The Ultimate ISEE Middle Level Math Formula Cheat Sheet
TL;DR: Applying to private school for grade 7 or 8? The ISEE Middle Level math sections are Quantitative Reasoning (37 questions in 35 minutes) and Mathematics Achievement (47 questions in 40 minutes), with no calculator and no reference sheet. Every formula on this page needs to be cold before test day. Memorize them in chunks over a few weeks and your child won’t waste test-day energy reconstructing the basics.
Key takeaways:
- ISEE Middle Level has TWO math sections: Quantitative Reasoning (37Q/35min) and Mathematics Achievement (47Q/40min).
- Total math: 84 questions across 75 minutes.
- No calculator allowed; no formula reference sheet.
- Designed for students applying to grades 7 or 8 (currently grade 5, 6, or 7).
- Memorize area, volume, slope, the Pythagorean theorem, basic statistics.
Mixed Numbers
A number is composed of a whole number and a fraction. Example: \(2 \frac{2}{ 3}\) Converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers: \(a \frac{c}{b}=a+\frac{c}{b}= \frac{ab+ c}{b}\)
Factoring Numbers
Factor a number means breaking it up into numbers that can be multiplied together to get the original number. Example:\(12=2×2×3\)
Integers
\( \{…,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,…\} \)
Includes: zero, counting numbers, and the negative of the counting numbers
Real Numbers
All numbers that are on a number line. Integers plus fractions, decimals, and irrationals, etc.) (\(\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3},π\), etc.)
Order of Operations
PEMDAS
(parentheses/ exponents/ multiply/ divide/ add/ subtract)
Absolute Value
Refers to the distance of a number from, the distances are positive as the absolute value of a number cannot be negative. \(|-22|=22\)
or \(|x| =\begin{cases}x \ for \ x≥0 \\x \ for \ x < 0\end{cases} \)
\(|x|<n⇒-n<x<n\)
\(|x|>n⇒x<-n or x>n\)
Ratios
A ratio is a comparison of two numbers by division.
Example: \(3: 5\), or \(\frac{3}{5}\)
Percentages
Use the following formula to find part, whole, or percent
part \(=\frac{percent}{100}×whole\)
Proportional Ratios
A proportion means that two ratios are equal. It can be written in two ways:
\(\frac{a}{b}=\frac{c}{d}\), \(a: b = c: d \)
Percent of Change
\(\frac{New \ Value \ – \ Old \ Value}{Old Value}×100\%\)
Expressions and Variables
A variable is a letter that represents unspecified numbers. One may use a variable in the same manner as all other numbers: Addition: \(2+a\): \(2\) plus a
Subtraction: \(y-3\) : \(y\) minus \(3\)
Division: \(\frac{4}{x}\) : 4 divided by x
Multiplication: \(5a\) : \(5\) times a
Distributive Property
\(a(b+c)=ab+ac\)
Equations
The values of the two mathematical expressions are equal.
\(ax+b=c\)
Distance from A to B:
\(\sqrt{(x_{1}-x_{2})^2+(y_{1}-y_{2})^2 }\)
Parallel and Perpendicular lines:
Have equal slopes. Perpendicular lines (i.e., those that make a \(90^° \) angle where they intersect) have negative reciprocal slopes: \(m_{1}\).\(m_{2}=-1\).
Parallel Lines (l \(\parallel\) m)
Mid-point of the segment AB:
M (\(\frac{x_{1}+x_{2}}{2}, \frac{y_{1}+y_{2}}{2}\))
Slope of the line:
\(\frac{y_{2}- y_{1}}{x_{2} – x_{1} }=\frac{rise}{run}\)
Point-slope form:
Given the slope m and a point \((x_{1},y_{1})\) on the line, the equation of the line is
\((y-y_{1})=m \ (x-x_{1})\).
Slope-intercept form:
given the slope m and the y-intercept b, then the equation of the line is:
\(y=mx+b\).
Factoring:
“FOIL”
\((x+a)(x+b)\)
\(=x^2+(b+a)x +ab\) “Difference of Squares”
\(a^2-b^2= (a+b)(a-b)\)
\(a^2+2ab+b^2=(a+b)(a+b) \)
\(a^2-2ab+b^2=(a-b)(a-b)\) “Reverse FOIL”
\(x^2+(b+a)x+ab=\) \((x+a)(x+b)\)
You can use Reverse FOIL to factor a polynomial by thinking about two numbers a and b which add to the number in front of the x, and which multiply to give the constant. For example, to factor \(x^2+5x+6\), the numbers add to 5 and multiply to 6, i.e.: \(a=2\) and \(b=3\), so that \(x^2+5x+6=(x+2)(x+3)\). To solve a quadratic such as \(x^2+bx+c=0\), first factor the left side to get \((x+a)(x+b)=0\), then set each part in parentheses equal to zero. For example, \(x^2+4x+3= (x+3)(x+1)=0\) so that \(x=-3\) or \(x=-1\).
