Which SSAT section is most important?
We here at Test Innovators receive many questions about the specific knowledge requirements on the SSAT, but the most common one is: Which SSAT section is the most important?
As with any other query, we’ve looked to our extensive data for the answer. We’ve heard a variety of hypotheses regarding SSAT section difficulties. Some parents and tutors believe that the Reading section is the most important because reading comprehension is necessary for most other testable knowledge. Others opine that—especially for students applying to highly competitive schools—the Quantitative section is the most important because it best reflects the student’s innate ability for high-level reasoning. While these theories are reasonable, the truth is much more nuanced. Here is the fact of the matter: the most important section is the one that is most challenging to you. While this may sound paradoxical, our data supports this conclusion.
Students take the SSAT to gain admission to their schools of choice, so it makes the most sense to take the perspective of an admissions department. Suppose you’re an admissions director and you’re looking at the following two students’ SSAT scores:
Score reports tell a story, giving a glimpse into a student’s relative strengths and weaknesses. In the table above, Student 1 is testing in the middle of the pack, receiving solid—but not dominant—percentiles on each section. This student is above the mean in every category. As an admissions director, we see a student who will be ready on day one in all subjects that the SSAT measures. For Student 2, however, we see a very different situation. While this student is clearly excellent in Verbal subjects and received nearly the highest score possible on the Quantitative section, their Reading percentile displays a significant weakness. On day one of class, this student will be significantly behind in reading, which likely means that remedial help will be necessary. Very competitive schools typically don’t allocate resources for students who are far behind; therefore they rarely accept students who will need to play serious catch-up. Our practice test and admissions data supports the example above. Students with one or two areas of significant weakness—even with exceptional results in other sections—often struggle to gain admission to very competitive schools. Meanwhile, students with solid scores across the board tend to have a higher rate of admissions success.
So…what can you do? The critical first step in any SSAT prep strategy is to diagnose areas that need the most focus and preparation. Students don’t have unlimited time to study for the test, so it’s especially important to identify the subjects that would benefit most from improvement. We often find that a low score may simply reflect a student’s lack of familiarity with a section or question type, rather than a lack of ability. It’s important to take a full-length diagnostic practice test to assess your initial performance at the beginning of the prep process. Once you have done that, you can craft an informed preparation strategy based on your personal areas of weakness. Remember, the key to test success is to diagnose, review, learn, and practice. Get started with Test Innovators today!
Originally published on November 04, 2015. Updated on December 15, 2025.
