My son just received his results from the SSAT. We have decided that he will be applying to all the schools as a repeat sophomore. His SSAT was taken as a 10th grader. I am reading conflicting things on how he should have taken the test. Many are saying he should be taking the test and being compared to kids that are in 9th grade right now. I have also requested a new score report for 9th grade so I will have both. Please, can someone with direct experience speak to this. I’m also wondering how much his scores will improve as compared to 9th graders.
If SSAT agrees to send either as the official report to schools, then request the one for which he got a better percentage. Schools should know how to put the test scores in context, but you understandably want to send in the best you can manage to present.
Reading this board, you see conflicting info. I basically decided to ask each school. For $25 you can request a score report for another grade. This is straight from the SSAT site…
Things to Know:
•In general, indicate your current grade (not the grade to which you are applying)
•Students repeating a grade should indicate one grade below their current grade. This allows them to be compared to their new peers.
•It is permissible for students to select a grade other than their current grade to determine how they might perform at a different grade level.
•If you are still uncertain of which grade to indicate, contact a school to which you are applying.
Well, if you don’t want to take trouble asking every school you are applying to, there’s my suggestion! 
Either report is available upon request anyway.
The test is scored against a 3-year moving average cohort. It is not scored absolutely. Since there are successively fewer applicants at the higher grades, and those applicants tend to be high-achievers, the “improvement” when scored against rising Sophomores (versus rising Juniors) should be pretty large. I think the prep schools know how to read/interpret the reports, so that which one you send is immaterial.