If English isn’t your best subject, you may find yourself apprehensive about taking the Upper Level SSAT because it includes both a Verbal section and a Reading section. You may see these sections as one giant English test; however, that is not the case: the Upper Level SSAT’s Verbal section is concerned strictly with vocabulary and the relationships between words, and its Reading section is concerned with reading comprehension, meaning your ability to understand and remember the things you read. With a bit of practice and relevant information about the test’s structure, you can prepare yourself for the Upper Level SSAT’s Reading section in no time and go from feeling apprehensive to feeling confident and ready for even the most difficult passages it may present.

The Upper Level SSAT’s Reading section is the second section presented on every Upper Level SSAT, and the third section if you count the Writing Sample as the first section. The section presents a variety of short passages of about 250 to 350 words each; that’s about how many words fit on one page of a standard-sized paperback book. SSAT Upper Level Reading passages are drawn from one of four subjects: literary fiction, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The section asks forty questions about the passages it presents and gives you forty minutes to answer them. None of the questions will require any outside knowledge from you, or ask you about grammar or spelling. Your vocabulary may be tested, but questions will focus on defining the meaning of the words “in context,” or in the specific sentences in which they are used in a passage.

As you may have guessed, timing is of the essence when taking the SSAT’s Upper Level Reading section. While it may look like you have a full minute to answer each question, that doesn’t leave you any time during which to read the passages, so you have less than a minute per question depending on how fast you read. While it may seem like a good idea to try to read as quickly as possible, you don’t want to read so quickly that you miss or misinterpret crucial information and get questions wrong as a result. You should practice reading SSAT Upper Level Reading passages to find the pace that works best for you.

You can practice reading SSAT Upper Level Reading passages and answering SSAT Upper Level Reading questions by taking Varsity Tutors’ free SSAT Upper Level Reading Practice Tests. Each SSAT Upper Level Reading Practice Test consists of between ten and twelve SSAT Upper Level questions. If you need to focus on a particular type of question or passage, you can do so easily. Also, after completing each SSAT Upper Level Reading Practice Test, you can see detailed statistics about how long you take to read each passage and answer each question, allowing you to develop your own best personal pace. Also, each question includes a detailed explanation about how to arrive at the correct answer, so you can figure out where you erred in your analysis for any questions that you missed.

It’s a smart idea to complete a Full-Length Upper Level SSAT Reading Practice Test to help you get a better picture of your overall comprehension. Since these tests simulate the actual SSAT Reading section, they can assist you as you dial in your test-taking pace and your understanding of principal concepts. The results pages for the full-length tests offer all of the same review materials provided by the concept-specific practice tests, including detailed explanations and supplementary review materials for vital topics. These complete practice tests can help you build your own custom SSAT study plan by informing you of the topics you need to focus on. Once you’ve had the opportunity to brush up on your skills, you can track your progress by taking another Full-Length Upper Level SSAT Reading Practice Test.

By making use of Varsity Tutors’ free Upper Level SSAT Practice Tests and other resources, you can prepare yourself for the Upper Level SSAT’s Reading section efficiently and comprehensively and feel totally ready for the section on test day.