Help students prepare to enter American schools in Taiwan
In Taiwan, most students take the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) to enter Taipei American School (TAS). Including ISEE, ISEE is widely recognized by more than 1,200 independent schools around the world and is the preferred entrance examination for students in grades 2-12. ISEE has a variety of exam formats to choose from, including online, paper-based and at-home exams, to accommodate a variety of special circumstances. Our ISEE preparation courses are carefully planned to help students achieve the required ISEE scores. Students of different grades apply to take different levels of ISEE exams:
• Applicants for second-year students to participate Primary 2 exam.
• Applicants for 3rd grade students to participate Primary 3 exam.
• Applicants for 4th grade students to participate Primary 4 exam.
• Students applying for grades 5-6 to participate Lower Level. *Most people applied*
• Students applying for grades 7-8 to participate Middle Level.
• Students applying for grades 9-12 to participate Upper Level.
Our ISEE courses are tailored to the level students are taking. Our ISEE teachers have accumulated many years of experience in helping students enter the TAS exam. They are very familiar with exam strategies and preparation methods and can help students prepare for this exam in the best possible way.
Students applying to Taipei American School (TAS) Grades 5-12 are normally required to submit their ISEE scores.a
Take the test
The ISEE exam can be taken once per testing season (fall, winter, spring and summer) and up to three times during the academic year. For example, if a student takes an exam in September (fall testing season), they must wait until December (winter testing season) to take the exam again.
The ISEE can be taken as an online or paper-based exam, depending on the location of the exam. Both formats have the same number of questions, the same duration, and the same opportunities for students to revise their answers during part of the exam.
Students applying to Taipei American School (TAS) are encouraged to take the ISEE exam there, which is usually held in February. Once you have successfully submitted your application to Taipei American School, TAS will provide further information on how to register for the exam on its campus.
ISEE score
In the ISEE exam, all questions are equally weighted and the raw score is based solely on the number of questions answered correctly, without any deductions for incorrect answers. This means that students should always attempt to answer and not leave any questions blank.
The ISEE report provides various scoring methods and percentages:
• Level score: Raw scores for each section are converted into scale scores, with scores ranging from 760 to 940 points for the lower, intermediate and upper examinations.
• Percentage score: Schools also receive percentage scores that show how students compare to other applicants in their grade. The scores are based on a three-year rolling pool of applicants regardless of gender. The report also includes a standard nine point analysis chart.
Junior ISEE exam (LOWER LEVEL)
Students applying to attend 5th or 6th grade take the Junior ISEE exam. The exam lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes (including breaks):
| Examination Content | Number of questions | Time limit (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| verbal reasoning | 34 | 20 |
| Quantitative reasoning | 38 | 35 |
| rest | ||
| reading comprehension | 25 | 25 |
| Mathematical ability | 30 | 30 |
| rest | ||
| composition | Essay topic*1 | 30 |
Intermediate ISEE exam (MIDDLE LEVEL)
Students applying to attend grades 7 or 8 can take the Intermediate ISEE exam. The exam time is 2 hours and 50 minutes (including breaks):
| Examination Content | Number of questions | Time limit (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| verbal reasoning | 40 | 20 |
| Quantitative reasoning | 37 | 35 |
| rest | ||
| reading comprehension | 36 | 35 |
| Mathematical ability | 47 | 40 |
| rest | ||
| composition | Essay topic*1 | 30 |
Advanced ISEE exam (UPPER LEVEL)
Students applying for admission into grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 may take the Advanced ISEE exam. The exam time is 2 hours and 50 minutes (including breaks):
| Examination Content | Number of questions | Time limit (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| verbal reasoning | 40 | 20 |
| Quantitative reasoning | 37 | 35 |
| rest | ||
| reading comprehension | 36 | 35 |
| Mathematical ability | 47 | 40 |
| rest | ||
| composition | Essay topic*1 | 30 |
Preparing for ISEE at AEI
We have been helping students prepare for the TAS exam for more than 15 years, and have extensive ISEE experience and rigorous ISEE preparation courses. Each year, we run our popular Winter Intensive Course for ISEE students. These include structured lessons for systematic study of ISEE content, including verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematical proficiency and composition, as well as mock exam arrangements and full mock exam review.
We also offer 1-on-1 ISEE preparation courses for students in all grades.
