within the test - to show that there really is a strategy to taking the test - to help you choose between the "right" answer and the "correct" answer. They also talk about helpful tips that go beyond this test - but useful ideas for your overall study skills! Thank you for an amazing resource!

This book is perfectly organized to prepare ISEE with good instruction of each part focusing on core solution and guidance. Also Pilot text helped my child and me to get accustomed to how it works!

The format of this study guide is perfect for my nervous daughter: comprehensive without looking too intimidating to complete. I am hoping at the end she will be more confident about the exam.

With so many options available, this is a clear and concise study guide to help calm our nerves in preparing our middle-schooler for her first ISEE. In her reading of the test-taking strategies, she's already feel less anxious and motivated to study and take the practice tests. We're confident she'll do well and appreciate knowing what to expect. Highly recommend it!

The book does a good job describing lessons with drill questions. We used this book as our study guide.

This book really helped my son prepare for the ISEE. Alot of  information that was on the test he did not learn in school. He was able to apply what he learned from this book on the test and for his first time and studying only two weeks he did good

The book is comprehensive, with every concept in it, especially for math. And it is concise for each concept. No nonsense.