SSAT Exam Recommendations

The SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) is a required exam for students applying to top private schools in the United States and Canada. It is available at three levels based on the grade of the test taker: Elementary, Middle, and Upper, and assesses students across four areas: Verbal, Reading, Quantitative (Math), and Writing. This guide provides specific strategies and recommendations to help students prepare for the SSAT exam.

How Difficult is the SSAT?

The SSAT, also referred to as the “American Middle School Entrance Exam,” evaluates more than just language skills, covering Verbal, Reading, Math, and Writing. Its comprehensive scope makes it relatively challenging. For instance, the Reading section not only includes informational passages but also literary works like novels, poetry, and essays, which adds to the difficulty.

At the Middle and Upper Levels, students are required to read 8 passages, each containing 300-400 words, within 40 minutes, which equates to approximately 70 words per minute. This demands a high reading speed from test-takers. The Verbal section includes analogy questions, which require students to grasp the logical relationships between words, posing a particular challenge for younger students. Additionally, the Math section covers topics like functions and probability, which may go beyond the curriculum of some students.

Vocabulary Requirements for the SSAT

Below is a chart that outlines the vocabulary expectations for the different levels of the SSAT, including reading, verbal, and math:

Level	Reading	Verbal	Quantitative
Elementary Level (Grade 3~4)	6000 (2000)	6000 (2000)	<100 (<100)
Middle Level (Grade 5~7)	8000 (3000)	8000 (3000)	150 (150)
Upper Level (Grade 8~11)	12000+ (3000)	10000 (3000)	200 (200)