After opening our doors in 2006, Mindfish quickly became the top-choice for SSAT prep in the nearby Boulder and Denver area. As with other standardized tests, the key to excelling on the SSAT rests with mastering the content, hard work, and test-taking strategies. Mindfish can maximize SSAT scores in the most efficient amount of time through a data-driven and personalized approach. Buttressed by our experienced SSAT tutors, Mindfish diligently works with each student to increase the academic knowledge and test-taking skills necessary to achieve success.
Our SSAT programs include one-on-one tutoring, small group instruction, and online tutoring. Everything about Mindfish’s SSAT tutoring and test prep program is customized and flexible: scheduling, content, and tutor. This allows our tutors to make the most of each session by identifying weaknesses and areas in need of improvement and fostering study habits that will push your student’s SSAT score higher.
What is the SSAT?
The Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) is a standardized test that students in grades 4 through 12 must take when applying to elite private and independent schools. This timed, multiple-choice standardized test assesses quantitative, verbal, and reading skills. These skills will determine your child’s preparedness to study at some of the most competitive independent schools in the world.
The SSAT gets administered on three levels:
- Elementary – for students currently in grades 3-4 (applying to grades 4-5)
- Middle – for students currently in grades 5-7 (applying to grades 6-8)
- Upper – for students currently in grades 8-11 (applying to grades 9-12)
The test is offered once each month from October through April, so students should begin preparing in the summer or by the latest in the fall. While your SSAT score is not the only criterion used in admission decisions, the SSAT results are still a crucial component of your application to an independent school.
What Material Appears on the SSAT?
The SSAT is not an achievement test, and it does not measure personal characteristics such as honesty, motivation, persistence, or creativity. The SSAT is a multiple-choice test that includes scored verbal (vocabulary), math, and reading comprehension sections, as well as an unscored writing sample. The breakdown of the SSAT include:
- Writing Section – No score is given but a copy gets sent to schools on your application list.
- Quantitative Section – This section assesses a mixture of concepts from your grade’s math curriculum as well as more advanced concepts.
- Verbal Section – This section gets divided into two sections focusing on Synonyms and Analogies.
- Reading Section – This section consists of grade-level-appropriate passages, each with associated multiple-choice questions that may include biographies, prose, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
- Experimental Section – This unscored section contains mixed content questions.