High School Entrance Exams (HSEE)

The SSAT is 2 hours and 35 minutes in length.

For additional information on SSAT test dates, locations, and registration, please visit www.ssat.org.

You can take the SSAT on all eight test dates within a calendar year.

Each SSAT multiple-choice question has five answer choices. Students receive one point for each correct answer. Students are penalized for incorrect answers, with a deduction of ¼ point from the student’s score for each incorrect answer. Students are not penalized for omitted answers. Speed in completing each SSAT section is not considered in scoring. Correct, incorrect, and omitted answers are tallied for each test section to produce a raw score. Raw scores are then converted into scaled scores, using a formula used to compensate for any differences in difficulty from test to test. The scales come from specific tables produced by the test maker. Once scores are converted to scale scores, they can be compared with the median scores of students of the same grade level across the country.

SSAT Writing Samples are not factored into the student’s score report. Instead, the Writing Samples are forwarded to the same schools that will receive the student’s SSAT score report. Admissions committees from each school will individually assess the applicant’s writing capabilities.

SSAT Score Reports are released to the schools, educational consultants, and education organizations that you select on your registration form. Scores remain active for one academic year. The scores required for admissions vary by school. Contact the schools directly for admissions information.

Each of the Upper, Middle, and Lower exams takes 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Each school chooses their own test date. ISEE test dates, locations, and registration information can be found by visiting http://erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee/registration.

You may take the ISEE only once within any six-month period.

On all levels of the ISEE, the student receives one point for each multiple-choice question answered correctly. Students are not penalized for incorrect answers or for omitted answers. Speed in completing each ISEE section is not considered in scoring. Correct, incorrect, and omitted answers are tallied for each test section to produce a raw score. The total number of correct answers is the raw score.

Raw scores are then converted into scaled scores, using a formula used to compensate for any differences in difficulty from test to test. The ISEE is graded on a scale of 760 to 940. The scales are derived from specific tables produced by the test maker. Once scores are converted to scaled scores, they are compared with the scores of students of the same grade level across the country. This is done using a 3-year rolling pool of test-taker scores.

Program percentiles compare students with peer test-takers within the same age and grade group.

• Scores between the 50th percentile and 74th percentile are considered to be "barely above average."
• Scores at or above the 75th percentile are considered to be "very strong."

A student who always scored above the 50th percentile on other tests may place below the 50th percentile on the ISEE, and students who normally score above the 90th percentile on other tests may score barely above average on the ISEE. For example, parents are frequently surprised when they see a 75th percentile score for a child who scored at the 95th percentile last year on a test based on state or national norms. This difference is due to the high-achieving population of students taking the ISEE, which makes the ranking very competitive.

ISEE Essays are not scored and are therefore not factored into the score report. Instead, the Essays are forwarded to the same schools that will receive the ISEE score report. Admissions committees from each school will individually assess the applicant’s writing capabilities.

ISEE Score Reports are released to the schools, educational consultants, and education organizations that a student selects on the registration form. Scores remain active for one academic year. The scores required for admissions vary by school. Contact the schools directly for admissions information.