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.
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.
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.
We are excited to introduce our 2020 Independent School Tuition Scholars! We selected four students with the greatest overall score improvement and three students with the greatest possible score improvement. Recipients were awarded $1,000 towards tuition at their new school.
A recent report commissioned by The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) noted that 91% of boarding school students felt academically challenged, compared to 70% of private day school students and 50% of public school students. The same study found that 87% of boarding school graduates felt very well prepared academically...
One of the most common mistakes on the SSAT is misreading a question, usually due to reading too quickly. Be sure to take a few extra seconds on every question to avoid careless errors.
Underline important information
Underline words and numbers indicating the quantities, relationships, and calculations (less than, twice, product, etc.)...
Scott Duddy is the Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts, and brings with him 14 years of professional experience in the world of independent schools.
The Elementary Level SSAT has two levels: Elementary Grade 3 for current 3rd graders applying to 4th grade, and Elementary Grade 4 for current 4th graders applying to 5th grade. Both levels consist of the same sections: Quantitative (math), Reading, Verbal, Writing Sample, and Experimental. The Experimental Section, which is...
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...
We are excited to introduce Arianna, one of our 2021 scholars. Through hard work and determination, Arianna increased her ISEE score by 41 percentile points!
