At-home testing for admissions exams makes it convenient for students to take these important tests. At-home tests are administered online via a securely monitored remote proctoring program. The structure and content of the at-home version is the same as the traditional paper test, but the means by which you take the test is slightly different, so the means by which you prepare for the test is slightly different too. Check out how to prepare for an at-home test.
At-Home Preparation Best Practices
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The SSAT is now being offered at home, making it safe and convenient for students to take this important admissions test. The SSAT at Home is offered every Saturday, as well as a few Sundays, and can be taken up to five times per year. The SSAT at Home is the same test as the traditional SSAT— the only difference is that the test is administered on the computer rather than on paper.
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The Middle and Upper Level SSAT have six total sections. Two are unscored: the Writing Sample and the Experimental Section. The other four are scored: the two Quantitative (Math) Sections, the Reading Section, and the Verbal Section.
Writing Sample
While the Writing Sample isn’t scored, it will be sent to the schools you’re applying to. This section gives you a chance to express yourself and gives the school a chance to see your writing skills and style.
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We are often asked about the differences between the ISEE and SSAT. We’ve put together a definitive guide to help families decide which test to take if they are given the option.
1. The most important question is whether the school(s) to which you are applying accept either or both of the tests. If you aren’t certain, call each school’s admissions office. Don’t study for the wrong test!
2. If you can take either, is the ISEE or SSAT best for you?
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So you’ve taken the SSAT and received your score report, but what does everything mean? The SSAT score report has two primary measures of performance: scaled scores and percentile scores.
Scaled Scores
On the Elementary level, students receive 1 point for questions answered correctly and 0 points for questions answered incorrectly or left unanswered. On the Middle and Upper levels, students receive 1 point for question answered correctly, lose ¼ of a point for questions answered incorrectly, and receive 0 points for questions left unanswered.
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This year, some K-12 independent schools have made test scores an optional part of their applications. For many schools, this change was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced uncertainty around safe testing options. However, new at-home testing options for two of the most widely-used admissions exams, the ISEE and SSAT, have made testing feasible once again. Let’s take a look at what this new test-optional policy means for your application to independent schools this year.
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Why are practice tests such a critical piece of preparation?
The American Psychological Association defines the testing effect as the psychological finding that retention is better when taking a test compared to restudying the same material. The testing effect, also called retrieval practice, indicates that practice tests are a more effective learning tool than restudying the material.
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Months of practice and three hours of testing have come to an end—you’ve completed the SSAT!
After you’ve had some well-deserved rest, your mind may return to the test, reflecting on the reading passages, rethinking the harder math questions, and obsessing over when you will receive your scores. Now that you’ve done everything you could, waiting can be difficult.
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Are you preparing for an admissions test? Follow our simple, 3-step plan to achieve test success!
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The need to shift our way of life due to COVID-19 has indeed been challenging, but it has also fueled creativity and ingenuity, resulting in new, and sometimes even better, ways of doing things. One such thing is online testing. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more tests were moving to a computerized format, and now, at-home testing has become a feasible alternative. Some tests, such as the ISEE and SSAT, are available at home, but what is the alternative for the benchmark mock testing that is commonly administered in-person at schools? Online mock tests, of course.
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