Fifth through eleventh graders often must take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) as a requirement for admission into private secondary schools. There are two levels of the test—the middle test (grades 5-7) and the upper test (grades 8-11). The SSAT has three sections: a verbal section, a reading comprehension section, and a quantitative math section. In addition, each test includes a writing section. While the essay is not graded, it is included along with the test score in the report sent to the school.
- The math section consists of 2 parts each 25 questions and 30 minutes to complete.
- The verbal section consists of 30 synonym questions and 30 analogy questions, and takes 30 minutes to complete.
- The reading comprehension section consists of 40 questions regarding seven passages, and it takes 40 minutes to complete.
- You must write your essay within a 25-minute time frame.
Registration for the SSAT costs $127, and you can register online at www.ssat.org. You may take the test more than once if you wish. Tests normally begin at 9 a.m., and the total testing time spans 2 hours and 35 minutes.