The ISEE essay: 30 minutes, not scored, read by schools
The ISEE ends with one essay prompt and 30 minutes to write, at Lower, Middle and Upper Level. It gets no score, but the schools you choose as score recipients receive a copy with the score report. Families do not. So it needs some practice, apart from the timed sections.
Updated October 31, 2026 · by AdmitTest
The facts
From E3n's Quick Facts Guide 2026-2027 and the Upper Level guide:
- Time and place. 30 minutes, last on the test, after the second break.
- Prompt. One prompt of one or two sentences, which rotates by season. Prompts are described as free of bias and global in scope, and may relate to the student, the community or the world.
- Format. Typed online; handwritten on paper with a black or blue ballpoint pen.
- Who reads it. Schools you designate get a copy with the score report. Families do not.
- Score. None.
Why bother, if it is not scored
A school may read it as a sample of how your child writes under time, without help. It also comes at the end of a long test, when a tired student can run out of ideas. Two or three practice essays make that last half hour a familiar task.
A plan for the 30 minutes
This is our own suggestion, not E3n's:
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| First 5 | Read the prompt twice. Choose one clear answer and two or three specific examples. Jot a short outline. |
| Next 20 | Write: an opening that answers the prompt, a paragraph per example, a short ending. |
| Last 5 | Read it through. Fix missing words, spelling and anything unclear. |
Practice prompts, written by us
These are our own prompts in the same open style. They are not E3n's and not from any real test.
- Describe a skill you would like to learn, and explain what you would do to get good at it.
- Think of an invention that changed daily life. Explain why it mattered.
- What makes a team work well together? Use an example from sports, school or a story.
- If your town could add one new public place, what should it be, and why?
A self-check list
Use this after each practice essay. It is a list of ours for practice; it is not how E3n or any school reads an essay, and it gives no score.
- Does the first paragraph answer the prompt directly?
- Is there one main idea all the way through?
- Does each paragraph have a specific example, not only general statements?
- Would someone who does not know your child follow it without help?
- Do the sentences vary, and are the words your child's own?
- Is it finished, with an ending, inside 30 minutes?
- Are spelling and punctuation clean after the last read-through?
A parent or teacher can read it with the list and talk it through. Praise what works first. Avoid rewriting it: on test day the essay is your child's alone.
How this fits our tests
Our timed tests leave the essay out and cover the four multiple-choice sections. ISEE Practice Tests ($69 once, 12 months) include writing prompts and a self-check list in the dashboard. We do not grade essays. See ISEE pricing.
Free ISEE practice tests, no sign-up. Every test is timed section by section and ends with the score of each section and skill.
Choose your level and startCommon questions
Is the ISEE essay scored?
No. It gets no score. Schools you designate receive a copy with the score report and read it in their own way.
Can I read my child's ISEE essay?
No. E3n says families do not receive a copy, for security reasons.
Is the essay typed or handwritten?
Typed on the online test. Handwritten on the paper test, with a black or blue ballpoint pen; erasable pens are permitted.
Is the essay in your timed practice test?
No. Our timed test covers the four multiple-choice sections, and the essay is practiced apart. The plan's dashboard has prompts and a self-check list. We do not grade essays or give them a score.
Do Primary levels have an essay?
No. E3n lists no writing sample for Primary 2, 3 and 4.