On the SSAT scoring page, I see a total score, a verbal score and a math (quantitative) score. On the more detailed score report, I see reading, verbal and quantitative. Am I missing something?
As far as how schools look at the scores, boarding school review lists the median total score for an individual school. I assume schools are interested in that as well as the individual scores for the verbal, reading and quantitative.
Thanks for any guidance.
@sadieshadow I think you are fretting too much over this. The total score is the most important. The SSAT is just a part of the application. It is very very important but is viewed in context of the other components. Excellent grades can be validated or exposed (in a less challenging school or a school with heavy grade inflation) by the SSAT, weaker grades that might be in harder classes can be clarified by the SSAT. I would just try to do the best you can. I would only retake once. Assuming you feel compelled to try to improve the score. The SSAT is an important metric for schools but it won’t get you in if its great on its own and it won’t keep you out if you are an otherwise strong candidate.
It’s been a while for us but if you download the Test score report in PDF version, it is One page report.
The complete report always had all 3 parts - Verbal/Math/Reading and the Total score.
The report also showed Test question breakdown showing how many Right/Wrong/Omitted in each section and its parts.
The schools look at the WHOLE report.
I once recommended a student to omit many questions as there was a penalty for wrong answers and he was getting a LOT wrong (I am not sure if that is still the case, other college-level tests SAT/ACT removed the guessing penalty)
The schools notice that too.
I remember here we mostly talk about the “SSAT percentile” rather than the “SSAT scaled score”. Say, 90+% in Total is very good or 80+% in each section is good, etc.
So–first of all thank you for all the replies. My son’s scores got back. His overall Grade 8 percentile was absolutely in a safe place (10% points over the median for his dream school, 20%ile over the median of his other schools). However, his quantitative score was a bit lower. The only score posted is total. What he is asking me is whether it will be a problem that his quantitative score is lower. My thought is no–and to move on and be happy!
Congrats! I think you’re right about moving on and being happy, but perhaps the more wise and experienced posters have something different to say.