To solve two linear equations in x and y: use the first equation to substitute for a variable in the second. E.g., suppose \(x+y=3\) and \(4x-y=2\). The first equation gives y=3-x, so the second equation becomes \(4x-(3-x)=2 ⇒ 5x-3=2\) \(⇒ x=1,y=2\).
Exponents:
Refers to the number of times a number is multiplied by itself.
\(8 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 2^3\)
Scientific Notation:
It is a way of expressing numbers that are too big or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form.
In scientific notation all numbers are written in this form: \(m \times 10^n\)
Decimal notation:
5
\(-25,000\)
0.5
2,122.456
Scientific notation:
\(5×10^0\)
\(-2.5×10^4\)
\(5×10^{-1}\)
\(2,122456×10^3\)
Square:
The number we get after multiplying an integer (not a fraction) by itself. Example: \(2×2=4,2^2=4\)
Square Roots:
A square root of \(x\) is a number r whose square is \(x: r^2=x\)
\(r\) is a square root of \(x\)
Pythagorean Theorem:
For any right triangle with legs \(a\) and \(b\) and hypotenuse \(c\): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\)
Solving for the hypotenuse: \(c=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}\)
Solving for a leg: \(a=\sqrt{c^2-b^2}\)
Common Pythagorean triples: \(3,4,5\); \(5,12,13\); \(8,15,17\); \(7,24,25\)
Triangles
Area: \(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\) where \(b\) is the base and \(h\) is the height.
Perimeter: \(P=a+b+c\) (sum of all three sides).
Pythagorean Theorem (right triangles): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\) where \(c\) is the hypotenuse.
Sum of interior angles: \(180°\)
All triangles:
Area \(=\frac{1}{2}\) b. h
Angles on the inside of any triangle add up to \(180^\circ\).
The length of one side of any triangle is always less than the sum and more than the difference between the lengths of the other two sides.
An exterior angle of any triangle is equal to the sum of the two remote interior angles. Other important triangles:
Equilateral:
These triangles have three equal sides, and all three angles are \(60^\circ\).
Isosceles:
An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The “base” angles (the ones opposite the two sides) are equal (see the \(45^\circ\) triangle above).
Circles
Area \(=πr^2\)
Circumference \(=2πr\)
Full circle \(=360^\circ\)
Rectangles
(Square if l=w)
Area=lw
Parallelogram
(Rhombus if l=w)
Area=lh
Regular polygons are n-sided figures with all sides equal and all angles equal.
The sum of the inside angles of an n-sided regular polygon is
\((n-2).180^\circ\).
Area of a trapezoid:
\(A =\frac{1}{2} h (b_{1}+b_{2})\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Rectangular/right prism:
\(SA=ph+2B\)
\(V=Bh\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cylinder:
\(SA =2πrh+2πr^2\)
\(V =πr^2 h \)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cone
\(SA =πrs+πr^2\)
\(V=\frac{1}{3} \ πr^2 \ h\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Sphere
\(SA =4πr^2\)
\(V =\frac{4}{3} \ πr^3\)
(p \(=\) perimeter of base B; \(π ~ 3.14 \))
Simple interest:
\(I=prt\)
(I = interest, p = principal, r = rate, t = time)
mean:
mean: \(\frac{sum \ of \ the \ data}{of \ data \ entires}\)
mode:
value in the list that appears most often
range:
largest value \(-\) smallest value
Median
The middle value in the list (which must be sorted)
Example: median of
\( \{3,10,9,27,50\} = 10\)
Example: median of
\( \{3,9,10,27\}=\frac{(9+10)}{2}=9.5 \)
Average
\( \frac{sum \ of \ terms}{number \ of \ terms}\)
Average speed
\(\frac{total \ distance}{total \ time}\)
Probability
\(\frac{number \ of \ desired \ outcomes}{number \ of \ total \ outcomes}\)
The probability of two different events A and B both happening is:
P(A and B)=p(A).p(B)
as long as the events are independent (not mutually exclusive).
Powers, Exponents, Roots
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} = x^{a-b}\)
\(\frac{1}{x^b }= x^{-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{a.b}\)
\((xy)^a= x^a.y^a\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(\sqrt{xy}=\sqrt{x}.\sqrt{y}\)
\((-1)^n=-1\), if n is odd.
\((-1)^n=+1\), if n is even.
If \(0<x<1\), then
\(0<x^3<x^2<x<\sqrt{x}<\sqrt{3x}<1\).
