SSAT pacing

Preparing for the SSAT

Preparing for the SSAT

Admission tests are a required step for entering many independent schools all around the world. Independent schools use the SSAT to determine whether students are qualified for admittance. Often, a great deal of pressure is put on students to do well on the SSAT. Read on to find out the steps that can be taken to ensure you're adequately prepared.

SSAT Tips and Strategies

•    Guess if you can eliminate 2 answer choices on easy or medium questions. Guess on hard questions if you can eliminate 3 answer choices.
•    "Attractor" answers are most common towards the middle and end of a section. 
•    The student receives 1 minute per question on the reading section.
•    The student receives 30 seconds per question on the verbal section. 
•    The student receives 72 seconds per question on both math sections. 

MATH
•    Half of the math questions are arithmetic and about one-fifth Geometry based. 
•    If it doesn’t say “not drawn to scale” then estimate by looking at it.
•    Use numbers that are easy to work with when plugging in for variables. 
•    If you think a question will take more than 72 seconds, circle it and come back to it later.
•    Watch out for sudden measurement changes. For example, the chart lists yards and the answers are given in feet. 

VERBAL
•    Review the word and find the correct definition.
•    The answers may also use a secondary definition.
•    Examine the word for roots, prefixes, and suffixes. 
•    Does the word sound positive or negative.
•    For analogies, build a sentence with the word to understand the relationship. 
•    Eliminate answer choices with no relation and that seem weak in their relationship. 

READING
•    Spend the first minute looking for “easy” passages to tackle. 
•    Reading is the only section that doesn’t progress from easy to difficult. 
•    Usually the very first sentence will be the main idea. 
•    Read at a strong pace, but do not re-read. 
•    Try not to worry about rushing through passages. 
•    Don’t move onto the next passage until you answer all the questions. 
•    If you’re running short on time, look for the questions that ask for a definition. 

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