Online SSAT Test Prep
1-on-1 individualized SSAT tutoring for higher SSAT scores
What is the SSAT?
SSAT stands for the Secondary School Admissions Test, and it’s used for admission to private middle schools and high schools. If you’re looking to attend an elite private middle or high school, this is a test you’ll need to do well on.
SSAT is generally very accessible, and you would have many chances to take and retake it with three SSAT testing methods to choose from—paper, prometric, and at-home.
Usually, there are multiple test dates every month for SSAT at-home tests; one paper SSAT test date every month.
You can find out more about the prometric test
and schedule online at:
https://www.ssat.org/testing/prometric/overview.
Most SSAT test takers aim to get into elite private schools since the test is not mandatory for every middle school student. Competitiveness is also demonstrated in the SSAT scoring process. SSAT scoring compares each student to a hypothetical average student from a norm group of first-time SSAT test-takers in the United States and Canada over the past three years. Highly competitive, the norm group is composed of students of the same grade who apply to the most selective independent schools in the country.
The test is designed to measure the verbal, quantitative, and reading skills that students have developed over time, both in and out of school. As many areas are covered, it is over 3 hours long. The length and breadth of the SSAT make the test demanding for young test takers.
SSAT emphasizes the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for academic success. These skills are sometimes very challenging to develop, especially for younger test takers.
Sinica's 1-on-1 tutoring program gives students an individualized learning experience that is intentionally designed to help them target their learning gaps in weak areas.
Our instructors graduated from TOP 30 universities with 10+ years of teaching experience on average. Every tutor has undergone a rigorous screening process with subject exams and mock tutoring sessions to ensure they have the academic background and abilities necessary to teach our students well.
We prioritize teaching our students exam strategies while also tutoring them in their content area needs. We want students to feel confident in both their knowledge and exam-taking abilities.
We value building relationships with our students to best understand their academic needs and goals, so that we can provide support that is tailored to the way they learn and understand concepts.
We understand the importance of scores on student's academic future. We are committed to helping students reach their fullest potential by ensuring higher grades and cultivating outstanding abilities.
Our instructors were brilliant test takers and accumulated knowledge and test-taking skills. They graduated from the world's top universities with academic distinctions, and 70% of them hold a master's or even higher degree. Our elite instructors will teach you the skills they have developed over the years.
Every tutor has undergone a rigorous screening process with subject exams and mock tutoring sessions to ensure they have the necessary background and abilities to teach our students well. We set layers of screening to make sure that our instructors can quickly identify students' pain points and consequently personalize their teaching methods and styles to suit those different needs.
On average, our instructors have over 10 years of teaching experience. They have taught hundreds of students from different backgrounds and clocked thousands of hours in the online classroom. They have helped innumerable students improve their scores significantly.
1. Mark the test date on your calendar as soon as you register.
2. Decide how much time you will spend studying and preparing.
3. Determine how much time you want to study each day.
4. Plan out how you want to review. It might be most beneficial to focus on the topics or subjects you struggle with most.
5. Figure out which topic and/or subject you plan to study each day. Planning it out will save you from wasting time trying to decide what to study.
6. Find a calm, quiet space to study.
7. Tailor your study habits to the type of learner that you are.
8. Take practice exams. One of the best ways to help you prepare for the exam is to take practice versions. Sinica tutors will help you analyze practice test results and modify your study plan.
9. Relax and take good care of yourself. Practice calming routines, get plenty of rest, and eat healthy foods.
Your raw score is the number of questions you get right on a section minus 1/4 point for each incorrect answer. This raw score is converted to a scaled score between 500 and 800.
Then this scaled score becomes a percentile ranging from 1 to 99.
Admission tests are a required step for entering many independent schools all around the world. Independent schools use the SSAT to determine whether students are qualified for admittance to the school. Therefore, a great deal of pressure is often put on students to do well on the SSAT.
It really depends on the school you want to go to. A good SSAT score should help you get admitted to that school.
The SSAT is designed for the average student to score in the 50th percentile (the median). There are some great schools with an average SSAT score in this 50-60% range.
The most competitive schools, however, will have average SSAT scores in the 90th+ percentile.
Generally speaking, most private schools do not prioritize the SSAT. They care so much about students’ extracurricular involvement, their academic performance in school, their letters of recommendation from teachers, and their application essays. Nevertheless, schools use the SSAT score to help contextualize students’ academics and compare them to their peers.
The tricky part is that most schools won’t directly state the specific score ranges they’re looking for. Instead, they’ll probably say something like this statement from the Riverdale admissions office: “While there is no minimum score required for entry, outlying low scores on these tests tend to be predictive of future difficulties.”
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) is a standardized test whose purpose is to help admissions committees at the private primary, middle, and high schools evaluate the potential performance of applicants.
Both the ISEE and SSAT have reading comprehension, verbal, and two math sections, as well as an unscored essay section. The main difference is that the SSAT has two “Quantitative Reasoning” sections, whereas the ISEE has one “Quantitative Reasoning” and one “Mathematics Achievement” section. Ask the school(s) you’re applying to which test they prefer before you make the decision.
Like the old SAT, the SSAT bills itself as an “aptitude” test, one that proclaims to test how students think, not what they already know. That aim means the SSAT intentionally presents students with material they haven’t yet encountered in school to test their problem-solving abilities. Your everyday learning will be a form of SSAT prepping. However, that being said, you should still have at least three months to dedicate to SSAT preparation.
Never worry about falling behind on the lectures like in other tutoring classes. Class schedules and topics are entirely tailored to your specific needs. Sinica always puts students first and customizes your instructor team and lecture content accordingly. We look forward to being your partner along the way in your SSAT preparation.
My daughter's tutor is one in a million! She is very patient and kind. My daughter loves having those tutoring sessions and no longer hates math!
Thank you Sinica for making a difference! I was not aware of the importance of the SSAT score for my daughter's high school admission. Thank you for bringing it to our attention and helping her succeed in the test!
My tutors are gems! They helped me understand what kind of score I needed to get into my dream school, and dissected my big goal into smaller bite-sized doable steps. Now I'm in my top-choice school, looking back, I couldn't have done it without them.
