Fifth through eleventh graders often must take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) as a requirement for admission into private secondary schools. There are two levels of the test—the lower test (grades 5-7) and the upper test (grades 8-11). The SSAT has three sections: a verbal section, a reading comprehension section, and a quantitative math section. In addition, each test includes a writing section. While the essay is not graded, it is included along with the test score in the report sent to the school.
 
●The math section consists of 25 questions and takes 30 minutes to complete.

●The verbal section consists of 30 synonym questions and 30 analogy questions, and takes 30 minutes to complete.

●The reading comprehension section consists of 40 questions regarding seven passages, and it takes 40 minutes to complete.

●You must write your essay within a 25-minute time frame. 

Your SSAT score is based on the number of questions correct minus one-quarter point for each incorrect answer. Your raw SSAT scores are converted to scale scores for each section. Scores for the lower level test range from 440 to 710 per section, and from 1320 to 2130 for all three sections. Scores for the upper test range from 500 to 800 per section, and from 1500 to 2400 for all three sections. 

Registration for the SSAT costs $116, and you can register online at www.ssat.org. You may take the test more than once if you wish. Tests normally begin at 9 a.m., and the total testing time spans 2 hours and 35 minutes.

The chart below shows upcoming SSAT dates:
Last Updated: 02/07/2013