The SSAT consists of a brief unscored writing sample and multiple choice sections comprising quantitative (mathematics), reading comprehension, and verbal questions.
The SSAT measures verbal, quantitative, and reading skills that students develop over time, both in and out of school.
The SSAT is developed by review committees composed of standardized test experts and select independent school teachers.
Many of the questions that appear in the quantitative sections of the Middle Level SSAT are structured in mathematical terms that directly state the operation needed to determine the best answer choice.
A word problem often does not specifically state the mathematical operation(s) to perform in order to determine the optimal answer.
Sometimes test takers must re-read the problem to distinguish between the correct answer; this is time consuming.
These items are a mixture of concepts that are considered to be the basis of the third and fourth grade mathematics curricula and a few that will challenge the third- or fourth-grade student.
In general, the SSAT uses two types of writing: narrative, which includes excerpts from novels, poems, short stories, or essays; and argument, which presents a definite point of view about a subject.
The passages are chosen from a variety of categories, including, but not limited to: humanities: art, biography, poetry, etc.
In the Elementary Level SSAT the reading section consists of seven short, grade-level–appropriate passages, each with four multiple-choice questions.
They are also asked to demonstrate literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension of a variety of printed materials.
Additionally, they ask the reader to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non-literal language.
The reading comprehension section of the SSAT guides schools in placing students in appropriate classes.
Analogy questions in the SSAT look like this: Dog is to Puppy as (A) Lion is to Lioness (B) Cat is to Kitten (C) Monkey is to Ape (D) Rabbit is to Carrot (E) Cello is to violin In this case, the answer would be (B).
On the Middle and Upper Level SSATs, the verbal section is 30 minutes long and consists of 30 synonym and 30 analogy questions.
They act as an aid to understanding things by making connections and seeing relationships between them based on knowledge already possessed.
Analogies help students to process information actively, make important decisions, and improve understanding and long-term memory.
In the elementary level SSAT, the writing sample gives students an opportunity to express themselves in response to a picture prompt.