The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is a standard admission test in the United States. Only students from grades three to eleven are required to take the SSAT in Dublin or around the country. The test will provide independent or private grade, middle, and high schools the information that will help them to decide about admitting a student into the fold.
Here are a few helpful tips that will help you ace the SSAT in Dublin:
1. The SSAT is like any other standardized test. And as with any other admission test, you will be able to score high in the SSAT if you start practicing as early as possible. The more practice time you take means you’ll have more confidence. This is what you need when you come to the big day. You can purchase the SSAT’s “Official Guide” to assist you, preferably a couple of months before making your review plans, if possible.
2. It is ideal if you can take practice tests. This will help you assess your proficiency in many areas as well as how weak you are in other sections. They will help you know which sections you need to work on. That way, you will be more confident in taking the tests when it matters.
3. It helps if you read a lot! Read a variety of things from periodicals to classical literature. This is the best way to boost your vocabulary. It will also give you a better sense of the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases especially when you see them in the context of other words.
To help you remember what you read, make a schedule where you devote yourself to reading so your concentration will reach as its peak. Do not try to read when you’re tired or distracted. Use a highlighter or post-it notes to highlight key passages, important plot scenes, or characters.
4. If you know that you have a particular weak subject such as math, make sure that you get help as soon as you can. Like the first tip, practice as early as possible — especially in your weaker spots — as it will give you more time to enhance your skills. If you wait to begin studying until the last minute, you won’t have enough time to correct your errors and improve your skills.
5. It helps if you are familiar with the SSAT’s test format so that you won’t be lost on the test day. The following are the SSAT’s sections:
- Writing sample – argue or support using the presented topic statement. Students may use examples from literature, current events, or their own personal experiences. They are given 25 minutes to complete this section.
- Quantitative (math) – students are given 30 minutes to answer 25 questions in this section.
- Reading – in this section, students encounter 40 questions on seven reading passages. It assesses on how well students are able to understand what they read. They are given 40 minutes to complete this section.
- Verbal – students must answer 60 questions within 30 minutes.
6. Do your best to be prepared before the test day! Don’t forget to bring the following: your admission ticket, pencils, an eraser, sharpener, and a snack or two. And, of course, you want to be sure to bring your positive outlook!
Taking the SSAT, like taking other standardized tests, can be quite a bit of pressure. However, the great thing is that the SSAT is often just a parcel of a private or independent school’s criteria for admitting a student into their fold. Not everything depends on the SSAT. Remember, the SSAT in Dublin is not there to test how smart you are, it tests how much you have learned from your previous school years.