Test Preparation

Your child has taken the SSAT as part of the admissions process for several schools. You have received the Scores Report. Now, what does it mean? How do you read the Scores Report?

Background

The first thing to remember about the SSAT is that each private school you are applying to views SSAT test scores through its own admissions lens, as it were. That means that your child's score won't necessarily mean the same thing in the various admissions offices. Why is that? The answer lies in the fact that each private school is an independent, legal entity. In other words, each school does its own thing. Each school has its own educational philosophy, its own idiosyncratic approach to teaching, and so on. Most schools also have had years of experience and tradition teaching young people. That means that their admissions officers know what kind of applicant will be successful in their educational and community setting.

So, where does a standardized admissions test like the SSAT fit in? It provides a common platform for assessing basic academic knowledge. Put another way, if Sally from Middle School A applies, she will be taking the same admissions test as every other applicant, regardless of where they go to school. Standardized testing provides a level playing field; at least, that is the theory behind standardized testing. Read Aaron Churchill's essay Bless the three reasons for standardized testing for an overview of the subject. Most standardized admissions tests

Many Roman Catholic high schools don't use the SSAT or ISSE admissions tests as part of their admissions requirements. For instance, Roman Catholic high schools in the Archdioceses of New York and Brooklyn/Queens administer the Test for Admission Into Catholic High Schools or TACHS.

Elsewhere in the country, you will find the Cooperative Admissions Exam (COOP) or the High School Placement Test (HSPT). What the admissions staff are looking for is readiness for high school level academic work. The tests are generally given in the late fall of grade 8. Study.com offers a Practice and Study Guide for the COOP exam.

This video from Petersen's offers strategies for taking the HSPT.

Diocesan and archdiocesan high schools generally admit most of their new students from elementary schools within their own dioceses. (A diocese is a legal territory and entity under the control and jurisdiction of a bishop.) Consequently, most of the students have been educated to certain standards that are well-known within that diocese. Standardized tests are not necessary in order to develop a student profile. That profile is already well-known. as well, the teachers and principals of the diocesan elementary schools themselves are known quantities. That being the case, it is simply a matter for the admissions office to identify any marginal performers and decide on those applicants. The testing per se has already ben

Standardized testing is part of most private schools' admissions requirements. There are several reasons why schools use standardized admissions tests. The first reason is that they level the admissions playing field. Every candidate for admission must take the same admissions test. Fairness is the name of the game. The second reason is that schools want to be able to assess candidates' proficiency in core academic subjects. In other words, can the candidate who wants to come to my school do the work we do at our school?

The two most commonly used independent school tests are the SSAT or Secondary School Admission Test and the ISEE or Independent School Entrance Examination.

About the SSAT

From the SSAT handbook, page 12: "The SSAT is the required admission test at many of the best independent schools in the world. This test is one important step on the path to an independent school education. Your SSAT score is one part of your complete application to an independent school, and while it is important, it is not the only criteria for admission. The SSAT is designed for students in grades 3 through PG and is administered on three levels (Elementary, Middle, and Upper)."

The SSAT is probably unlike any test your student has ever taken. That’s because it’s designed to find the best students in a large pool of excellent students. The SSAT’s questions are significantly different—in their difficulty and their content—from questions on other standardized