Cistercian utilizes its own entrance exam and not the ISEE. Cistercian has been utilizing its own examination for entrance since our founding more than 60 years ago. The test includes a combination of Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, Reasoning, and an essay portion. We believe strongly that our internal exam is well suited to the developmental stage of the applicant. Moreover, applicants will not need test prep to perform in a way that reflects their abilities.

The exam is given on campus by Cistercian’s very own faculty. In this way, the applicant has another opportunity to spend time on our campus. Concurrently, by spending a morning with each student, our faculty conduct informal interviews throughout the day. By the end of their time together, both the student and the school will know more about one another.

There is no additional fee for this entrance exam. Your son will be scheduled by application grade according to the schedule below. If you need to change to the alternate date for any reason, please let us know. We are happy to accommodate such requests. However, only these two dates are available.

  • Saturday, January 25, 2025 (Forms I and II, Grades 5 and 6)
    8:30 a.m. – approximately noon
  • Saturday, February 1, 2025 (Forms III – VII, Grades 7 – 11)
    8:30 a.m. – approximately noon

If your son is taking the ISEE for entrance to another independent school, you are welcome to send his scores to Cistercian. To send his scores, you may forward the PDF of his score report to admissions@cistercian.org. However, the ISEE will not replace the Cistercian entrance exam requirement.