SSAT Test Dates

Do you know when the next SSAT test is?

undefined	Registration Deadline	Deadline for Changes
April 20, 2024	April 6, 2024	April 17, 2024
October 12, 2024	**	**
November 9, 2024	**	**
December 7, 2024	**	**
January 4, 2025	**	**
February 1, 2025	**	**
March 1, 2025	**	**

When is the SSAT offered?

Below are the dates for 2024-2025.

**The registration deadlines will be published soon for Fall and Winter. Registering early is recommended, however the typical registration deadline is approximately 3 weeks in advance.

What is the SSAT?

The SSAT is a 2.5 hour test given to students who seek admission to prep school. There are three levels: Elementary, Middle, and Upper. Upper is for students aiming to matriculate for 9th – 12th grade. Middle is typically for students aiming to matriculate for 6th – 8th grade.

SSAT is created by the “Enrollment Management Association” and contains four sections:

Math –30 minutes

Reading – 40 minutes

Verbal (Synonyms and Analogies) – 30 minutes

Math – 30 minutes.

All students get a break after two sections of testing. Combined with preliminary enlistment requirements, the paper version of the SSAT takes just over 3 hours. An at-home and a “Prometric” version of the SSAT may run less time if a student finishes sections quickly. And a “FLEX” version of SSAT can run more time, and is good for students that have a significant impairment.

When is the best time to take the SAT?

The admission deadline of the schools you are applying should dictate your exam schedule. You must choose a SAT test date that is at least four weeks before the application deadline because you need enough time to receive your scores and send them in.

The SAT is best to take during your junior year. If you have taken all classes that would be covered by the test, then it makes the most sense to jump right in while the knowledge is still fresh! Typically, most high schoolers take the SAT in the spring of their Junior year of Fall of their Senior year.

Once registered, can I change my SSAT dates?

Yes, after registration, you can change your test date, but unless it is for an event that is taking you out of town, it is best to stay with the original date and ADD ANOTHER SSAT date. Even if you have not studied thoroughly or are not feeling well, taking the test for practice has merit. Plus, you might do well enough on ONE SECTION of the SSAT, (the Math, Reading, or Verbal) to post a high 1/3 score that will get "Super-scored" with a high scores on the other two sections on later dates.

Additional Questions

When is the best time to take the SSAT?

The admission deadline of the schools you are applying to has some relevance. But you can take the SSAT well BEFORE the admission deadline. Indeed, some students will test a full 15 – 18 months before their applications will be sent. We encourage you to take the test when you have prepped well and have in practice two high-enough scores to show you are ready to do that or even better on the real test. All other things being equal, testing EARLY is best. More on the advantages of early-to-study-and-early-to-test is at www.ivybound.net.

When is the SSAT offered?

The SSAT is offered nationally four times a year in PAPER version. However, SSAT is offered on MANY dates at Prometric Centers and now even at students’ homes. In both cases, these are electronic materials and electronic entry. There is a final version of SSAT, called a FLEX test, where a proctor can administer a test one-on-one in a more comfortable facility and at a comfortable time. FLEX is only allowed once a year and is typically scheduled with your school.

Registration deadlines are typically four to five weeks in advance of the test date. However, we strongly urge students to register 8 to 10 weeks in advance so that you can be seated at your desired test center and not sent to a distant and unfamiliar test center.

What are the SSAT test dates for international students?

SSAT dates for International students in 2023 are the same test dates as those in the United States. International students typically have fewer opportunities at a given location. Test centers in the US typically offer the SSAT two or three times a year, while SSAT test centers abroad typically offer the test just once or twice a year.

Mature international students often find it beneficial to come to the United States to take the SSAT in the summer. Many will take the ISEE in the U.S. as well. They come to the United States in June and study for the SSAT / ISEE while taking other courses on university campuses. They can then test back at home online when they return from the USA

When should I study for the SSAT? Can it be in the summer?

Yes, though there are no summer SSAT dates for paper-testing, July, August, and early September (technically that's still summer) provide most students far more study time than the school year. The earlier paper-based SSAT is not until October, but since SSAT tests SKILLS, and skills, once learned, tend to stay with you, even minimal study for a few weeks once school resumes should put the assiduous student in a perfect place for testing.

Be on the lookout for home-based testing dates. Most of these occur in the Dec – March period, but these can occur earlier than October and count just as well as a paper-based test score. View www.ssat.org for more info, and https://www.ssat.org/testing/home/overview#test-dates for at-home test dates currently offered.

Are some test dates easier than others?

Many students and parents cogitate and try to plan to take the SSAT on an "easy" test date. They plan based on the rumor that certain dates are "easier" than other test dates.

There is no test date that rewards testing among less-prepared students or punishes testing among well-prepared students. There ARE dates when the average tester is not well prepared. December typically has more students who are poorly prepped than any other date. February and April typically have the best prepped students. But students are not competing against other students on a given date. They are competing against a pre-set "curve". So if you are destined to score 700 – 700 -700, you don't get any more points for scoring this high in February, when the national SAT average is on the low side, than for scoring 700 – 700 - 700 in October when the national SSAT average is higher.

Our advice: take the SSAT when you are most prepared to take the SSAT. All things being equal, take the SSAT early and often.

Does it hurt my admission chances to take the SSAT many times?

No student is hurt by testing many times. Admissions offices are guided in their admit/deny decisions by the BEST score a student submits. We have heard of NO school that cares how many times a student tests.

Indeed, a student who tests multiple times has the advantage of SUPER-SCORING. Most prep schools choose to super-score. This advantages students who submit multiple scores because the school admissions committee is then locking in your best Math score and combining it with your best English, and Verbal scores from different dates.

The Ivy Bound Advantages

Ivy Bound has a bevy of seasoned SSAT tutors. All are available online, and at least six are available in person in metro NYC and southern New England.

Our tutors know the SSAT test; they know strategies for success, and they know teens’ motivations. Ivy Bound makes pairing based on schedule, budget, and parent preference for a certain “type” of tutor (female/male, older/younger, gushy/militaristic).

Ivy Bound SSAT Classes and Private tutoring

Ivy Bound offers SSAT classes on weekends in the spring, summer and fall. These are in the “Form Your Own” fashion, whereby one parent gathers three to nine others for a joint set of sessions. Students in an FYO class still have 3 or more hours of private or semi-private tutoring to assure the tutor is addressing THEIR needs. Students can enlist in Private Tutoring in ANY season, and at almost any time of the week. An Ivy Bound Tutor Coordinator will make a pairing based on you desired times, the “type” of tutor you see, your budget, and your preference for online, in-person, or a mix.

Ivy Bound provides answers to commonly asked test-scheduling questions here. For more detailed answers that fits your child's situation, Ivy Bound's $250/year Ascent program lets a counselor tailor the study and the scheduling of SSAT and/or ISEE tests, and TOEFL (for international applicants)

What does Ivy Bound Recommend?

Since even the most competitive prep schools accept the SSAT in all four formats, and since youngsters are now very adept at grappling with computer technology, we prefer the At-home version for almost all students. At-home means it’s private, the monitoring is remote, and the available dates are ample. The EMA has cut back on Paper version dates, but has expanded the at-home dates. We expect this expansion to continue. We recommend FLEX for students with special testing needs.