SSAT Help

The SSAT is an exceptionally unique test in many ways. First, it is administered to those students whose parents want to enroll them in a private or independent school. Many domestic independent schools require the test as part of application materials; these are schools that are not in states’ public school systems, many of which are known for their excellence in education. Many schools outside the United States also require SSAT scores as well. While SSAT test scores are accepted in many worldwide locations, the test is always given in English. Whether you need SSAT tutoring in Atlanta, SSAT tutoring in Minneapolis, or SSAT tutoring in Austin, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.

The SSAT is different from more familiar classroom examinations in the way it is designed and scored. Unlike in-class tests where a student may earn a 100% by correctly answering all questions, the SSAT is scored on how well the student performed in comparison to all the students of the same age and sex. If a ten-year-old girl achieves a score of 85% it means that she ranked in the upper 15% of all ten-year-old girls who took the test. The ranking includes all countries in which the test was taken; a ten-year-old girl who is in the upper 15% means she is in the upper 15% of all ten-year-old girls in the world who have taken the SSAT.

The overall difficulty level of the SSAT is designed to be at 50%. This means that if a student scores 50%, he or she is average among all the students who have taken the test: 50% did better than him or her on the exam, and 50% did worse.

The SSAT is divided into levels that correspond to grade levels. There are appropriate tests for elementary school (beginning in third grade), middle school, and high school. The SSAT is not an achievement test, and it is not a vehicle to measure what the child has retained from his or her classes thus far. It is designed to measure the basic verbal, quantitative and reading skills students develop over time. You will not find questions that are written to define a student’s motivation, persistence, or creativity. Varsity Tutors offers resources like a free SSAT diagnostic tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an SSAT tutor.

Each level of the SSAT measures verbal ability, mathematical ability, and skill in reading comprehension. There is also an essay portion, although it is not scored. Each test is appropriate for the grade levels to which it is given.

The verbal section quizzes language skills, verbal reasoning, and aptitude in conveying ideas in a logical manner. In answering the verbal section’s sixty multiple-choice questions in the allotted time limit of thirty minutes, a student will encounter synonym questions and analogy questions.

The math or quantitative section measures a student’s ability to solve various mathematical problems. At the elementary level, such problems could involve basic math such as addition, subtraction and multiplication. It could test be the ability to solve given questions by using basic math. The math section contains twenty-five questions to be answered in thirty minutes.

The reading comprehension section tests a student’s ability to understand and and analyze what he or she reads. A section of text is given and the student is required to answer questions about that particular text. In some cases, analytical thinking is required to come up with the correct answer. There are forty questions to be answered within forty minutes on this part of the exam. In addition to the SSAT practice tests and SSAT tutoring, you may also want to consider taking some of our SSAT flashcards.

When preparing to take any level of the SSAT, students may develop test anxiety due to being unfamiliar with the question types featured on the exam as well as the test’s format. Students can calm their nerves and gain confidence by becoming familiar with the test format beforehand. By practicing answering sample questions in order to identify any points of confusion well before test day, they can approach the exam feeling prepared. If you or your student is getting ready to take the SSAT, the free SSAT help offered on Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools website can be of great assistance. If your student is confused about how to answer a particular question type or has trouble working with a particular concept, you can navigate to that concept on our help page. This will display model problems focused on just that question type or topic, complete with revealed correct answers and full explanations of how to correctly work each problem. Following along with a few example problems can help students start to note common ways of successfully approaching that question type; it can also help them to identify and correct any misconceptions that may be hindering their progress. With the help of Varsity Tutors’ free SSAT resources, you or your student can prepare to take the SSAT with confidence in the tested skills.