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UNDERSTANDING THE SSAT
SSAT stands for Secondary School Admission Test. It is a multiple-choice aptitude test for
students in grades 3-11 seeking admission to private school. The SSAT is administered on
three levels:



Elementary (for students currently in grades 3-4 seeking admissions to grades 4-5);
Middle (for students currently in grades 5-7 seeking admissions to grades 6-8); and
Upper (for students currently in grades 8-11 seeking admissions to grades 9-12).
The test consists of the following sections: Quantitative (math) Reasoning, Verbal
Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Writing. While in the past the SSAT measured the
speed at which students answered the questions, the test time has been extended by 30%
so that most students should be able to finish each section comfortably.
Elementary Level
Test Section
Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Essay
Total Time
No. of Questions
30
30
28
1
Time (Min)
30
20
301
15
1 hour, 50 minutes
No. of Questions
1
25
40
60
25
16
Time (Min)
25
30
40
30
30
15
3 hours, 5
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Middle & Upper Level
Test Section
Essay
Quantitative Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Verbal Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning
Experimental
Total Time
Quantitative Reasoning
For the Middle and Upper level exams, the quantitative reasoning portion is divided into
two 30-minute sections with questions that test the student’s ability to solve problems
involving number properties, arithmetic, interpretation of graphs, elementary algebra and
There is a 15-minute break between the Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension Sections.
There is a 5-minute break between the Essay and first Quantitative Reasoning Section, and a 10-minute break
between the Reading Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning Sections.
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elementary geometry. For all levels, the questions will be structured in mathematical
symbols, as well as word problems.
Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section is divided into two sub-sections with one part synonym
questions and one part analogy questions. These questions are designed to test the
student’s vocabulary, verbal reasoning, and ability to relate ideas logically.
Reading Comprehension
The Reading Comprehension section is comprised of approximately several short reading
passages. Each passage is then followed by approximately 4 to 6 questions relating to the
passage. The Reading Comprehension section tests the student’s ability to understand what
he or she has read, as well as his or her ability to draw conclusions, make inferences, and
understand the purpose or main idea of the passage.
Writing Sample
The test includes a Writing section, which asks the student to respond to a topic statement.
The Elementary Level test provides the student with a picture prompt to which the student
must respond with a descriptive essay telling a story about the picture. Students taking the
Middle Level test will choose from one of two creative writing prompts, while students
taking the Upper Level test will be asked to respond to either a creative writing prompt or
an essay-style prompt. The essay is not graded, but a copy accompanies each SSAT score
report sent to a school.
Experimental Questions
The Middle and Upper Level tests also include an Experimental section of 16 questions that
may appear on future versions of the test. This section is not scored.
Scoring
Students score one point for each correct answer and lose ¼ of a point for each incorrect
answer (omitted questions receive 0 points). A raw score for each section (quantitative,
verbal, reading comprehension) is calculated. That score is than equated to a scaled score.
For students taking the Elementary Level tests, the scale for each section ranges from 300600 (for a total score of 900-1800). For students taking the Middle Level test, the scale for
each section ranges from 440-710 (for a total score of 1320-2130). For students taking the
Upper Level test, the scale ranges from 500-800 (for a total of 1500-2400).
In addition to a scaled score, students will receive a percentile rank for each section of the
test. For students taking the Middle or Upper Level test, the percentile rank compares the
students’ scores to those of other students who have taken the SSAT in the past three years.
For students taking the Elementary Level tests, the percentile rank is calculated based on
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the norm group of all students in the same grade taking the test for the first time on a
Standard Saturday or Sunday in the US or Canada.
For students in grades 5-9, the SSAT score report provides an estimated national percentile
rank, which compares a student’s performance to the national student population, not only
to the students who have taken the SSAT.
Students in grades 7-10 also receive a predicted 12th grade SAT score.
Test Types/Timing
National Test
The SSAT “National Test” is offered at testing centers nationwide in October, November,
December, January, February, March, April and June. A student may take the Middle or
Upper Level test as often as desired. A student taking the Elementary Level 4th grade test
may do so twice during the testing year; a student taking the Elementary Level 3rd grade
test may do so once during the testing year.
Flex Test
A flex test is a group or individual administration on any date other than the national test
dates. If a student is testing with an educational consultant, he or she will take the flex test.
Although Flex Tests occur year round, a student may only take one Flex Test per year.
SSAT "Regional Flex Test"
Several regional consortia offer test administrations on dates other than the national test
dates. Although they are called Regional Tests, these are flex test administrations.
Therefore, a student may test at one regional flex administration OR one flex administration
per year.
***
Note: This article discusses information current as of Summer of 2014, and the
information presented herein should not be relied upon without consulting directly with
the school admissions offices.
For additional information, please contact Ivy Link experts at
[email protected] or 1.888.844.4439
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