What is the SSAT?

The Secondary School Admissions Test, or SSAT, is a standardized entrance exam taken by students in grades 5 through 11 seeking admission into independent schools. It is a four-section, multiple-choice exam administered by the Secondary School Admission Test Board. The SSAT is designed to measure student ability. It is not an achievement test and does not focus on memorized information. There are two levels of the SSAT, Upper and Lower. The Upper exam is used for admissions into high school and the Lower exam is used for admissions into middle school.

Schools use SSAT scores to assess how well students might do academically in their school settings. It is a common measurement of your academic capabilities, separate from school records. For students in grades 7 through 11, the SSAT will predict how well these same students might score on their 12th grade SAT. For more information, click here.

What are the different test sections on the SSAT?

What are the different levels of the SSAT?

How long does the SSAT take?

The SSAT is 2 hours and 35 minutes in length.

How do I register for the SSAT? When is the test offered?

For additional information on SSAT test dates, locations, and registration, go to www.ssat.org.

How many times can I take the SSAT?

You may take the SSAT on all eight test dates within a calendar year.

How is the SSAT scored?

Each SSAT multiple-choice question has five answer choices. Students receive one point for each correct answer. Students are penalized for incorrect answers, with a deduction of 1/4 point from the student's score for each incorrect answer. Students are not penalized for omitted answers. Students' speed in completing each SSAT section is not considered in scoring. Correct, incorrect, and omitted answers are tallied for each test section to produce a raw score. Raw scores are then converted into scaled scores, using a formula used to compensate for any differences in difficulty from test to test. The scales come from specific tables produced by the test maker. Once scores are converted to scale scores, they can be compared with the median scores of students of the same grade level across the country.

SSAT Writing Samples are not factored into the student's score report. Instead, the Writing Samples are forwarded to the same schools that will receive the student's SSAT score report. Admissions committees from each school will individually assess the applicant's writing capabilities.

SSAT Score Reports are released to the schools, educational consultants, and education organizations that you select on your registration form. Scores remain active for one academic year. The scores required for admissions vary by school. Contact the schools directly for admissions information.

An official SSAT score report provides the following information:

• Scaled Scores in Verbal, Quantitative Math, Reading, and Total
  • Scale for grades 5-7: 440-710 (V/Q/R), with a possible 1320-2130 (Total)
  • Scale for grades 8-11: 500-800 (V/Q/R), with a possible 1500-2400 (Total)
• SSAT Percentile Ranks for each category
  • The SSAT Percentile Ranks (1st - 99th percentiles) compare your scores to those of other students who have taken the SSAT in the past three years. For example, if you are ranked at 80th percentile, that means you scored equal to or better than 80% of other test-takers of your same grade. For more information, click here
• Estimated National Percentile Rank (grades 5-9 only)
  • The National Percentile Rank (1st - 99th percentile) compares your performance to the national student population, not only students who have taken the SSAT.
• Predicted 12th Grade SAT Score (grades 7-10 only)
  • Program percentiles compare you with your peer test-takers within the same age and grade group
  • Scores between the 50th and 74th percentiles are considered to be "good."
  • Scores at or above the 75th percentile are considered to be "very strong."

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