SSAT: Initial Preparations
So you’ve got your eye on a private school. There’s a high chance that you are required to submit an SSAT score, but as always you should carefully check your school’s admissions requirements. Though the SSAT score is not the only important piece of the puzzle, it is one that you have lots of control over. In this article, the experienced tutors and admissions experts at Aegis Advisors will go over the initial preparation process, including when to take the SSAT and what content to expect.
Please be advised that there are three versions of the SSAT, differing by grade level. This article will address the preparation processes of all three in general, but refer to the official SSAT website for more information pertaining to your specific grade level.
When to Take the SSAT
First things first: when should you register for the exam? Because the SSAT is a school-specific requirement, the exact deadline for receiving your SSAT score is variable. However, in most cases, school application deadlines fall in the winter months of the year, anywhere from December to February. In addition to the application deadline, you want to consider if you will need to retake the exam as well as other academic and extracurricular obligations.
Next, you will want to plan according to the grade level you are applying for. In general, it is best to test during the grade level immediately preceding the target entry grade level. For example, for a student aiming to enter private school in grade six, we suggest that this student takes the SSAT in grade five. The version of the SSAT that will be taken also depends on the grade level, which we have detailed below.
- Upper Level: students in grades 8 through 11 will take this version for admission into grades 9 through 12, respectively.
- Middle Level: students in grades 5 through 7 will take this version for admission into grades 6 through 8, respectively.
- Elementary Level: students in grades 3 through 4 will take this version for admission into grades 4 through 5, respectively.
As there are three different testing formats, you will also want to consider their different availability. For more information about the different formats, check out our other post here. The paper exam is the only format readily available to most countries outside of the U.S., so the following information pertains to that format. The exact testing dates vary year by year, but typically follows the trend of up to one exam per month from October to March, with the registration deadline falling three days before the test date. It is good practice to start preparing well in advance, with two months to study and two months left open for retakes.
What’s On the SSAT
The SSAT is a highly comprehensive test, assessing students in five areas: quantitative, verbal, reading, writing, and experimental. The exam is broken up into eight timed parts, which we will detail next.
- Part 1: Writing: This 25-minute ungraded section requires students to write a short essay in response to a prompt. See our post about the importance of the writing portion here.
- Part 2: Break: 10-minute break
- Part 3: Quantitative: This 30-minute graded section is the first of two math sections that measures students abilities to solve problems from a range of concepts.
- Part 4: Reading Comprehension: This 40-minute graded section requires students to read various passages and thoroughly evaluate its content.
- Part 5: Break: 10-minute break
- Part 6: Verbal: This 30-minute graded section evaluates students’ reasoning, vocabulary, and understanding of different parts of the English language.
- Part 7: Quantitative: This 30-minute graded section is the second of two math sections that measures students abilities to solve problems from a range of concepts.
- Part 8: Experimental: This ungraded section requires students to answer questions from the verbal, reading, and quantitative sections to test the quality of future SSAT questions.
What Comes Next?
All that’s left now is to study. Some quick tips for studying for the SSAT are to: prioritize weaker areas, review missed questions carefully, and time yourself. We know studying can be overwhelming when there is so much material, so we welcome you to get in touch sooner rather than later with questions. Find us here at Aegis Advisors!