Simulating the official testing experience is a critical part of the preparation process. This helps students mitigate any testing anxiety because they know exactly what to expect, and it helps them practice managing their time on a rigorous exam.
For this reason, we have created online proctor videos so that students can have their own virtual proctor!
We recommend that students find a time that they can sit down and take a full-length practice test (ideally a weekend morning, as that’s the time they’ll be taking the official test!), print out their practice test, pull up their proctor video, and press play. The video proctor will do the rest — give students all the instructions, 5-minute warnings, and stop times for each section.
Make sure you choose the video for the correct level and test. If you will be receiving an accommodation for time and a half on the official test, check out the extended time videos!
Summer break offers a unique opportunity for students to get ahead on ISEE and SSAT prep without the pressure of a busy school schedule. With more time and flexibility, students can build confidence, strengthen core skills, and reduce stress ahead of admissions season.
Reading Comprehension (RC) is about understanding what you are reading. You do not need outside information to do well on this section. You also do not need to be experienced in the topic of any given passage. Creativity may harm more than help. What you need to do is cover...
Start at least 6 months before your test date Not only are there a lot of words to learn, but giving yourself time to practice and use the SSAT vocabulary words you are learning will help their definitions stay with you.
Phillips Exeter Academy is Mason’s dream school. Mason knows everything there is to know about Exeter. All of his heroes are Exeter alumni: his favorite US president is Franklin Pierce, and he has dressed up as author Booth Tarkington for the past three Halloweens.
When it comes to preparing for an entrance exam, it can be easy to procrastinate because of all the other things you have to do for your applications. Giving yourself enough time to study will not only boost your performance and confidence, it will also help you retain information for...
Our SSAT Prep Guide is now available in both online and print format. Use the Prep Guide along with our web-based practice platform, and you'll be well on your way to test success!
Over the summer, we've been poring over the tens of thousands of data points we attained from our ISEE practice test system this year. We were interested to see how students performed by question type, especially when it came to geographic location
Are teacher recommendations, grades, or test scores more important for your overall application? In this clip from our CEO's chat with placement expert Neal Kamsler, Neal talks about the different ways that schools might look at your ISEE & SSAT scores, and how those scores fit into the final decision.
For...
We are pleased to introduce Esther, one of our 2024 scholars. Through hard work and dedication, Esther increased her ISEE score by over 26 percentile points!
We all know that cramming before a test is not the best strategy for success, especially when it comes to admissions tests like the SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, ACT, and SAT. So, when should students start preparing? Short answer: early. Longer answer: at least six to eight months before test day.
Some students...