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ISEESSAT PSATACTSATSAT IIAP Tests
The SSAT
The SSAT and the ISEE are very similar tests in many regards. Both tests are designed to evaluate a student’s academic aptitude and potential and are exclusively used for private schools admissions. Both test makers issue different level tests and scale student scores relative to a student’s grade in school. From a test taker’s perspective, the most important similarity is that the content and subject matter that is tested is nearly identical on the ISEE and the SSAT, so a student can effectively prepare for both tests almost simultaneously. There are a few notable differences between the ISEE and the SSAT that are listed here. Memorize these facts about the SSAT and apply them on test day. One of the best ways to ensure success on any standardized test is to KNOW THE TEST!
There are two levels of the SSAT:
The Lower Level of the test is for students currently in grades 5-7 (applying for grades 6-8).
The Upper Level of the test is for students currently in grades 8-11 (applying for grades 9-12).
Test Format:
There are five sections on the SSAT:
Students begin with a written response to an essay topic that is not scored, but is sent to schools along with the student’s score report. Students have 25 minutes to complete the writing prompt.
There are two math sections that appear as the first and last sections of the multiple-choice part of the test. Each has 25 questions and a time allotment of 30 minutes.
The verbal section is 60 questions and 30 minutes in length and the reading section is 40 questions and 40 minutes in length.
There are four main structural differences between the ISEE and the SSAT:
- The Verbal section of the ISEE contains synonym and sentence completion questions, while the Verbal section of the SSAT contains synonym and analogy questions.
- There are no Quantitative Comparisons on the SSAT.
- There is a wrong answer penalty on the SSAT of ¼ point. There is no penalty on the ISEE.
- There are 5 answer choices on the SSAT, but only 4 answer choices on the ISEE.
So how will this information change the way you approach the SSAT?
The biggest change you will need to make is how to guess successfully on the SSAT. There is no penalty for a wrong answer on the ISEE, so you should never leave an answer choice blank. The SSAT does penalize you for a wrong answer, but that doesn’t mean you should never guess. If you can eliminate at least one answer choice, preferably two, than you should guess, because statistically speaking you will be able to accrue more points over time. When guessing, keep in mind that questions appearing earlier in a section tend to have more obvious answers, so answer accordingly.
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