About the SSAT
The gold standard for private school admission testing since 1957, the SSAT is available in three testing formats—paper, SSAT at Home, and Prometric—with fee waivers and accommodations to make the assessment accessible to as many students as possible.
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What’s on the SSAT?
The SSAT is a virtually unspeeded assessment, meaning that most students have adequate time to consider each question. Students in grades 3–11 are assessed on their verbal, math, and reading skills. A non-scored writing sample is also included to assess writing ability. The SSAT often concludes with an experimental section that isn't scored or reported but is essential to validating future questions. Learn more via the level links below.
704,460 SSATs taken in the last 10 years.
Relevant
The SSAT is written and reviewed by independent school educators and content and testing experts. Every question goes through a rigorous standardized process of validation.
Reliable
The SSAT adheres to strict administration and the highest degree of statistical scoring procedures to deliver accurate and comparable results.
Accessible
EMA ensures that test takers with disabilities receive reasonable accommodations when taking the SSAT. SSAT fee waivers and equity tech kits are also available.
Secure
The processes and procedures for the SSAT’s administration are the same for every student at test sites around the world.
SSAT Testing Options
The SSAT testing options vary depending on the student's grade and location. Selecting the right test type for your child often comes down to comfort level and convenience.
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- Available in the United States, Canada, and many international locations
- U.S. and Canadian Middle & Upper students can take up to 5 Standard tests and 1 Flex test
- International Middle & Upper students can take up to 2 Standard tests and 1 Flex test
- Elementary students can take up to 2 Standards or 1 Standard and 1 Flex
- Available in the United States and Canada only
- Proctored computer-based testing at home
- Students can take a total of 2 combined SSAT at Home and Prometric tests per testing year
- Middle and Upper Level only
- Available in the United States, Canada, and many international locations
- Proctored computer-based testing at a test center
- Students can take a total of 2 combined SSAT at Home and Prometric tests per testing year
- Middle & Upper Level only
Please note: SSAT test availability is based upon the student's physical location on test day, not their current location or home address. For example, a student living in the United States that travels to Germany cannot take the SSAT at Home while in Germany. The testing year that defines the maximum number of SSAT tests students can take runs from August 1 through July 31. Contact info@ssat.org if you have questions.
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SSAT Pricing
SSAT pricing varies based on the method and level of testing. Fee waivers are also available for qualified test takers. All pricing is in U.S. dollars.
Domestic Testing
Elementary Level (grades 3-4)
- Standard or school Flex: $105
- Flex with an educational consultant: $145
Middle Level/Upper Level (grades 5-11)
- Standard or school Flex: $165
- Prometric SSAT: $235
- Flex with an educational consultant: $240
- SSAT at Home: $255
International Testing
Elementary Level: $225 (grades 3-4)
- Paper-based Testing
- Flex Testing
Middle Level/Upper Level: $320 (grades 5-11)
- Paper-based Testing
- Flex Testing
- SSAT at Prometric Test Centers
SSAT Scoring
SSAT scoring compares each student to a norm group of first-time SSAT test-takers in the United States and Canada over the past three years. Highly competitive, the norm group is composed of students of the same grade who apply to the most selective independent schools in the country.
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SSAT Policies
Please click on the items below to learn about SSAT policies.
The following policies apply to SSAT changes:
- SSAT at Home: Rescheduling is allowed until 72 hours before your scheduled test appointment, but you may NOT change your test format.
- Prometric SSAT: Rescheduling at least 29 days before your test date is free; rescheduling between 3 and 28 days is subject to a $35 Prometric fee payable to Prometric; rescheduling 0–2 days before testing is not permitted; but you may not change your test format.
- Paper SSAT (Standard or Flex): Changing your date, location, or test mode is allowed until 72 hours before your original test date (not your original test time); for Standard tests this means test changes must be made by 11:59pm on Tuesday. All paper-based changes are subject to a $45 fee. Paper-based SSAT tests may be rescheduled to a new paper-based test, Prometric, or SSAT at Home. (All times EST)
- For all changes, you must select a new test date that occurs before July 31 of the current school year. Note: not all test formats have availability until the end of July.
- If a technical issue with the SSAT at Home occurs after launching the test that prevents completion, additional test change options will be made available in your account the following day.
- If you are completing a test change to a higher priced test, you must pay the $45 test change fee in addition to the difference between the test fees. No refund or credit will be provided if changing from a higher priced test to a lower priced test.
EMA does not offer refunds for canceled products or services, including but not limited to the SSAT, SSAT practice, Standard Application Online, and Character Skills Snapshot. Depending on the SSAT testing format (paper, SSAT at Home, or Prometric), you may be eligible for a free or paid test change. Please contact Support to see if your registration qualifies.
In the event of inclement weather in your area, check the SSAT Alerts page and your email for information regarding test center closures. In addition to a listing of closures, you will find rescheduling options and information. You may also contact the test center directly for last-minute announcements.
The SSAT Candidate Handbook sets forth all of the policies and procedures for the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). The Handbook includes policies and procedures for examination registration and scheduling, examination administration, scoring, retesting, violations, investigations, errors, and dispute resolution.
The policies and procedures in the Handbook help protect SSAT examination content, maintain the integrity of the school application process, and ensure test fairness and validity for all candidates.
All candidates and their parents or legal guardians must read and familiarize themselves with the Handbook and agree to all policies and procedures contained therein.
All policies and procedures in the Handbook are part of the SSAT Candidate Agreement, which is also included in the Handbook.
The SSAT is made available to candidates exclusively under the terms of the Agreement, which constitutes a legally binding agreement between The Enrollment Management Association and candidates and their parents or legal guardians.
Access the SSAT Candidate Handbook.
Gender and ethnicity information is collected when creating an account to register for the SSAT or other admission services from The Enrollment Management Association (EMA) to simplify inquiry and application submission and to align students with schools matching their preferences through the SSAT, Character Skills Snapshot, Standard Application Online (SAO), and our school-connection service.
Learn more about demographic information collection.
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Practice for the SSAT.
The Official SSAT Practice Materials from the assessment team that creates the SSAT include Online Practice and Guide Books. Both have four full-length practice tests mirroring the SSAT experience. Get started with the free online Mini-Practice test to identify where to focus studying.
