Award-Winning SSAT Courses & Classes in Tampa, FL

If you or your student is interested in them attending a private independent school, it may be beneficial to sign your student up for a Tampa SSAT class provided by Varsity Tutors.

The SSAT is used by many private and independent schools as a part of their admissions process. The exam assesses students on their reading, verbal, and math skills, all of which are considered important predictors of success in a private or independent school. The purpose of the SSAT is to try to ensure the admissions process into these schools is as equitable as possible.

The SSAT is broken down into three levels, including an Elementary Level test, a Middle Level test, and an Upper Level test. The Elementary Level test is given to students who are in either 3rd or 4th grade who would like to attend a private or independent elementary school. The Middle Level test is designed for students in 5th, 6th, or 7th grades who are interested in attending middle school at a private or independent institution. Finally, the Upper Level test is geared towards students in 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grades who want to attend high school at an independent or private institution.

The three levels of the test are similar in the sense that none of the tests allow students to use calculators on the Quantitative section. Additionally, each level of the test involves a Writing Sample, which is not graded. While this section doesn't affect the overall score, it is still sent to all of the schools your student applies to so that admissions officials can read it.

The main differences between the tests include the complexity of the topics involved, the number of questions, and the way the tests are scored. On the Elementary Level test, it is advisable for students to guess on questions they're not sure of because they won't be penalized for guessing incorrectly. This is not the best strategy for the Upper and Middle Level tests because your student would be penalized for answering a question incorrectly. They will lose one-quarter of a point for every question they answer incorrectly, while they will not be penalized for leaving a question blank.

What can a Tampa SSAT class help my student review?

All three levels of the SSAT have four sections, including a Writing Sample section, a Quantitative section, a Reading section, and a Verbal section. The Upper and Middle levels both have 167 questions, while the Elementary level only has 89. There are also differences in the topics covered and the complexity of the information involved.

The Writing sample on the Elementary Level test asks students to look at a picture and to write a story about it. This story should include a beginning, middle, and end. This section is designed to measure your student's skills in punctuation, grammar, and organizing a piece of writing.

The Quantitative section on the Elementary Level test contains 30 questions, and your student has 30 minutes to finish it. This section is focused on math-related topics such as measurement, operations, and algebra, among others. In order to have a chance at doing well on this section, your student may want to focus on the concepts of number order, place value, and fractions, to name a few.

The Verbal section of the Elementary level test concerns English and covers the relationship between words and the meaning of words. It may be beneficial for your student to have a firm grasp on science and technology related vocabulary and to be able to understand synonyms and analogies.

Finally, the Reading section contains 28 questions, and your student will have 30 minutes to complete it. This section is focused on reading comprehension and measures how well your student understands how to locate the main idea of a passage and whether they can identify the meaning of words based on context.

The Upper and Middle levels of the test each contain the same number of questions and test students on similar topics. The Quantitative section of the Upper Level test focuses on geometry, algebra, and arithmetic, as does the Middle Level test. But the Middle Level test is more concerned with mean, median, and mode and coordinate geometry while the Upper Level test is focused on word problems and algebraic problems.

The Upper and Middle Levels of the test also have the same number of question on the Reading section, with 40 questions and 40 minutes to complete it. Both levels require students to read through passages, but the Upper Level test is specifically focused on information from social studies and the sciences.

Both the Upper and Middle Levels focus on synonyms and analogies in terms of the Verbal section, while both levels also require students to choose between two prompts and write an essay in the Writing Sample section.

How can a Tampa SSAT course help my student prepare?

There are many ways in which a Tampa SSAT course can help your student prepare. The SSAT course will take place online, which means that you won't have to worry about driving your student to another activity. Your student may already have a busy schedule where you have to drive them to sports or other extracurricular activities. As such, it can be beneficial to have the option for your student to take an SSAT course online from the comfort of your own home.

Their SSAT course will take the form of a regular class. Students will be working with both an instructor and other students. Learning from an SSAT instructor can be helpful in terms of reviewing material that could be on the exam. Whether your student needs more review in English, math, or social sciences, their instructor can help them go over this material.

Working with other students can be useful in terms of holding group discussions and engaging in group activities. Some students don't learn well if they're expected to just sit silently and listen to an instructor. As such, having an opportunity to engage with other students could prove valuable in their preparation process.

How can I find a Tampa SSAT prep course?

Finding a Tampa SSAT prep course involves contacting Varsity Tutors and signing up for a course either over the phone or online. You can sign your student up for either a two-week or four-week course based on their needs.