What You Need to Know About Private School Admissions in 2021
When considering a private high school for your student, plan ahead for admissions requirements.
If your student is looking to apply to a private high school or middle school next year, they’ll likely need to consider taking either the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) or the High School Placement Test (HSPT). Now’s the time to start thinking about how to register and prepare.
While there is some overlap between the tests, there are also key differences and important changes to test formats this year. Let’s unpack the most valuable information to know, especially if you’re interested in one of the Portland-area schools requiring them this year, such as Oregon Episcopal School (OES), St. Mary’s Academy, or Jesuit High School.
Should I take SSAT or HSPT?
The HSPT is strictly for students seeking entrance to parochial (Catholic) high schools, whereas the SSAT is used by independent schools and has three levels — Lower, Middle, and Upper — depending on the grade level in which a student intends to enroll. (With both tests, students sit for the test during the school year prior to enrollment.)
| 2022-2023 Admissions | HSPT | SSAT |
|---|---|---|
| Jesuit | ✓ | |
| St. Mary’s Academy | ✓ | |
| La Salle Prep | ✓ | |
| Oregon Episcopal School | ✓ | |
| Catlin Gabel | (waived) | |
| Central Catholic | (waived) | |
| Northwest Academy | (waived) |
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many area schools waived their requirements for the HSPT for 2020-2021 admissions. But as vaccinations, mask-wearing, and social distancing help mitigate the potential for Covid-19 transmission, some of these schools are again requiring students to sit for an exam.
Catholic schools that require the HSPT will be looking for students to sit for a paper test at their first-choice school. Schools who require the SSAT allow students to take the in-person or online version of the test. The online version of the test, as with last year, can be taken either at-home or at a Prometric test center (see this blog post for more information on SSAT testing formats).
What are my Testing Options?
The HSPT typically has one primary test date (December 4th in 2021), though schools are allowed to offer alternative dates to increase the chances of student participation. This year, the primary test date is December 4th, with December 3rd and December 8th offered as alternative dates. Not all dates are offered at every school – we advise testing at the school you are most interested in, if possible.
The SSAT has three remaining in-person, paper-based test dates available, running through early January. On these dates, the Middle Level and Upper Level SSAT will be offered at participating schools and testing centers, including Oregon Episcopal School. If you’re taking the at-home version of the test, there are many more available test days than in a conventional testing season. Note, even though the tests are online and at-home, you will still register for a specific start time that corresponds with other test-takers. For the SSAT, the options for test dates, times, and locations available to you should populate during the registration process. Make sure to check the score delivery and admissions deadlines for your school before registering, to ensure your scores will arrive on time.
What’s Covered on SSAT & HSPT?
Now that you have determined your course of action, you might be wondering what the exams will cover. First, let’s start with what’s similar between each of these tests.
Both tests contain relatively similar reading comprehension sections, which include a series of passages with associated questions. Both tests have a distinct verbal section, a quantitative or math section, and a writing section. The writing section is unscored. This does not mean this section is unimportant, as admissions officials at the school to which you are applying will read your sample and may use it in their decision-making process. The writing section is the only non-multiple-choice section on each exam.
What’s different about the tests? The HSPT tests grammar, spelling, and logic, while these are not directly tested on the SSAT. There are some subtle differences in math (like the HSPT’s tendency to test patterns and number theory), but nothing of extreme significance. In terms of scoring, the SSAT deducts a quarter of a point for wrong answers, whereas the HSPT does not penalize for guessing. This means that if you are taking the SSAT you should only guess on a question if you have already eliminated at least two answer choices. If you are taking the HSPT, be sure to answer every question, regardless of your ability to eliminate an answer.
The most substantial difference between the tests is that the SSAT publishes more resources and updates their website more regularly. Because SSAT offers more public information about their test and its contents, let’s take a closer look at that exam.
The SSAT in Detail
On the two quantitative sections of the SSAT, students answer 50 total questions over two 30-minute sections (25 questions each). The topics tested include Number Concepts and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Unit Measurement, Data Analysis and Probability. All of the questions are multiple choice.
In the Reading section, students will answer 40 questions in one 40 minute section. All of the questions are again multiple choice, and will be in response to one-to-three paragraph fiction and nonfiction passages (less commonly, a short poem is featured).
The Verbal section requires students answer sixty multiple-choice questions in one 30-minute section. These questions are evenly split between synonyms and analogies.
How do I Prepare?
With both HSPT and SSAT, the best preparation for getting comfortable with the online format is realistic practice. Access a quick guide for the HSPT online or the SSAT at Home, and check out our proctored practice test calendar for opportunities to test-drive a paper version.
If you’re still feeling nervous, don’t panic. Your focus should be test content, and that, thankfully, hasn’t changed. If you’d like to sharpen your skills, though, we’ve got experienced tutors who can prepare you for either test, covering all of the content and strategy to bring out your best performance. Contact us to learn more about working with an expert tutor.