SSAT Practice Test

The SSAT is an admissions test used by private and independent schools for elementary, middle, and high schools. It has different levels designed for students in 3rd-11th grade. The Elementary Level is for students in 3rd and 4th grade; Middle Level, for students in 5th-7th grade; and Upper Level, is for students in 8th-11th grade. It is comprised of five sections – essay, quantitative, reading, verbal, and qualitative. 

There are eight testing dates in an academic year and you may register to take the test for any or all of these dates. However, you may only take the SSAT on one FLEX test date per year. A FLEX test option allows families to schedule an official test once per application cycle at their convenience.

Content

1. There are a total of 4 sections: 2 Quantitative sections, Reading Comprehension, and Verbal (includes synonyms and analogies).
2. One essay prompt is given which the student has to write about within a given time of 25 minutes. This is not scored but the essay is still submitted to admission departments. 
3. It will take about 3 hours and 10 minutes to complete the test with two 10-minute breaks. 
4. The reading section is quite challenging because it includes both nonfiction and fiction passages. 
5. The SSAT verbal section tests high-level vocabulary and involves a strong understanding of word relationships through an analogy portion.
6. The test includes an experimental section that contains mixed content questions that do not count toward the reported scores. This serves to test new questions for future SSAT forms.

SSAT Scoring: 

1. There is a guessing penalty for the SSAT. Students receive 1 point for every correct answer and lose ¼ of a point for every incorrect answer. If a question is left blank or unanswered, the student does not gain or lose points. 
2. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores ranging from 1500 – 2400 which is a cumulation of all scaled scores from the verbal, quantitative, and reading sections. 
3. The total SSAT score is converted into a percentile ranking which is a comparison of scores with that of other students within a designated norm group who took the test in the last three years. 
4. Schools consider different percentile ranking for admission. 
5. Both the essay section and experimental section are not scored. 

SSAT Tutoring: 

1. Our one-on-one test prep program focuses on developing test-taking skills and methodical strategies. 
2. Our coaches and tutors understand what it takes to get good scores on each section and can give appropriate exercises to focus on a student’s weaknesses.
3. Our reading program exposes students to different kinds of literary materials while developing comprehension and expanding vocabulary. 
4. Our math program prepares students to undertake problems by giving them rigorous exercises to master mathematical skills. 
5. Our writing program trains students to put their thoughts into writing using the fundamental elements. 

The table below shows the different sections and levels of the SSAT, the total number of items as well as the allotted time to answer all of the questions. 

SSAT
	Middle Level		Upper Level
Section	Number of Questions	Time Limit	Number of Questions	Time Limit
Essay	1 prompt	25 minutes	1 prompt	25 minutes
Quantitative / Math	25	30 minutes	25	30 minutes
Reading	40	40 minutes	40	40 minutes
Verbal	60	30 minutes	60	30 minutes
Quantitative / Math	25	30 minutes	25	30 minutes
Experimental	16	15 minutes	16	15 minutes
TOTAL	166	3 hours, 10 minutes	166	3 hours, 10 minutes