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!
We’re thrilled to introduce Faris, one of our 2023 Independent School Tuition Scholars! Faris increased his SSAT score by 30 percentile points, earning him a spot in the 59th percentile overall!
The Lower Level ISEE is taken by students applying to grades 5 and 6. Students can take the test on the computer or on paper. It consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the Essay.
The Character Skills Snapshot (CSS) is a tool developed by The Enrollment Management Association, the same company that creates the SSAT. Students in grades 6 through 12 take the CSS for admission to participating independent schools. Check with your prospective schools to see if they require the CSS.
The SSAT Reading section consists of several short passages that you will read and answer questions about. These passages are both fiction and nonfiction, and you will encounter stories, poems, short stories, and persuasive pieces. You will be asked to identify main ideas and supporting details, use context clues to...
We are pleased to introduce Jolie, one of our 2022 scholars. Jolie’s focus and drive led her to increase her SSAT score by 16 points, scoring in the 82nd percentile!
As you research the admissions process for different independent and private schools, you may notice that many schools’ admissions offices mention a holistic review process. What does this mean exactly, and how does it affect your application specifically?
Test preparation is known to increase performance on high-stakes tests, but how does it help with test anxiety? Research has shown that exposure, habit formation, skills development, and online preparation are all effective methods to reduce test anxiety, and each method is linked to test preparation.
