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Help Your Child Ace the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)

Improve Your Score With Expert Test Prep Help

Test Prep For The SSAT

Middle school students on the verge of entering high school have a number of new challenges they will face as they begin this important transition. Not only do they have to prepare for a more demanding workload and extracurricular responsibilities, they also have the added obstacle of taking high school entrance exams. These exams are significant in that they can help determine if your child gains admittance to a top high school.

One of the most common high school entrance exams that students take is the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). The highly skilled tutors at Huntington Learning Center are trained in research-based strategies to help students of all abilities perform at a high level on the SSAT. Our SSAT prep classes are designed to introduce students to the test, share what to expect, and most importantly, build the knowledge and confidence they need to perform well on test day.

 

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A class act program with high-quality instructors and great consistency in staffing.
Robin Moody | August 19, 2024
My daughter has shown success in her reading scores. I am happy to see her grow in her confidence. I am excited to see how successful she will be this year in math with the help from Huntington.
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Understanding the SSAT

For many students, the unknowns of what the SSAT actually entails and what they should expect come test day creates a great deal of stress and anxiety. Our SSAT prep course removes the mystery surrounding this high school entrance exam, informing students of exactly what they will encounter.

The SSAT is a standardized entrance exam that can be taken by students between grades 3 and 11, who are attempting to enter independent schools. Schools require prospective students to take this exam as a way to predict how they might perform academically within their school settings relative to other students.

The SSAT test is made up of four multiple-choice sections meant to measure student abilities. Because the SSAT is not an achievement test, it does not focus on memorized information. The four sections include quantitative math, verbal, reading comprehension, and writing, which are broken down into a number of subsections on the test. SSAT preparation that builds each student’s confidence across sections will be most effective in ensuring a high score.

 

Addressing the Sections of the SSAT

SSAT tutoring at Huntington Learning Center uses your child’s performance on their initial full-length practice SSAT exam as a way to inform tutors of the sections in which they might need special attention. We work with each student to build test-taking strategies that are in line with their unique learning style and that are most effective depending on the section of the exam they are completing. For example, the skills needed for the geometry or algebra sections of the SSAT are different from those necessary for the analysis of reading comprehension prompts. Our SSAT prep classes teach targeted approaches to test-taking, as well as addressing time management concerns.

The SSAT test is made up of four multiple-choice sections meant to measure student abilities. Because the SSAT is not an achievement test, it does not focus on memorized information. The four sections include quantitative math, verbal, reading comprehension, and writing, which are broken down into a number of subsections on the test. SSAT preparation that builds each student’s confidence across sections will be most effective in ensuring a high score.

How Huntington Works

Comprehensive Academic Evaluation

Our comprehensive Academic Evaluation allows us to understand your child’s unique learning needs, strengths, and areas for improvement. How Huntington Works

Personalized Tutoring Plan and Customized Learning

With insights from our Academic Evaluation, we develop a Personalized Tutoring Plan designed exclusively to meet your child’s academic needs. How Huntington Works

Ongoing Feedback and Progress Reports

Our ongoing feedback system and progress reports keep you informed about your child’s achievements and growth areas. How Huntington Works

INCREASE TEST SCORES WITH SSAT PREP

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SSAT FAQs

  • *Applicable to Middle Level and Upper Level SSAT

    SECTION NUMBER OF QUESTIONS SECTION TIME
    WRITING SAMPLE
    • Choice of personal or general prompt
    • 25 minutes
    BREAK
    • 10 minutes
    QUANTITATIVE I**
    • 25 questions
    • 30 minutes
    READING
    • 40 questions
    • 40 minutes
    BREAK
    • 10 minutes
    VERBAL
    • 60 questions (30 Synonyms, 30 Analogies)
    • 30 minutes
    QUANTITATIVE II**
    • 25 questions
    • 30 minutes
    EXPERIMENTAL
    • 16 questions
    • 15 minutes
    • Total time
    • 3 hours & 10 minutes

    **Only students taking the “SSAT at Home” test are not required to use the full time in each section.

    *Applicable to Elementary Level SSAT

    SECTION NUMBER OF QUESTIONS SECTION TIME
    QUANTITATIVE
    • 30 questions
    • 30 minutes
    VERBAL
    • 30 questions (15 Synonyms, 15 Analogies)
    • 20 minutes
    BREAK
    • 15 minutes
    READING
    • 28 questions
    • 30 minutes
    WRITING
    • 1 picture prompt
    • 15 minutes
    EXPERIMENTAL
    • 15-17 questions
    • 15 minutes
    • Total time
    • 2 hours & 5 minutes
  • TESTING LEVEL CURRENT STUDENT GRADE GRADE STUDENT ENTERING
    UPPER
    • 8-11
    • 9-12
    MIDDLE
    • 5-7
    • 6-8
    ELEMENTARY
    • 3-4
    • 4-5

  • The SSAT for Middle & Upper Level is 3 hours & 10 minutes. The Lower Level is 2 hours & 5 minutes.

  • For additional information on SSAT test dates, locations, and registration, please visit www.ssat.org.

  • The computer based test can be taken three times per testing year. Paper based can be taken six times per year. Flex tests can be taken two times, once per flex period.

  • Each SSAT multiple-choice question has five answer choices. Students receive one point for each correct answer. Students taking the Middle/Upper levels are penalized for incorrect answers, with a deduction of ¼ point from the student’s score for each incorrect answer. Students are not penalized for omitted answers. 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.

    The Experimental section is not scored on any level of the test.

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