The SSAT
The SSAT and the ISEE are very similar tests in many regards. Both tests are designed to evaluate a student’s academic aptitude and potential and are exclusively used for private schools admissions. Both test makers issue different level tests and scale student scores relative to a student’s grade in school. From a test taker’s perspective, the most important similarity is that the content and subject matter that is tested is nearly identical on the ISEE and the SSAT, so a student can effectively prepare for both tests almost simultaneously. There are a few notable differences between the ISEE and the SSAT that are listed here. Memorize these facts about the SSAT and apply them on test day. One of the best ways to ensure success on any standardized test is to KNOW THE TEST!
What is the length of your SSAT program?
We offer three different SSAT programs:
Level I
For the advanced student. This course of study includes 6 sessions for a total of 9 hours plus a full-length practice test. Individualized sessions will focus on test-taking strategies for attacking unfamiliar question types and introduce advanced concepts that will appear on the test, but have not been learned in school. Solely recommended for students who place in the 90th percentile on diagnostic test or for lower level students looking for a basic introduction to standardized test taking.
Level II
For the intermediate or advanced student. This course of study includes 10 sessions for a total of 15 hours plus a full-length practice test. The tutor will assume a high proficiency of math skills and vocabulary knowledge, and thus concentrate on more advanced concepts, reading skills and test taking strategies. Recommended for students who place above the 75th percentile on the diagnostic test, or who are interested in a more comprehensive review than in Level I.
Level III
For the typical student. This comprehensive course of study consists of 20 sessions for a total of 30 hours, plus a full-length practice test. Early sessions will concentrate on review of all subject matter up through the student’s current grade level. Later sessions will introduce advanced concepts that appear on the SSAT. This comprehensive program also allows time for essay instruction and application review.
*** Please note, these are only guidelines. All of our programs are entirely flexible to the needs of the student and you will never be locked in to a specific package of tutoring hours.
What kind of curriculum do you use?
We use official practice tests and test preparations materials published by the SSAT and high-quality materials from the Summit Education Group, not available in stores, in conjunction with our own curriculum that has been developed through extensive research over a long period of time.
SSAT Test Information:
The Lower Level of the test is for students currently in grades 5-7 (applying for grades 6-8).
The Upper Level of the test is for students currently in grades 8-11 (applying for grades 9-12).
Test Format:
There are five sections on the SSAT:
Students begin with a written response to an essay topic that is not scored, but is sent to schools along with the student’s score report. Students have 25 minutes to complete the writing prompt.
There are two math sections that appear as the first and last sections of the multiple-choice part of the test. Each has 25 questions and a time allotment of 30 minutes.
The verbal section is 60 questions and 30 minutes in length and the reading section is 40 questions and 40 minutes in length.
There are four main structural differences between the ISEE and the SSAT:
- The Verbal section of the ISEE contains synonym and sentence completion questions, while the Verbal section of the SSAT contains synonym and analogy questions.
- There are no Quantitative Comparisons on the SSAT.
- There is a wrong answer penalty on the SSAT of ¼ point. There is no penalty on the ISEE.
- There are 5 answer choices on the SSAT, but only 4 answer choices on the ISEE.
So how will this information change the way you approach the SSAT?
The biggest change you will need to make is how to guess successfully on the SSAT. There is no penalty for a wrong answer on the ISEE, so you should never leave an answer choice blank. The SSAT does penalize you for a wrong answer, but that doesn’t mean you should never guess. If you can eliminate at least one answer choice, preferably two, than you should guess, because statistically speaking you will be able to accrue more points over time. When guessing, keep in mind that questions appearing earlier in a section tend to have more obvious answers, so answer accordingly.
More information is available from the Official SSAT website.
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