Award-Winning SSAT Courses & Classes in Boulder, CO

If you are interested in having your student attend a private or independent school, it may be beneficial to contact Varsity Tutors so that they can help your student enroll in a Boulder SSAT class. The SSAT is a standardized test that is utilized by many private and independent schools as a part of their admissions process. The exam is designed to measure a student's skills when it comes to reading, math, and English. The idea behind the test is that it is designed to provide a more equitable way to determine who gets accepted into a private or independent school.

The SSAT is broken down into three different levels based on grade level. The Elementary Level test is taken by students in 3rd and 4th grade. The Middle Level test is taken by students in 5th through 7th grade. Finally, the Upper Level test is taken by students in 8th through 11th grades.

There are some similarities between the three levels, such as that students are not allowed to use a calculator for the Quantitative section on any of the three levels. Furthermore, the Writing sample and Experimental section are not graded on any of the levels. However, the Writing sample will still be sent to any school your student applies to.

In terms of differences, students who take the Elementary Level test can feel free to guess on a question if they're unsure about the answer because there is no penalty for getting a question incorrect. However, on the Upper and Middle Levels, students will lose one-quarter of a point if they answer a question incorrectly. They will not be penalized if they leave a question blank. As such, it is more beneficial to leave a question blank if they really aren't sure about the answer.

What can a Boulder SSAT class help my student review?

There are many different areas where a Boulder SSAT class can help your student as they prepare to take the test. The Elementary Level test consists of four sections, including the Quantitative/Math section, the Verbal Section, the Reading section, and the Writing Sample.

On the Elementary Level SSAT, the Quantitative section contains 30 questions and your student will have 30 minutes to complete it. This section covers a variety of math-related topics, including probability, geometry and spatial sense, and properties and operations, among others. In terms of concepts, this section looks at measurement, shapes, and fractions, to name a few.

The Verbal section also consists of 30 questions and your student will have 30 minutes to finish this section as well. This section is primarily concerned with English. It covers the relationships between words, the meanings of words, and synonyms, among others. In terms of skills for this section, your student should be familiar with analogies and have an understanding of age-appropriate vocabulary from a variety of different subject areas.

The Reading section contains seven different passages that ask four questions each. As such, this section has 28 questions and your student will have 30 minutes to complete it. The Reading section is concerned with reading comprehension. Your student will be expected to be able to identify the main idea of a passage, determine the meaning of a word based on context, and identify information.

The Writing Sample requires your student to write a story based on a picture that is provided. The story should include a beginning, middle, and end. This section involves skills such as understanding spelling and punctuation and being able to organize an essay.

The Middle Level of the SSAT contains the same four sections as the Elementary Level. However, the timing and amount of questions both by section and overall are different. While the Elementary Level test contains 89 questions, the Middle Level contains 167 questions in total.

The Writing Sample section asks students to choose between two creative prompts and write a story about it. This section examines your student's skills when it comes to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

The Quantitative section is divided into two separate sections on the Middle Level. Each section contains 25 questions for 50 questions in total. Your student will have 30 minutes to complete each section for a total of 60 minutes.

This section looks at probability, data analysis, and algebra. In terms of concepts, your student should understand area and perimeter of geometric shapes, ratios and proportions, and equations, to name a few.

The Reading section on the Middle Level involves 40 questions based on passages and your student will have 40 minutes to finish this section. This section requires your student to interpret meaning based on both argumentative and narrative passages.

Finally, the Verbal section has 60 questions, of which 30 are based on analogies and another 30 are based on synonyms. Your student will have 30 minutes to finish this section and they must be familiar with synonyms and analogies.

The Upper Level test also contains four sections and also contains 167 questions like the Middle Level. The Upper Level test is very similar to the Middle Level in terms of topics and amount of questions. The main difference between them is that the Upper Level test is more complex in terms of having questions that are more suited for older students.

How can a Boulder SSAT course help my student prepare?

There are many different ways in which a Boulder SSAT course can help your student prepare for the test. Their course will be as similar to a regular class as possible because they will have an instructor leading them through concepts while also collaborating and communicating with other students. Attending classes with an expert instructor can be helpful because they can help your student review material such as vocabulary words, synonyms, or math, depending on the areas where they might need additional help. It can also help to have other students to work with because this provides the opportunity to have group discussions and activities.

How can I find a Boulder SSAT prep course?

Finding a Boulder SSAT prep course is as easy as contacting Varsity Tutors over the phone or online. Your student can take a course entirely online so you never have to worry about commuting. Furthermore, you can sign your student up for either a two or four-week course depending on the amount of help they need.