How to Prepare for the SSAT

How to Prepare for the SSAT The following piece was written by Wendy Williams. Wendy is the founder of Williams Educational Consultants and is a national expert on the SSAT. If you are looking at placing your student into a private school, then you will need to have your child take The Secondary School Admission Test, or the SSAT. Many private schools require this exam as part of their application process. Although this test is an important ingredient in an applicants file, it is not the only thing that the admissions office looks at in evaluating applicants. However, it is important that families understand what the SSAT is testing as well as options on testing environments. The SSAT is an admission test that is administered by the SSAT Board to students who are in grades 3-11. This test helps determine placement into independent or private elementary, middle, and high schools. There are three different levels of the test. The first of these is the Elementary level and is for students who are in grades 3 and 4 who are applying to grades 4 and 5. The next is the Middle level for students in grades 5-7 who are applying for grades 6-8, and the last level, Upper Level, is designed for students in grades 8-11 who are applying for grades 9-12. This test measures student ability, regardless of school record. The SSAT consists of two parts. One is multiple choice that includes Verbal, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics. The second part is an un-scored writing sample. The essay is not graded, but a copy is sent to schools that the student applies to. The Verbal section of the test has vocabulary questions, verbal reasoning questions, and tests ability to relate ideas logically. It is 30 minutes long and includes 30 synonym and 30 analogy questions. The Reading Comprehension section tests a students ability to understand passages they are reading. It is 40 minutes long and has 40 questions. The math questions test ability to solve problems that involve algebra, geometry and arithmetic. This portion has two 30-minute sections with 25 questions each. There will be word problems and equations. Students should be as prepared to take the test as possible. Encourage your student and study together. It is important to practice, but also not too put too much pressure on the student. The SSAT publishes a book of full-length practice tests called Preparing and Applying for the Middle and Upper Level SSAT (grades 5-11). This is a great book to help a student feel comfortable taking the test because they will get to read tips and practice. They will get a better idea of what to expect once test day comes.The book also includes tips for using time effectively and scoring explanations. Another way to prepare is looking through students current schoolbooks as well as brushing up on math and vocabulary. When it comes to scoring, the student does not have to answer every question on the test to score well. According to the SSAT website, the score is determined by subtracting a percentage of the wrong answers from the number of right answers. One point is received for every correct answer and one fourth of a point is taken away for every wrong answer. If a question is skipped, there will not be any points lost. If a student cannot make an educated guess about an answer, its better just to skip that question. After SSAT scores are determined, students will receive a report of their scores for each section, along with percentile rankings for each area that will compare them with students of the same grade and gender.Students can send the results to private schools they would like to apply to. All schools have their own requirements for SSAT scores. There are eight national testing dates for the SSAT. A student may take the exam as often as they would like to. However, I suggest that students should not test more than three times in an academic year. In addition to the national testing sites, there are other options for students to take this exam. Students are allowed to take a SSAT Flex test once per academic year. Wendy Williams runs Williams Educational Consultingandoffers flex SSAT options.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How to Become an English Tutor

How to Become an English Tutor Step-by-Step Guide to Become an English Teacher Find Tutoring Jobs ChaptersWhat are the Duties of a Reputable English Teacher?Your Guide to English Teaching According to the National CurriculumHow to Officially Qualify to Teach English to KS1/2 in a School?Guide to Teaching Key Stages 1/2Private TutoringOnce you decide to become a teacher/tutor, you realize that it is a demanding job as much as it is a rewarding job. Before you decide to take up a teaching job, it is prudent to do your research and take note of what's involved.You could become a maths tutor, chemistry tutor, a French tutor, algebra tutor or biology tutor but becoming an English tutor  has some privileges.English skills are crucial for succeeding in English class as well as other classes which students take. Due to this fact, English teachers are provided with a plethora of teaching opportunities. They can teach an amalgam of literary genres ranging from classic, fiction, film, web-based media, non-fiction etc.A good quality English education enables students to be able to speak and write fluently in English. Their communication skills improve and they are able to convey their ideas and emotions in a much better way. They also develop necessary listening and reading skills which help them understand others better.Students grow socially, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and culturally once they refine their English reading skills. In order to fully participate in the society, they have to acquire all the skills of the English Language.51.6% of the internet is in English, which means that to get the maximum benefit out of the knowledge available online, one has to be proficient in English, the sentence structure, verbs, tenses, vocabulary etc.earn more from tutoring!Learn to to manage teaching students with dyslexia here.