The Secondary School Admission Test, or SSAT, is used in private school admissions. The Upper Level version is designed for students who are currently in grades 8-11. The SSAT is offered throughout the year on specific dates in specific places.
There are three scored portions of the SSAT Upper Level test: Quantitative, Reading Comprehension, and Verbal. There is an unscored written component of the exam, which is given to admissions officials along with the scored portions. While it is not scored, it is important for students to do well on this section, as it gives each school an idea of how well your child is able to write. The experimental section is also not scored. It is comprised of new questions and determines their validity for future exams. Varsity Tutors can help you find an expert tutor who can lead your child through prepping for the SSAT Upper Level exam.
The Quantitative portion of the test is given in two sections. Your child will have 30 minutes to complete each of the sections, which contain 25 questions. These questions measure your child's ability to solve problems involving geometry, algebra, arithmetic, and other mathematical concepts like probability. Your child's private SSAT Upper Level tutor may focus on algebraic word problems, the Pythagorean theorum, coordinate geometry, or slope depending on your child's needs.
The Reading Comprehension portion of the exam is made up of 40 questions, which your child will have 40 minutes to answer. These questions measure how well your child is able to comprehend what he or she reads. Passages may be taken from literary fiction, the humanities, social studies, or science, and are 250-350 words in length. Based on need, your child's tutor may focus on making inferences, locating details, or deriving the meaning of a word or phrase from surrounding context clues.
Your child will be given 30 minutes to answer the 60 questions in the Verbal portion of the exam. This section is broken into 30 questions related to analogies and 30 questions related to synonyms. These questions are designed to measure your child's ability to logically relate ideas and to attain vocabulary. Your child's personal tutor may work with him or her on either or both of these skills.
One of the most significant benefits of having your child work with a private SSAT Upper Level tutor is the opportunity it provides for truly personalized instruction. A tutor has the time and ability to discover where your child's academic strengths and weaknesses are, and to then create a learning plan that is designed specifically for him or her.
The Varsity Tutors live learning platform also allows you to choose when and where your child will receive private SSAT Upper Level tutoring sessions. Tutoring can occur in a virtual space or in person depending on your schedule and preferences. Contact Varsity Tutors today to connect with an expert SSAT Upper Level tutor who can help your child prepare for this important admissions exam.
