I’m pretty sure that in many private day schools there is significant preparation prior to 8th grade. My DS took the test as a practice last month at one of those schools. There were well over a hundred 7th graders taking the test. I know that in our public schools the teachers are teaching to the state wide standardized tests, where I believe that the independent schools are teaching to the SSAT. The particular school that I’m referring to goes from k-9 and has a counseling department which is similar to many good private high schools. They start the process of preparing for secondary school very early. Similarly to the secondary schools boasting placement into colleges, these schools are known for their placement into elite boarding schools.
My second kid really struggled with the RC and Verbal Sections on SSAT the first time he took it. Before he took the test again, I bought all three books- PR, Kaplan and SSAT’s own book. They all had great test taking tips, drills and plenty of practice tests. We also downloaded a few apps onto his phone such as ssat prep & visual vocab… after a few months of reviewing, he was able to bring his scores up significantly.
@Bulldogs1 - when did your second kid take his first and second tests? How much did he improve?
Took the first test in Nov, 2015 with little practice & did not score well in RC and Verbal. Took the test again in Jab, 2016 and doubled scores in each section. Spent a lot of time between the two tests going over drills, vocab words, test takings strategies. Math improved as well. Hope that helps…