Is the ISEE in Switzerland the same as the ISEE in the U.S.?

Yes—and that’s excellent news. Whether your child sits for the ISEE in Zurich or San Francisco, the format, content, scoring, and difficulty remain exactly the same. There’s no international version, no Matura-friendly curve, and no Swiss-specific vocabulary swap. Every ISEE measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and math achievement on a consistent global scale. U.S. admissions officers don’t care where it’s taken—only how well it’s done.

This means a strong ISEE score from Geneva holds just as much weight as one earned in Boston. That’s why preparing with the real test in mind is so important. Our Swiss ISEE students master the same strategies and concepts used by their U.S.-based peers, ensuring they compete on equal footing. At Cardinal Education, we tailor prep to align with Swiss curricula and international learning styles, so students feel confident with both the content and the cultural nuances of American private school admissions.