Free ISEE Primary Level 4 Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the ISEE Primary Level 4 practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1Read the passage: From space, Earth looks like a blue marble with white swirls. Some parts are brown, yellow, green and white. The blue part is water. Water covers most of Earth. The white swirls are clouds. The brown, yellow and green parts are land. And the white parts are ice and snow. Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?

   1. A.Earth's colors seen from space represent different features.Correct answer: A
   2. B.All of Earth's land is covered by ice and snow.
   3. C.Clouds cover most of the water on Earth's surface.
   4. D.Earth appears to have only one color from space.

   Explanation: The passage says "The blue part is water. Water covers most of Earth. The white swirls are clouds. The brown, yellow and green parts are land. And the white parts are ice and snow." These examples explain what the different colors represent.

   Reference: What Is Earth? (Grades K-4) — What Does Earth Look Like?

2. 2There are 6 bags with 4 marbles in each bag. How many marbles are there in all?

   1. A.10
   2. B.20
   3. C.24Correct answer: C
   4. D.28

   Explanation: The standards state "Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each." Six groups of four are 6 × 4 = 24.

   Reference: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics — 3.OA.A.1, p. 23

3. 3Read the passage: The equator is a make-believe line around the center of Earth. Mapmakers use the line to divide Earth into two halves. The northern half is called the Northern Hemisphere. The southern half is called the Southern Hemisphere. The northernmost point on Earth is the North Pole. The southernmost point on Earth is the South Pole. What is the main idea?

   1. A.Mapmakers use the equator to locate two halves of Earth.Correct answer: A
   2. B.The North Pole lies on the line called the equator.
   3. C.Mapmakers use oceans to name the two hemispheres.
   4. D.The Southern Hemisphere is located at the North Pole.

   Explanation: The passage says "Mapmakers use the line to divide Earth into two halves. The northern half is called the Northern Hemisphere. The southern half is called the Southern Hemisphere." The paragraph explains the line, the hemispheres and their positions.

   Reference: What Is Earth? (Grades K-4) — What Does Earth Look Like?

4. 4A teacher shares 35 pencils equally among 5 tables. How many pencils does each table receive?

   1. A.5
   2. B.6
   3. C.7Correct answer: C
   4. D.8

   Explanation: The standards state "Interpret whole-number quotients of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned equally into 8 shares" Equal sharing gives 35 ÷ 5 = 7 pencils per table.

   Reference: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics — 3.OA.A.2, p. 23

5. 5Read the passage: People have known that Earth is round for more than 2,000 years! To learn about the planet, ancient Greeks measured shadows. They studied the stars. They used math to figure out Earth's circumference (how far it is around Earth). And they saw Earth's round shadow on the moon during lunar eclipses. Which idea do the details in the passage develop?

   1. A.Ancient Greeks used several observations to learn about Earth.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Ancient Greeks measured shadows to predict daily weather.
   3. C.Ancient Greeks believed the moon was larger than Earth.
   4. D.Ancient Greeks watched stars only during lunar eclipses.

   Explanation: The passage says "To learn about the planet, ancient Greeks measured shadows. They studied the stars." The other details add methods used to learn about the planet.

   Reference: What Is Earth? (Grades K-4) — How Do We Know Earth Is Round?

6. 6What is 427 rounded to the nearest ten?

   1. A.400
   2. B.420
   3. C.430Correct answer: C
   4. D.500

   Explanation: The practice book says "If the digit in the ones place is 5 or higher, round up. If the digit in the ones place is less than 5, round down." The ones digit in 427 is 7, so round up to 430; 427 is also closer to 430 than to 420.

   Reference: Bridges in Mathematics Practice Book: Rounding to the Nearest Ten — Rounding to the Nearest Ten, p. 85

7. 7Read the passage: Today, scientists measure Earth's shape, gravity and rotation. They use GPS and other tools. Their measurements show Earth is round. And pictures taken from space by satellites and astronauts also show the curve of Earth. What is the main idea?

   1. A.Scientists use measurements and pictures to learn Earth's shape.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Scientists use pictures to learn how quickly Earth spins.
   3. C.Satellites are the only tools used to measure gravity.
   4. D.Astronauts can see Earth's shape only by using GPS.

   Explanation: The passage says "Their measurements show Earth is round. And pictures taken from space by satellites and astronauts also show the curve of Earth." Both measurements and pictures provide evidence of Earth's shape.

   Reference: What Is Earth? (Grades K-4) — How Do We Know Earth Is Round?

8. 8What is the difference when 278 is subtracted from 603?

   1. A.325Correct answer: A
   2. B.335
   3. C.375
   4. D.385

   Explanation: The publisher explains that "they add on from the lesser number in the subtraction problem to get to the greater number to determine the difference between the two numbers." From 278 to 603 is 22 to 300, then 303 more, totaling 325; therefore 603 − 278 = 325.

   Reference: Bridges in Mathematics Grade 2 Unit 3: Addition & Subtraction — Find the Difference, p. 1

9. 9Read the passage: Earth travels around the sun. The path Earth follows is called an orbit. The planet takes 365 days to make a full trip around the sun. We call one trip around the sun a year. Earth spins as it travels around the sun. Earth makes a full spin once every 24 hours. We call this a day. Which sentence best expresses the main idea?

   1. A.Earth moves around the sun and spins on a different schedule.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Earth travels around the sun once in every 24 hours.
   3. C.A year is the time it takes Earth to spin just once.
   4. D.A day and a year both measure the same Earth movement.

   Explanation: The passage says "Earth travels around the sun. The path Earth follows is called an orbit." The later sentences describe a yearly orbit and a daily spin.

   Reference: What Is Earth? (Grades K-4) — How Does Earth Move?

10. 10Which expression correctly shows the number 348 in expanded form?

    1. A.300 + 40 + 8Correct answer: A
    2. B.300 + 4 + 8
    3. C.30 + 40 + 8
    4. D.300 + 80 + 4

    Explanation: The source explains that "the 4 in the hundreds place means that you have four groupings of size 100, the 4 in the tens place means you have four groupings of size 10, and the 4 in the ones place means you have four groupings of size one." In 348, those positions give 3 hundreds, 4 tens and 8 ones, or 300 + 40 + 8.

    Reference: Eric Sisofo, EdD, The Big Place Value Episode — Third big idea: place value of a digit