Your child's first session is all about assessment and building rapport. A tutor will review your child's background, understand their goals, and likely administer a practice test or diagnostic to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement. This helps create a personalized study plan tailored to your child's learning style and timeline before the actual SSAT.

The Reading Comprehension section challenges many students because it requires both speed and accuracy—they need to understand complex passages quickly and answer questions under time pressure. The Verbal section (synonyms and analogies) also trips up students who haven't built a strong vocabulary foundation. Math is typically the most improvable section with targeted practice, especially when a tutor helps students master the specific question formats and common traps the SSAT uses.

Pacing is one of the most important skills to practice—many students run out of time simply because they haven't learned to allocate seconds wisely per question. Tutors teach students to recognize when to skip a difficult question and come back to it, and how to use educated guessing strategically. Regular practice tests under timed conditions are essential; your child needs to build automaticity so they're not overthinking easy questions and wasting precious minutes.

Most students benefit from taking a full practice test every 1-2 weeks once they've covered the main content areas, so they can track progress and get comfortable with the test's format and timing. Between full tests, focused practice on individual sections or question types helps reinforce skills without overwhelming your child. A tutor can recommend the right frequency based on your child's timeline and how much preparation they need before test day.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about what to expect—tutoring addresses both. When your child practices consistently with a tutor and takes multiple practice tests, they build genuine confidence because they know the material and understand the format. Tutors also teach calming strategies and help students reframe anxiety as focus, so they walk into the real test feeling ready rather than scared.

Look for tutors who have deep knowledge of the SSAT's specific format, scoring, and question types—not just general test prep experience. Ideally, they've helped multiple students prepare for the SSAT and can speak to common mistakes and effective strategies. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who understand the nuances of the Middle Level exam and can diagnose exactly where your child needs support.

Most students benefit from 3-4 months of consistent preparation, though this varies based on their starting point and target score. If your child is strong academically, 2-3 months of focused tutoring may be enough; if they need to build foundational skills, 4-6 months gives them time to learn concepts thoroughly and practice extensively. A tutor can assess your child's readiness and recommend a realistic timeline based on when they plan to take the test.