A lot of standardized exam names might get confusing. Acronyms like SAT, ACT, and SSAT can be overwhelming for a student who is just trying to figure it all out. In this article, we elaborate on the mechanisms of the SSAT test and clear it all up for aspirants. We will provide useful SSAT details to all students and parents alike through this article. Many details like Test dates and the frequency of the test administration have been hard to keep track of. Those who are going for admission to private schools need to keep on top of all these things so that they can register at the correct time to book a spot. EduQuest provides online coaching for preparation of SAT, ACT, and SSAT to help students in achieving the best results. We offer customized study materials, live classes, mock tests, in-depth knowledge of each subjects, and many more. For more information visit the official website of EduQuest and enroll with us to get started with the preparation right away.
This guide includes information about all the upcoming SSAT dates, the fees for the test and we also explain what kind of syllabus and test pattern the SSAT follows. Before getting into all that it is beneficial to go over what this test is used for.
What is the SSAT used for?
This exam is highly reliable and it is used by numerous independent schools to assess the students. SSAT is a paper-based test and It is conducted in specified test centres. This pencil-paper test needs the student to fill in a circle that indicates the correct answer they are choosing. There is a writing sample portion in the test which is completed by writing in pencil too. But the administrators are expanding their test options and they want to include the choices for giving the SSAT at home or giving the SSAT at Prometric test centres.
However, people who are planning to sit for the SSAT in the 2021-2022 season will have to give it on the basis of paper-based testing.
What is the mode of examination?
This exam is highly reliable and it is used by numerous independent schools to assess the students. SSAT is a paper-based test and It is conducted in specified test centres. This pencil-paper test needs the student to fill in a circle that indicates the correct answer they are choosing. There is a writing sample portion in the test which is completed by writing in pencil too. But the administrators are expanding their test options and they want to include the choices for giving the SSAT at home or giving the SSAT at Prometric test centres.
However, people who are planning to sit for the SSAT in the 2021-2022 season will have to give it on the basis of paper-based testing.
Changes in the test due to covid-19
The students can take the SSATs multiple times during the year. But due to the covid-19 pandemic, the test dates for the months of March, April and June 2020 had been cancelled. The students who had registered for these dates for the SSAT exam were given the option for rescheduling. The task of rescheduling can be done through the SSAT account for free.
There were also provisions for the SSAT Flex tests which mean that the students can take the tests on any other day rather than the official test day. But this option may not be applicable everywhere as it may vary with respect to region and test centres. The best option for students is to contact the test centres directly. The news for availability and conditions for testing can be gotten from there.
The SSAT test dates?
To be precise the SSAT test is administered about eight times in one single year. As mentioned before this test can be taken by upper, middle and elementary sections and their test dates vary. However, students can apply for testing accommodations according to their preferences. For example, if a student has to take the test on a weekend for whatever reason, he or she applies for the same. But this application needs to be made at least four weeks before the date they want for the SSAT.
SSAT dates for Home Testing
The following dates are available for SSAT Home Testing-
- 9th July 2021 (Friday)
- 10th July 2021 (Saturday)
- 11th July 2021 (Sunday)
The testing ties for weekends are from 9 am to 3 pm EST. The time range for weekdays are different, they are from 9 am to 7 pm.
Below, there is a chart that shows the probable dates for registration deadlines and exam dates.
What is on the SSAT exam?
There are several sections on the SSAT exam and they are-
Usually, exams begin at 9 am but the test taker should still confirm from the admission ticket. It is always a good plan to arrive at the testing centre early, say about 30 mins or so.
A list of things which the student should bring on the exam day:
- Admission ticket
- Sharpened pencils
- Eraser
- The duration of the SSATs
The duration for middle/upper levels and elementary levels are not the same. For the middle/upper level the SSAT goes on for 3 hours and 10 minutes. The time break up is shown below-
Students In grade 5 to 7 qualify to the Middle level, whereas students in the 8-11 grades qualify in the upper level.
For the elementary level, the SSAT has a duration of 2 hours and 5 minutes.
What is the refund policy for SSAT?
The administration does not offer a refund policy for late or rush fees. Rescheduling for a different test date may cost you about a $35 change fee.
Importance of the SSATs
The SSATs are very important for students wanting to get into private schools, but they are a part of the whole private school application. The students should also have good grades and a great list of extracurricular to build an impressive profile. Here are a couple of sections to make it clear what a student can expect from the SSATs.
SSAT for Elementary levels
As said before this test has four sections and to understand it better it is crucial to take a better look at each individual section.
