Applying to Schools Like Exeter, Andover, or Choate? Here's What to Know About the SSAT

The SSAT takes a quarter point away for every wrong guess. Knowing that changes how your child should approach practically every question on the test — which makes it a bad thing to learn for the first time on test day.

If your child is applying to boarding schools like Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, Lawrenceville, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, St. Paul's, or Groton, you already know the application asks for a lot: transcripts, teacher recommendations, interviews, essays, and somewhere in the mix, a test score. Unlike a lot of what goes into that file, the SSAT score — like the ISEE score — is something your child can prepare for and improve. Many of these schools accept both tests, which means it's worth being deliberate about which one you focus on.

What Is the SSAT, Exactly?

The SSAT, or Secondary School Admission Test, is one of two tests boarding and private schools lean on most — the other being the ISEE — and all eight schools above accept it. It isn't measuring your child against a curriculum; it's measuring them against everyone else applying to similar schools, which is a different game. A child used to strong performance on school tests can be surprised by where they land here, simply because the applicant pool is already strong.

The test covers verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and reading comprehension, plus a written essay that goes directly to the schools your child applies to.

There are two versions, split by grade:

Middle Level: Grades 5–7

Upper Level: Grades 8–11

You also get some flexibility in how your child takes it — the traditional paper test at a school test center, a computer-based version at a Prometric center, or SSAT at Home for a remote, proctored option.

Two Things That Quietly Decide a Lot of Scores

The guessing penalty. A correct answer is worth a point, a blank is worth nothing, and a wrong answer costs a quarter point. This trips up a lot of kids. Some guess on everything and lose points on questions they had no real shot at. Others get so cautious they leave answers blank they could have gotten right. Understanding when the odds favor a guess — and when they don't — is a learnable skill that can affect your child's final score.

Analogies. The verbal section pairs synonyms with analogies, and analogies ask something most kids haven't really practiced: take how two words relate, and apply that relationship to a different pair. It's less about vocabulary and more about pattern recognition. It's a skill that tends to respond well to practice.

SSAT or ISEE — Which One?

Neither is the "easier" test. What matters is which one lets your child's strengths show through — and that comes down to something structural. The SSAT adds Verbal, Quantitative, and Reading into one Total score, so a child strong in two of three areas gets some support from that strength. The ISEE reports four separate scores with no blending — a weak section stands on its own.

So a strong reader who struggles with math might score better, on paper, with the SSAT. A child who's solid across the board might not see much difference either way. A diagnostic on both tests — where your target school accepts either — is generally the most reliable way to find out.

Why Summer Is the Window

If you're thinking ahead to the 2027–2028 cycle, summer is when to start — not because of an arbitrary deadline, but because it's genuinely the only stretch of the year without school and extracurriculars competing for the same hours.

Standard test dates run from fall into early spring, and these schools generally set deadlines somewhere between mid-January and early February — confirm the exact date with each school, since it can shift year to year. Start now, and there's a full testing season ahead, with room to retest if the first score isn't where you want it. Wait until September, and your child ends up prepping and testing at the same time, with the deadline closing in fast. That deadline doesn't move to accommodate a late start.

What Effective SSAT Prep Looks Like

A diagnostic first — a score report that shows where your child stands, strengths and weaknesses both.

Tutoring built around the test itself: verbal reasoning, math concepts, critical reading, and the vocabulary patterns that tend to show up.

Full-length practice under realistic testing conditions, building toward test day so it doesn't feel unfamiliar to your child.

If You Want More Than Test Prep

Ivy Link also runs a Private Day/Boarding School Admissions Advising program — building out a school list, shaping strategy, helping with applications, and getting students ready for interviews. It covers students applying anywhere from 3rd grade through high school.

Want to get started with a diagnostic this summer, or just talk through whether the SSAT or ISEE makes more sense for your child? Reach out to Ivy Link today.