About the SSAT
The SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) is an admissions test administered to students in grades 5-11 to help determine placement into private independent schools. It is administered by the Secondary School Admission Test Board which can be reached on the web at http://www.ssat.org/ontario or by phone at (609) 683-4440.
The SSAT has two tests, depending on the students current grade:
- Lower Level (for students currently in grades 5-7)
- Upper Level (for students curently in grades 8-11)
The SSAT consists of:
- A 25 minute essay
- A 40 minute reading comprehension section (multiple choice)
- Two 30 minute math sections (multiple choice)
- A 30 minute verbal section (multiple choice)
The following is a breakdown of the SSAT:
Section Question Length Math I 25 questions 30 min Verbal 60 questions 30 min Reading 40 questions 40 min Math II 25 questions 30 min Essay one essay 25 min
- The total test time is 2 hours and 35 min (not including breaks).
- All questions are multiple choice (A) to (E), except the essay.
- You are not allowed to use calculators, dictionaries or rulers.
- These sections do not necessarily appear in the order stated above.
Essay
In the essay part of the test, students will be asked to support or disprove a topic statement by using examples from personal experience, history, literature and current events.The essay section is 25 minutes long and students are given one side of a paper to write this essay. The essay portion of the SSAT is not graded but instead, sent to the private schools that the student is applying to for evaluation.
Mathematics Section
There are two 25 minute math sections with 25 questions each that require basic computations including some basic algebra and basic geometry.
Verbal Section
The verbal section is 30 minutes long and consists of 30 synonym and 30 analogy questions for a total of 60 questions.
Reading Comprehension Section
The 40 minute reading comprehension section has 40 questions based around seven given reading passages. These questions not only require test takers to read quickly but also comprehend what they are reading.
Practice SSAT tests are available here.
How many times can I take the SSAT?
In Ontario, you may register for the SSAT only once in any given academic year. The results of any subsequent exams will not be reported. For a list of SSAT test dates and testing locations, please visit http://www.ssat.org/ontario.
Scoring
All questions on the SSAT are equal in value and scores are based on the number of questions correctly answered, less one-quarter point for each question answered incorrectly. No points are awarded or deducted for questions left unanswered. The scaled score for the Upper Level is 500-800 and the Lower Level is 440-710.
The SSAT score report provides scaled scores for each section as well as percentile ranks for each category, comparing a students score to others who have taken the test in the past three years. Also in the score report are estimated national percentile ranks for 5-9 grade test takers and projected 12th grade SAT scores for test takers in grades 7-10.
Scores are mailed to you and your school about two or three weeks after taking the test. Upon receiving their scores, students can send the results to the independent schools they wish to apply to. Each school then evaluates the scores according to its own standards and requirements.
Median scores
Lower Level: 50th Percentile
Grade Reading Verbal Math Lower Level 5 569 584 563 6 593 614 593 7 611 638 614 Upper Level 8 629 662 647 9 644 683 668 10 656 695 686
Recommended Study Guides
Preparing and Applying by SSAT Board Cracking the SSAT & ISEE by Princeton Review SSAT & ISEE by Kaplan
Ivy Global offers a full range of SSAT Preparation Classes and SSAT Preparation Tutoring in the Greater Toronto or Vancouver area.
