Test Prep Isn't Always Enough for the ISEE and SSAT
Time and again we have parents come to us utterly shocked that their student performed poorly on the ISEE or SSAT. Their student has done well in classes and with coursework, and they also did well on the NYS Math Regents and ELA Exams. This leads to the misconception that their student will automatically do well on the ISEE or SSAT. The truth is, however, that the way these tests are designed makes them more difficult than the typical level at which your student is performing.
The ISEE, or Independent School Entrance Exam, is the test used by independent schools to help determine admission for grades 2-12. The test is administered at four different levels: Primary (students in grades 1-3 entering grades 2-4), Lower (students in grades 4-5 entering grades 5-6), Middle (students in grades 6-7 entering grades 7-8), and Upper (students grade 8 and above entering grades 9-12).
The SSAT, or Secondary School Admissions Test, is the test used for admission into private schools. The test is administered for grades 3-11 on three levels: Elementary (students in grades 3-4 entering grades 4-5), Middle (grades 5-7 entering grades 6-8), and Upper (students in grades 8-11 entering grades 9-post graduate).
As you can see from this breakdown, the same ISEE test is administered to students in first grade that is administered to a student in third grade. Likewise, the same SSAT test given to an eighth grader is also given to a student entering their senior year of high school. Though these tests will be scored differently depending on which grade the student is currently in, the student will still be faced with the same questions, many of which will be more advanced than they are ready to answer. This can cause a great deal of anxiety for the student.
Prepare With Less Stress
Ivy Link recommends that your student take a diagnostic ISEE and SSAT in March, about 9 months before private school applications will be due. The diagnostics will assess how much additional material your student will need to learn. This allows your student to receive the necessary academic tutoring that will get them where they need to be when test prep starts. We offer tutoring services that will help your student get ahead of their current curriculum so that they can answer more questions more confidently. It’s likely that your student will still face questions that they can’t answer, but we will teach your student test-prep strategies such as process of elimination and selecting the best-guess answer without the crippling anxiety faced by so many test takers.
We advise that students start this preparation as early as possible. Here is a sample timeline:
March: diagnostic ISEE and SSAT
March - June: academic tutoring
June - October (allowing for summer camp, etc.): test prep tutoring, which includes sitting for 5-8 full-length practice tests under timed conditions
October/November: first official test; continued test prep if necessary
December: second official test (if necessary)
Reach out to Ivy Link today to get started!
