<p>How hard are the SSAT's? Is it easier that the PSAT's or SAT's? For those who have taken both what were your scores for both or what was the difference between your scores?</p>
<p>Also dont they send the SSAT's straight to the schools your applying to? And if so can you retake it? Does the school get both your scores or just your best scores?</p>
<p>What are typical SSAT ?'s/essay topics</p>
<p>They don't send ssat scores straight to the schools unless you tell them to. You can purchase a package to send scores to up to 10 schools which you can manage online. This is an economical package. You can retake the SSAT, but your schools will get both scores. You cannot select the better scores.<br>
My son only took it once, so I'm not completely certain about this.<br>
Many people on this board used the Princeton Review to prepare. The SSAT is easier than the SAT. When you get your score, you will also receive a projected SAT score range. I don't know if the SSAT for a 10th grader is harder than the PSAT. You will take the same SSAT that an 8th grader takes, but your scores will be adjusted for your grade.</p>
<p>Just a bit more on the schools getting all your scores if you retake: although it is true that the SSAT people send all your scores, I don't know of a school that doesn't "superscore" (that is take your best score from each section); at least that is what they say.</p>
<p>The SSAT essay topics tend to be pretty "lame" according to my sons. They are things like you will be given a proverb and asked to interpret, or asked to take a side with respect to the statement "it's better to do something because you love it, rather than because you are good at it." And as always, there is no right answer; the readers will be looking for how you support and communicate your idea.</p>
<p>I think that the SSAT is mostly pretty easy for the Critical Reading and Quantative sections, with format and question similar to those on public school state tests. The Verbal was a little trickier, because there are sometimes words where you just don't know what they mean. Vocabulary study can help with that. I've never taken the PSAT or the SAT, but, since this test is for younger kids, I would guess that it's easier.</p>
<p>smile dog is exactly correct about the essays, including that the topics tend to be lame. The good thing is that they're pretty easy things to write about.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info</p>
<p>You may want to check that info about the schools getting all your SSAT scores.When my son took the SSATs we choose not to have them sent anywhere until we saw the results, when we got the results he felt he could do better. He took them again at a later date and when we received the results he did do better, it was then that we requested that those scores be sent to the schools. It was a bit more expensive that way, since we did not utilize the "free" results that they will send when you sign up to take the test. However, the schools only received the second set of scores. This is UNLIKE the SATs which send ALL of your results.</p>
<p>Thank you...I didn't know you could do that.</p>
<p>twosonmom - not sure how long ago that was but i think it works differently now</p>
<p>bump............</p>
<p>SSAT has the same scaled score 2400 as the SAT but some schools use the percentile point.So if they require 70% which scaled score should i have? What if they require 80% or 92%</p>
<p>What preparation book should i have?</p>
<p>Do the score use the scale 1 point for each right answer and minus a quarter of a point for each wrong answer? Is the scaled score calculated like SAT?</p>
<p>Does anybody here know where I can find more typical SSAT topics for my son to practice? </p>
<p>I bought The Princeton Review "Cracking the SSAT and ISEE" and was disappointed: it doesn't have many writing topics, neither has it enough practice for vocab. enrichment. It only has one Upper Level SSAT Practice Test!</p>
<p>Are there better materials available (especially for vocabulary)?</p>
<p>Twosonmom,
You wrote, "the schools only received the second set of scores." I didn't know this was possible, especially as my son's school of choice recognizes only one test result. Do you know this for sure?</p>
<p>My teacher used to do practice SSAT essay questions with us and some of them were insane, like "Man or dog?" or "One man's trash is another man's treasure."</p>
<p>I do know that my son has been taking the SSAT's for the last 2 years. He has not been applying anywhere, and the test has been "required" by his current school and his current school is a testing location. They are the only ones who get the results and in fact the get all the kids results, and then forward them to the parents. The results are in his school record but will not be sent to the schools he is applying to (so they will indeed see them, but not as officially being sent to them). This year, I believe, will be different since he is applying.<br>
In any case, I'm not sure if it means you can take the test and have the results sent only to you? Worth a call to ask I imagine.</p>
<p>You can choose not to have the scores sent to any schools until after you have seen them, as twosonsmom stated. We did that last year.</p>
<p>A really good way to study for the ssat is by getting a tutor. I know that Princeton Review offers tutoring and is supposed to be very good. they help you study many aspects of the test that you wouldn't think of if studying on your own.</p>
<p>twosonmom is right I was looking through the ssat website and it said
"Not Adding Recipients at Time of Registration
If you wish to see your scores before sending them to schools, you may submit your registration with no recipients listed. After reviewing your home reports, you may then request scores to be sent to schools/consultants (additional fee applies for students who have not ordered the Web Service Bundle)."</p>
<p>it is under ssat scores and then add or cancel scores</p>
<p>What is unclear is the second part of your question: "Does the school get both your scores or just your best scores?"</p>
<p>In other words, if you retake and then select these scores to send, do the schools get both scores? </p>
<p>My son only took it once, but I knew several people who did retakes. They believed that the schools would get both sets of scores, and that it was the schools that would only count the best scores. Anyway, if anyone feels like emailing the ssat people to find out, it would clarify it.</p>