Simple Interest
The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.
Interest = principal \(×\) rate \(×\) time
OR
\(I=prt\)
Powers/ Exponents
\(x^a×x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{ab}\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(x^{-a}=\frac{1}{x^a}\)
\(x^{\frac{1}{n}}=\sqrt[n]{x}\)
Positive Exponents
An exponent is simply shorthand for multiplying that number of identical factors. So \(4^3\) is the same as (4)(4)(4), three identical factors of 4. And \(x^3\) is just three factors of \(x\), \((x)(x)(x)\).
Negative Exponents
A negative exponent means to divide by that number of factors instead of multiplying.
So \(4^{-3}\) is the same as \( \frac{1}{4^3}\) and
\(x^{-3}=\frac{1}{x^3}\)
Factorials
Factorial- the product of a number and all counting numbers below it.
8 factorial \(=8!=\)
\(8×7×6×5×4×3×2×1=40,320\)
5 factorial \(=5!=\)
\(5×4×3×2×1=120\)
2 factorial \(=2!=2× 1=2\)
Multiplying Two Powers of the SAME Base
When the bases are the same, you find the new power by just adding the exponents
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b }\)
Powers of Powers
For the power of power: you multiply the exponents.
\((x^a)^b=x^{(ab)}\)
Dividing Powers
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} =x^a x^{-b}= x^{a-b}\)
The Zero Exponent
Anything to the 0 power is 1.
\(x^0= 1\)
The Best Books to Ace the ISEE Middle-Level Math Test
Recommended EffortlessMath Books
For a workbook your child can use alongside this cheat sheet, the ISEE Middle Level Math for Beginners walks through every topic with worked examples. For complete admissions prep with multiple full-length practice tests, see the ISEE Middle Level Math Test Prep Bundle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ISEE Middle Level give you a formula sheet?
No. The ISEE provides no formula reference on any section, and no calculator is allowed either. Every formula in this cheat sheet has to be in your child’s head before test day.
What formulas should my child memorize for the ISEE Middle Level?
Area: rectangle (\(lw\)), triangle (\(\frac{1}{2}bh\)), circle (\(\pi r^2\)), trapezoid (\(\frac{1}{2}(b_1+b_2)h\)). Volume: prism (\(lwh\)), cylinder (\(\pi r^2 h\)). Pythagorean theorem (\(a^2+b^2=c^2\)). Slope (\(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)\)). Percent change. Exponent rules. Basic statistics (mean, median, mode, range).
What grades take the ISEE Middle Level?
Students applying for admission to grades 7 or 8. Most are currently in grades 5, 6, or 7. Younger applicants take the Lower Level (apply to grades 5-6); older applicants take the Upper Level (apply to grades 9-12).
What’s the area of a triangle?
\(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\), where \(b\) is the base and \(h\) is the perpendicular height (the height measured straight down from the top to the base, not along a slanted side). For a triangle with base 8 and height 5, \(A=\frac{1}{2}(8)(5)=20\) square units.
What’s the slope formula?
\(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)\). Subtract the y-coordinates for the top and x-coordinates for the bottom. Slope-intercept form is \(y=mx+b\). Positive slope rises left-to-right; negative slope falls; horizontal slope is 0; vertical slope is undefined.
How do I calculate percent change?
Percent change \(= \frac{\text{new}-\text{old}}{\text{old}}\times 100\). Example: from \$40 to \$50 is \((50-40)/40\times 100=25\%\) increase. From 80 to 60 is \((60-80)/80\times 100=-25\%\) (a 25% decrease).
What’s the Pythagorean theorem?
\(a^2+b^2=c^2\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are the legs of a right triangle and \(c\) is the hypotenuse (opposite the right angle). Memorize common triples: 3-4-5, 5-12-13. Recognizing a triple saves the time of computing a square root.
What exponent rules do my child need?
Product: \(x^a\cdot x^b=x^{a+b}\). Quotient: \(x^a/x^b=x^{a-b}\). Power of a power: \((x^a)^b=x^{ab}\). Zero exponent: \(x^0=1\). Negative exponent: \(x^{-a}=1/x^a\). The ISEE Middle Level keeps exponents at small integers.
Does the ISEE Middle Level penalize guessing?
No. There’s no penalty for wrong answers. Your child should answer every single question, even ones they have to guess on. Mark uncertain items and come back if time allows.
How should we use this cheat sheet?
Print it as a single-page reference. Have your child quiz themselves daily for a week until every formula comes back instantly. Then have them take a full-length timed ISEE Middle Level practice test to confirm the formulas hold up under the 35- and 40-minute time pressure.
Related EffortlessMath Lessons
If a topic on this page feels rusty, these short lessons go deeper:
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