How to Study for the SSAT
The SSAT is an entrance exam for Portland schools Catlin Gabel School and Oregon Episcopal School (OES), among others. For many students, the SSAT is their first experience with a standardized test and can pose a unique set of challenges for students who haven’t been exposed to a narrowly structured exam with tight time limits.
We’re going to break down the test, then present the best ways to prepare for each section. It may seem like a lot to take in, but fear not – with a strategic prep plan and ample study time, you’ll be in good shape to take on the SSAT!
SSAT Test Design
The SSAT has 5 sections:
one unscored Writing Sample
two Quantitative sections
one Verbal section, and
one Reading Comprehension section.
The Upper Level SSAT Quantitative sections require knowledge of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, including Algebra I topics. The best way to prepare for these is to refresh yourself on the content tested.
Studying for the SSAT
First, get an idea of the topics tested and what topics you need to review by practicing with real SSAT drills and practice sets. You can access these online on the SSAT website. As you work through them, jot down the math topics you are rusty on and those you’ve never seen before. Then, head over to Khan Academy and work through the videos and quizzes until you feel confident on each topic.
The SSAT Verbal and Reading sections require familiarity with advanced vocabulary and reading materials. The best way to prepare is to consistently study new vocabulary and read a variety of genres. The SSAT can test students on poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from a wide variety of time periods, so the more you read, the better prepared you’ll be for the Reading Comprehension section.
For Verbal, decide on a method of vocabulary study. Do you want to write words or definitions, make physical flashcards, or use a Quizlet list? It’s up to you to find the avenue that works best for you and stick with it. Set a weekly goal for vocabulary study (20 words per week is a good number) and ask your parents for help in sticking with it. You can see how you’re doing by using the SSAT drills and practice sets, but the real gains are going to come from the vocabulary study.
For Reading, find new sources of material. Articles from news sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic are great for nonfiction, but you’ll also want to find fiction and poetry sources. We like American Literature because they have great short stories and poetry, and they curate specific lists by genre, author, and reader grade level. Like with vocabulary study, the important thing is to make a plan and stick with it. Rope friends and family into your study plan to help hold you accountable and to make the process more fun.
Once you’ve built a strong foundation in all three areas, you can move on to taking SSAT practice tests. This is where you’ll begin to get more experience with the test questions and the timing. You’ll also need to practice some test taking strategies. Here are our favorites:
Guessing. The SSAT awards a full point for each correct answer you give but takes a quarter of a point away for each wrong answer. There’s no penalty for leaving a question blank, so you need to be strategic about guessing. A good rule is that if you can definitively eliminate at least two answer choices, you should make a guess from the choices that remain.
Rounding and Estimating. Calculators aren’t allowed and taking time to do many tedious calculations by hand can take time that you could be spending on other problems. Practice rounding decimals or estimating answers.
Eliminating. Just as important as finding the correct answer is eliminating the wrong answers. As you find answers you know are wrong, cross them out. If you’re estimating, cross out the answer choices that are too big or too small to be correct. This puts you in a good position if you need to guess!
Learn roots. Memorizing dozens of vocabulary words is time consuming, and there’s no guarantee you’ll see the words on the official SSAT. A good supplement to memorizing vocabulary is learning the roots of words. Becoming familiar with Latin prefixes and suffixes can help you make educated guesses about what a word might mean.
