ISEE Upper Level

Basic Operations

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers — excludes fractions (see fraction-operations) and decimals (see decimal-operations)

Generate Unlimited Practice Questions

Sign up for free and get 50 practice questions to start your prep.

Start Free Practice

Learn This Topic

Welcome to the foundation of all math! Imagine you're running the ultimate video game empire. 🎮 Basic operations are the tools you use to manage your virtual world. Addition is like collecting gold coins, and subtraction is when you spend those coins on epic upgrades. Multiplication is your awesome power-up multiplier (like getting 5 coins at once instead of 1!), and division is how you share the loot fairly with your gaming squad. 🏆

On the ISEE, you'll see two different math sections. The Mathematics Achievement section will test your raw calculation skills—can you add, subtract, multiply, and divide carefully without making silly mistakes? Then, the Quantitative Reasoning section might ask you to be a math detective. Instead of just solving a huge math problem, you might have to compare two columns (Column A and Column B) to see which one is bigger. 🕵️‍♂️

The trick is that you don't always have to do all the math! Sometimes, a quick estimation or looking at the numbers closely saves you tons of time. Remember, the ISEE does not penalize you for guessing. So if you're ever stuck on a super long division problem and time is running out, take your best guess and keep playing the game!

Key Formula
Inverse operations undo each other! To solve for a missing number: if , then . If , then .

Practice Questions

4 practice questions for ISEE Upper Level

Q1 Hard
Evaluate the expression:
A 2175
B 2205
C 2235
D 2265
Show Solution
  • To evaluate the expression, we follow the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS):
  • 1. Parentheses/Brackets First:

    Inside the parentheses, we have .

    Perform multiplication first: .

    Then perform subtraction: .

    So the expression becomes:

  • 2. Multiplication:

    Perform the multiplications from left to right:

    :

    :

    So the expression becomes:

  • 3. Addition:

    The final answer is .

Answer: B
Q2 Hard
A theater has rows, and each row has seats. For a special event, rows are reserved for VIPs. These VIP seats are sold for $ each. The remaining seats are sold for $ each. If all tickets are sold, what is the total revenue from ticket sales?
A $
B $
C $
D $
Show Solution
  • Let's break down the calculation step by step:
  • 1. Calculate the number of VIP seats:

  • 2. Calculate the revenue from VIP seats:

  • 3. Calculate the number of regular seats:

    Total rows:

    VIP rows:

    Regular rows:

  • 4. Calculate the revenue from regular seats:

  • 5. Calculate the total revenue:

    The total revenue from ticket sales is $.

Answer: C
Q3 Hard
What is the value of ?
A 3480
B 3570
C 3620
D 3710
Show Solution
  • We apply the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS):
  • 1. Parentheses/Brackets First:

    First parenthesis:

    Second parenthesis:

    The expression becomes:

  • 2. Multiplication:

    :

    We can think of this as .

    .

    Now multiply by : .

    The expression becomes:

  • 3. Subtraction:

    The final answer is .

Answer: B
Q4 Hard
A small factory produces items each day and operates days a week. At the beginning of a week, the factory has items in stock. Over the course of the week, the following number of items are shipped out daily: Monday , Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday , Friday , and Saturday . How many items are in stock at the end of the day on Saturday, after both production and shipping?
A 450
B 525
C 600
D 675
Show Solution
  • Let's calculate the total production and total shipments for the week.
  • 1. Calculate total production for the week:

    The factory produces items/day for days.

  • 2. Calculate total items shipped out during the week:

  • 3. Calculate the ending stock:

    Starting stock: items

    Add production: items

    Subtract shipments: items

    At the end of the day on Saturday, there are items in stock.

Answer: B

Tips & Strategies

  • Use estimation to check your answers! If you are multiplying , think 'That's close to , which is 500.' If your answer is 5,280, you know you made a mistake!
  • On Quantitative Comparison questions, you don't always have to do the full math. If Column A is and Column B is , you can easily see Column A has bigger numbers being multiplied, so it must be larger!
  • The ISEE has NO guessing penalty! If you get stuck on a really long division problem, don't waste 5 minutes on it. Eliminate the crazy answers, take your best guess, and move on.

Common Mistakes

  • Watch out for sloppy handwriting! When adding or subtracting big numbers, make sure you line up your ones, tens, and hundreds columns perfectly. If they get crooked, you'll add the wrong numbers together.
  • Don't forget to write down your 'carries' in addition and 'borrows' in subtraction. Trying to hold those numbers in your head is a fast track to choosing a trick answer!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a calculator on the ISEE?

No calculators allowed! 🚫 You'll need to do all the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on your scratch paper.

What if I completely forget my times tables during the test?

Take a deep breath! If you forget what is, just use what you know. You probably know . Just subtract 7 twice (). You can always build up to the answer!

Should I double-check my math on every single question?

Only if you have extra time at the end! The ISEE is timed, so it's better to work carefully the first time and keep moving. If you finish a section early, then go back and check your work.

What is a Quantitative Comparison question?

It's a special puzzle on the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section! You get two columns (A and B) and have to decide which side is bigger, if they are equal, or if it's a mystery (Cannot be determined). 🕵️‍♀️

Generate Unlimited Practice Questions

Sign up for free and get 50 practice questions to start your prep.

Start Free Practice