SSAT Scores Explained
Do you want to understand your child’s SSAT scores? Keep reading to learn how to interpret SSAT scores and understand what they mean for admission to an independent school.
Free SSAT Sample Questions
How Is the SSAT Score Calculated?
The score reports of all the SSAT Levels include the scaled and percentile scores. The SSAT Middle and Upper Level score reports include a Personal Score Range, and the SSAT Elementary Level score report includes the number of items on the test, number of questions answered correctly, and the percentage of questions answered correctly.
Many tests return different formats of scores either divided by sections, normalized, or that take into account the relative position of the student compared to the rest. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences and how to interpret all the results.
Interpret Your Test Scores
SSAT Scaled Scores
Each student receives scaled scores for the Reading Comprehension, Verbal, and Quantitative sections of the SSAT, as well as a total scaled score. The total scaled score is equal to the scaled scores of the Quantitative, Verbal, and Reading Comprehension sections added together (Quantitative + Verbal + Reading Comprehension = total scaled score).
| Level | Lowest Scaled Score Per Section | Total Lowest Scaled Score | Highest Scaled Score Per Section | Total Highest Scaled Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Level | 300 | 900 | 600 | 1800 |
| Middle Level | 440 | 1320 | 710 | 2130 |
| Upper Level | 500 | 1500 | 800 | 2400 |
SSAT Percentile Score
The percentile score compares your child’s performance to the performance of other students who took the SSAT, on a scale from 1 to 99. Your child’s performance will be compared to students in the same grade and of the same gender who have taken the SSAT in Canada and the US during the previous three years.
For example, if a student receives a percentile score of 99 it would mean that their result is better than 99% of the students (of the same gender and grade) that have taken this test in the last three years. Naturally, the highest the percentile score the greater the result.
SSAT Personal Score Range
On the Middle and Upper Level SSAT score report, the student’s score falls right in the center of his/her “Personal Score Range.” If a student takes the same level SSAT shortly after completing a first test, his/her new score would fall within one Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) of his/her previous SSAT score. The SEM is 18 points.
A Personal Score Range provides the admissions department an idea of how the child would perform if s/he were to take the test again. The SSAT Test is different each time, and the student and/or the environment may change from one day to the next as well. The Personal Score Range takes into consideration all the possible factors that may influence a student’s score. Admission departments are advised to consider the Personal Score Range in order to obtain a better idea of a student’s abilities.
When Will My Scores Be Available?
Scores are available online, via your SSAT account, about two weeks after the test is administered. Make sure to keep a copy of your login information either next to your computer or a calendar to avoid misplacing it while waiting for the results.
SSAT Practice Test Online
The SSAT is one of the three most widely used school entrance exams. By preparing for the test, you are not just opening one door of opportunities, but several.
Our questions contain detailed explanations that will help you grasp all the topics of the test and make you feel comfortable with the format of the test and the logic that will be expected from you the day of the test. Avoid surprises by practicing with a large array of questions and improve your performance by timing yourself and comparing the results. After you have read the explanations, try writing a simplified version to test your understanding without looking. You can also ask yourself whether some answer choices could have been rule out based on logic.
If one of the sections of the test is easier to you, you can also invest some of your time into improving the other sections to achieve a better performance. Make sure you have summarized all the information you have about the topics to study and try combining an approach of checking notes and answering questions. You can also read first an explanation to understand how to approach a question and then continue with the rest of the test.
To help the preparation process, TestPrep-Online offers a collection of easy-to-use SSAT practice packs for the upper level, and will soon offer packs for the middle and elementary levels as well. Our SSAT practice packs include realistic practice tests and helpful study guides, providing effective interactions with the testing material at a pace appropriate for the user.