Math! It’s not everyone’s favorite subject, and it might not be yours. If you’re going to be taking the ISEE to apply to independent schools, you’re going to have to deal with not one, but two mathematics-themed sections, the Quantitative Reasoning section and the Mathematics Achievement section. You may be glad to learn that the Quantitative Reasoning section does not require many, if any, calculation! However, you may then wonder: what does it test, if not calculations? And how can you best prepare for it? By becoming familiar with the content tested on the Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning section, the way in which this content is tested, and some high-quality free resources available from Varsity Tutors, you will have all the knowledge you need to study effectively and do the best you can on the ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning section when you take the actual ISEE.

The Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning section aims to test a student’s ability to reason mathematically as a skill distinct from their ability to solve computation-based problems. The Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section thus stresses estimation, logic, data and graph analysis, reasoning-based probability, measurements, and some statistics-based problems. Quantitative Reasoning problems often involve several steps you have to think through, instead of several steps you have to calculate. There are also two varieties of problem format that you will encounter on the Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning: the standard question format, and the quantitative comparison format. Standard questions on the Quantitative Reasoning of the Upper Level ISEE consist of story problems, prompts, or equations that you are asked to solve. On the other hand, quantitative comparisons present two columns, each of which includes a value or a mathematical expression that can somehow be reduced or solved for a value. The aim of a quantitative comparison question is to figure out which column contains the greater value. Every quantitative comparison includes the same possible answer choices: “The quantity in Column A is greater,” “The quantity in Column B is greater,” “The two quantities are equal,” or “The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.” As you can see, quantitative comparison questions are not as straightforward as questions given in the standard format, so it is important to pay attention and make sure that you don’t mix up the value associated with each column.

If you want to make sure you’re adequately prepared for the Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning section, you can practice Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning problems by taking Varsity Tutors’ free online Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Tests! Each free Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test consists of between ten and twelve Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning problems. You can choose to solve problems drawn from the various topics tested on the Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning section, or focus on a single topic; the choice is yours, and you should work in whichever way best meets your studying needs. After finishing an Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test, you get to view detailed data about how well you did in comparison to other test-takers and how much time you took to answer each question, as well as full explanations for each problem, whether you got it right or not. By reading through the explanations for any problems you may chance to get wrong, you can figure out where you make errors and avoid making those errors in the future.

However, you may want to begin your studies by taking an online Full-Length Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test. These comprehensive practice tests cover all of the topics that might be covered on the real exam. The full-length format also provides you with the opportunity to fine-tune your pacing. As on the results pages for the concept-specific practice tests, the results pages for the complete practice tests include thorough explanations with each answer and links to relevant concepts. These longer form ISEE practice tests can also help you create a personalized study plan by showing you the concepts on which you should focus. Once you know which concepts need attention, you can use one of the other Learning Tools to review. Then, you can take another Full-Length Upper Level ISEE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test to evaluate your progress.

Varsity Tutors’ free Upper Level ISEE resources can help you prepare yourself in an efficient and comprehensive manner for taking the Upper Level ISEE’s Quantitative Reasoning section as well as the test’s other sections, leaving you feeling totally prepared to meet the challenges with which the actual ISEE presents you.