You’ve done it! You’ve made it through 5 sections, 150 questions, one essay, and over 2 and a half hours of testing. You may be ready to go home and take a well-deserved nap (or run around after sitting for so long) but before you breathe a deep sigh of relief, there’s one final section.
The experimental section is the shortest section of the test: only 15 minutes and 16 questions total. Unlike the other SSAT sections, the experimental section has a mix of question types: six verbal, five reading, and five quantitative. While you want to answer every question and try your hardest, don’t let the experimental section stress or overwhelm you: it is neither scored nor sent to schools.
So, if it’s not scored, why does this section exist? Writing a test like the SSAT can be difficult, and test writers use this last section to try out new questions. Test writers will evaluate the results of each question to determine if it is appropriate and reliable and ultimately if it will appear on the test in future years. Once you’ve finished those last 15 minutes, you can be proud of both conquering a long and difficult test and playing a role in shaping the test for years to come.
The most important rule of reading comprehension is that the passage will always provide all of the information needed to answer the question. This means that reading comprehension is really like a scavenger hunt, and your objective is to get as good as possible at sleuthing, finding the lines that...
The day before the test, relax, read a book, get some exercise, and get plenty of sleep. In fact, you should prioritize sleep the entire week before the test as those earlier nights’ sleep will be critical.
On the morning of the test, wake up with ample time to eat a...
There are many different ways to take the SSAT. Luckily, there are also many opportunities to retake the test if you're unhappy with your scores. Learn about how you can retake the SSAT.
Since vocabulary is one of the main areas tested on the ISEE and SSAT tests, you will need to learn as many new words as possible before taking the test. While vocabulary questions primarily appear on the verbal section of the test, there are also vocabulary questions on the reading...
As a general rule, we recommend starting your SSAT prep six to four months before your test date.
So if you are planning to take the test in November, then you should take a diagnostic practice test sometime between May and July.
Time management is one of the keys to success on the ISEE/SSAT. Attempting timed sections can be less daunting with our simple time management strategy:
The Test Innovators Video Course provides videos and resources that focus on both strategies and content to help you reach your testing goals. Consider these methods to making use of the Video Course:Start with the videos on Test-taking Strategies. This chapter includes all of the videos that will help you...
