SSAT Middle and Upper Level Pretests
Information for Families
The Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB) is a trusted partner of schools in the U.S., Canada,
and abroad. Our member schools – including your child’s school – look to us to provide them with tools
and professional resources that advance and add value to the private school admission process. Through
the SSAT, a standardized admission test that is currently given to students in grades 5-11, SSATB serves
some 800 schools and 60,000 applicants each year.
In order to provide the best possible materials to our member schools, SSATB continues to develop
new versions of the SSAT. To ensure that these versions of the assessment work as intended, a
“pretest” process is necessary, and your child’s school has chosen to participate on behalf of the greater
independent school community.
Technically speaking, the pretest is required in order to obtain student performance data to be used
in item calibration, test generation, test equating, and norming.Your child’s teacher will administer this
pretest, which has absolutely no bearing on classroom grades.
These pretest versions of the SSAT Middle and Upper Levels have four multiple choice sections –
vocabulary (30 questions), math (30 questions), and two reading comprehension sections (30 questions
total) - split into two parts, with the math section given with half of the reading comprehension section,
and the verbal section given with the remainder of the reading section. All sections contain grade-level
appropriate questions written and reviewed by Middle and Upper level teachers in indepen¬dent schools.
Teachers prepare the students in advance so they understand that they are helping to build a test that
will be used for future students.
The pretest is designed so that each half can be given independently and over the
course of two weeks. A minimum of 45 minutes of testing time for each
part is required, but teachers may provide more time so that all students
can complete the section. Students mark their answers in an answer sheet.
Schools participating in the pretest receive score data for their students
and comparative score data across all participating schools. Schools
may share individual student data with families as they choose.
The SSAT Board and staff are committed to providing admission
services of the highest quality to the families, students, and schools
that it supports. We appreciate your child’s involvement and assistance
in assuring that quality.
Secondary School Admission Test
CN 5339 • Princeton NJ 08543 USA
www.ssat.org • info@ssat.org
SSAT Information Center: 609-683-4440
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST