Get resources: full-length SSAT practice tests, level-appropriate vocabulary lists, a watch for test day (and practice sections!), a quiet place to complete timed sections
Help students eat well, sleep well, and exercise often
Mentally:
Organize with your child: Connect students with a tutor or class (or you!) to:
When will they test?
How many new words can they commit to learning per week?
Will you help them study or quiz them?
When will they take diagnostic practice tests?
Emotionally:
Build confidence. Celebrate successes and assure them that with practice they can do their best.
Know that their happiness and success in life is actually NOT dependent on SSAT results. (If YOU are overly concerned they may become overly stressed which will NOT help them.)
Offer an “after-test-day” award as motivation; a treat not dependent on scores. This “Woohooo, you did it!”-award can be material or a celebratory activity you’ll do together.
One of the most common mistakes that students make on the SSAT and ISEE is not reading the directions and questions carefully. While the sentence instructions may seem self-explanatory, they actually provide important information about how to approach the questions in that section. At the beginning of every section of...
Neal Kamsler has worked in New York City independent schools for 35 years, including 21 years as Head of Upper School at Allen-Stevenson School. He also serves as Senior Director of Placement at Oliver Scholars, an educational access organization based in Manhattan. Test Innovators' CEO, Edan Shahar, sits down with...
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.
Think of the last time you took a big test. What were you thinking about during the test? Did you feel good or bad during the exam? When thinking about the upcoming test, what are your thoughts and feelings about it? Have these thoughts and feelings motivated you to prepare...
While every student is different, the number one cause of test anxiety is not knowing what to expect. High-stakes exams like the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, and ACT are significantly different than in-school assessment tests that students regularly take, so the strategies for taking these tests are different too. This might...
Test Innovators has yet another test prep innovation that we’re excited to share with you – Timed Paper Test Mode.
For years, we've offered detailed timing feedback on our online platform, which provides valuable insights for students and educators to see how much time is spent per question, as well as...
We are pleased to introduce Beau, one of our 2022 scholars. Through focus and consistency, Beau increased his ISEE score by 18 points, scoring in the 88th percentile!
If you took the SSAT really early in the year, you'll want to make sure you can use those scores to apply to schools this year. Or you may decide for any number of reasons not to apply this year at all. Can you use this year’s scores for next...
We are excited to introduce Sonia, one of our 2022 scholars. Through consistent practice and perseverance, Sonia increased her SSAT score by 17 points, scoring in the 87th percentile overall!