- Math Section
This section deals with a variety of mathematical concepts ranging from addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They are all multiple-choice questions. The students may also be asked to put a list of numbers in some order. Some questions on the basics of measurement, graphs and geometry will also be asked.
- Verbal Section
This section mainly deals with the vocabulary questions and analogy questions. Students may be presented with a word and then asked to choose a word with a similar meaning. The questions may be from various fields like science, technology and social studies. For example, a student may be asked to choose the synonym of the word “cooperate” from a list of words. Questions may also deal with comparisons between words or phrases. Compared to the third grade, the fourth graders may have to face a bit of tougher questions, related to advanced vocabulary.
- Reading section
In this section, the student will get seven passages of short length. The passages may deal with prose, poetry, nonfiction or even fiction. Each passage has about four multiple-choice questions, and they ask about the meaning of the passage. The questions may ask the student to figure out the meaning of the passage or to find out some special information or guess at the definition of certain words.
As before, the fourth graders may be asked a bit of a tougher question that deals with the tone or theme of the passage.
- Writing
This section will ask students to write a passage based on a picture presented to them. The prompt will be given. The students are reminded to construct a story that has a clear beginning, middle and end. While this sample writing section has no influence over the marks, but it still has some importance. The schools will get a copy of the sample and judge the writing skills of the student based on that.
SSAT for Middle level
The structure of the SSAT is different from the elementary level as the writing part comes at first and it also has an experimental section that is unscored. Just like the elementary level, the writing section is still unscored.
- Writing
The students will have the option of choosing between two prompts. The allotted time is 25 minutes and they will have to write a story in that period of time. After completing this section, the students get a five-minute break.
- Math section
The questions from this section can be categorized into four main parts-
Operations and number concepts
This part involves the previous problems on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in addition to arithmetic problems and ratios and percentages. The students will also have to deal with sequences and estimation.
Algebra
Exponents, line equations and algebra word problems will be included in this part.
Geometry and measurement
Volume, area and properties of various geometrical shapes, coordinate geometry, parallel and perpendicular lines are a part of this section.
Probability and data analysis
The students will be asked about the interpretation of tables, graphs and charts.
7th graders may have an easier time than the younger students, because the fifth graders may have to learn new concepts before the SSATs.
- Reading
This section will go on for 40 minutes and there will be passages of the length of about 250-350 words. The MCQs from this portion may ask about the ideas, the purpose of the author and the attitude as well as the tone. The students will have to make inferences and evaluate the arguments correctly. The passages can be from a wide range of topics like humanities, social studies, science, fiction, etc. The aspirants must have a good vocabulary for them to do well in this section.
- Verbal
A good vocabulary is necessary for doing well as this section deals with synonyms and analogy. This is similar to the verbal section described for the elementary section.
SSATs for the upper level
This level is for the students in grade 8 to grade 11. The structure is similar to that of the middle-level SSATs but the questions are more advanced.
- Writing
Like the middle level, the students get two prompts and the students have to choose one. One of the prompts are usually more creative and the other one more traditional. An unscored section like this one should not be considered useless and students must keep in mind the usage of correct grammar, and appropriate syntax. This section will be evaluated by the admissions officers.
- Math
The list of concepts of the upper-level SSATs is the same as that of the middle level. The change is in the difficulty level of the questions. Just like before the topics can be segregated into number concepts and operations, probability and data analysis, geometry and algebra.
A similar syllabus and question pattern is followed in the Reading and the verbal section as was mentioned for the middle level.
The scoring procedure of the SSATs
The final score report will inform the students on how much they scored in each individual section. Along with the total scores, the test takers are given their percentile which compares their performance to that of other students. The minimum and the maximum scores for each section are different.
- The elementary level score ranges from 300 to 600.
- For the middle level, the scores range from 440 to 710.
- The upper-level section has scores ranging from 500 to 800.
Marking rules
A student in the SSAT test will get one point for every right answer choice and a negative ¼ for every wrong one. Every school has different target scores for their admission so the students must take note of that and develop their own target score based on which school they want to get into. A good result may also mean that a student has only answered 50% to 60% of the paper correctly, as it is all relative to the other test-takers in question.
Final words
SSATs are an important step for students aiming for good private schools. The Covid-19 has impacted the admissions processes for various schools so it is a good idea to keep checking the official websites for more news. But staying prepared never hurt anybody. Making a good study plan and taking lots of practice tests at EduQuest will benefit students who are trying to do well on the SSATs.