Levels
Elementary, Middle, Upper
Writing
Unscored sample sent to schools
Where
Test center or at home
The Secondary School Admission Test is the other main entrance exam for independent schools, and the one many boarding schools ask for. Some schools accept either the SSAT or the ISEE, which gives families a choice worth making deliberately.
What's on the test
- Verbal: synonyms and analogies
- Quantitative: math problem solving
- Reading comprehension
- A writing sample that isn't scored but goes to every school
SSAT or ISEE?
Where a school accepts both, the choice comes down to the student. The SSAT's verbal section leans heavily on analogies, which some students find hard to prepare for; the ISEE has no analogies and uses sentence completion instead. A practice test of each shows which plays to your student's strengths.
When to start
Independent school applications are usually due in winter for entry the following fall, so most students test in the fall. Starting over the summer leaves room for a practice test and a retake if one is needed.
Talk to us about ssat prep
Tell us the subject, the year group, and what you have tried already. We will tell you what we would actually recommend.