All You Need To Know To Prepare ISEE SSAT Private School Entrance Examination

There are several good private schools in America. If you have shortlisted a few of these schools as suitable to educate your child, or you are considering enrolling as a student yourself, remember that there will be a tough exam which will assess your skills.
Private schools in the US have entrance exams called the Independent School Entrance Tests and the Secondary School Admissions Tests. These exams are designed to evaluate the student's verbal, written and mathematical skills, amongst others. Each of these tests requires you to prepare well in advance of the actual exam date.

The Independent School Entrance Test is designed to test the knowledge and skills you should have learned in your foundation courses. The test is open to all students at all levels. There are three grades of exams called the lower level, middle level, and upper level exams. Fourth to fifth grade students take the lower level, sixth and seventh grade students take the middle level, and the eighth grade onwards take the upper level exams.

Format of the ISEE exam!

The ISEE is usually about three hours long and is composed of several sections. The test has four multiple-choice sections as well as an essay submission. The four subjects that are tested with multiple-choice questions are:

1. Verbal and quantitative reasoning: This section assesses how well you digest new information and processes it to answer questions.

2. Reading comprehension: unlike the SSAT, the ISEE uses paragraphs which are based on science and history, for reading and comprehension questions.

3. Mathematics achievement: This section assesses how well you remember the information you have previously studied in your foundation courses. You may also be asked to compare two columns of data to assess and evaluate.

4. Essay: The ISEE ends with an essay which the student is required to write and submit. You will not be graded on this essay, but this essay and several copies are mailed to the schools you have shortlisted.

A few tips about the ISSE!

1. The Educational Records Bureau holds regular exams of the ISEE between November and May, in more than 30 cities countrywide. The test itself costs about $80 and you may have to pay $20 more for phone and fax form requests.

2. The exam can be taken only once in any six month period.

3. Your test scores will be forwarded to the six schools which you have already shortlisted on the application form.

4. The questions in the test are equal in value and blank answers receive no penalty. A wrong answer and a blank answer are penalized at the same rate so it's better idea to guess the answer and fill in the form rather than leaving it blank.

5. There is the option of taking the test privately although you will have to pay a little extra and take the test with an educational consultant.

6. The ISEE offers four choices for each question in the multiple choice tests and you can order a sample booklet from the site for $15 per booklet.

The SSAT test is designed to assess the knowledge which you have learned, as well as how much you have understood from your foundation course. The test is divided into two levels with 5th, 6th and 7th grade students being eligible for the lower level exam, and 8th grade and above having to sit for the upper level exam.

Format of the SSAT exam!

The SSAT test consists of multiple choice questions which have three answers to choose from.

1. Writing skills: The test starts with an essay which is not marked but it is sent to the schools you have applied to as an example of your writing skills.

2. Quantitative skills: This section deals with your ability to work with mathematics such as multiplication, division, fractions, data management, etc.

3. Reading skills: This section is designed to assess your reading skills and your understanding of what you have read. You may have to read six to eight passages and then interpret the meaning of several words used in the passages. You may also be asked to explain the author's fundamental meaning of the passage.

4. Verbal skills: This section deals with synonyms. You will be tested on your ability to understand the words you are using and their relationship to each other.

A few simple tips for the SSAT exam!

1. The SSAT exam is very flexible, with individual schools being allowed the flexibility to have the exam whenever they find it convenient. Otherwise the exam is offered seven times every year between November and April.

2. You can order the form on-line, by phone, or it can be downloaded and then submitted with the $80 registration fee. You will be sent an admission ticket when your application is accepted.

3. There is a penalty for wrong answers so fill in the question only if you are reasonably sure about the answer.

4. You can select two schools to which you can forward your test scores. This test can be taken more than once to improve your score before admissions begin.

What you should be prepared for with both tests?

Preparing for any exam is difficult all you can do is your best. You will get sample guides but both of the exams do change every year.

There are several private schools in the US that have a mandatory ISEE/SSAT score requirement before admission can be granted.

You cannot get confused about which test you should take. All you have to do is get in touch with the school through their website or use the official ISEE/ SSAT website to find out which score is accepted at the school of your choice.

You can also click here to find out more about the ISEE and the SSAT!