7 Strategies SSAT ISEE
7 Strategies SSAT ISEE
7 Strategies SSAT ISEE
g n i n n i W s e i g e t a Str T A S S e h t t a e E E to b S I e h t and
Bell Curves
SSAT Registration
When: The SSAT is offered on 8 national test dates each year. The following dates are
for the 20112012 academic year.
Test Date
October 15, 2011 November 12, 2011 December 10, 2011 January 7, 2012 February 4, 2012 March 3, 2012 April 21, 2012 June 9, 2012
Registration Deadline
September 23, 2011 October 21, 2011 November 18, 2011 December 16, 2011 January 13, 2012 February 10, 2012 March 30, 2012 May 18, 2012
How often: The SSAT can be taken as many times as you choose, but in most cases
it should be taken only 23 times. However, you can only take an SSAT administered on a date other than the national testing dates once a year.
How much: The cost is $116.00. (Fee waivers may be available for families with
financial hardships.)
Score reporting: Your scores will be kept on record until August 1, 2013. When
you register for the SSAT, you can select schools to receive your scores. After you have completed the test, you can request additional reports online for free.
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ISEE Registration
When: The ISEE test dates are scheduled by individual testing centers. This means
that there are no national test dates and scheduling is much more flexible. You can find testing dates by searching for testing centers at http://erblearn.org/
How often: The ISEE can only be taken once every six months. How much: The cost is $95.00. (Fee waivers may be available for families with
financial hardships.)
Score reporting: When you register for the ISEE, you must select at least one
school to receive your scores. After you have completed the test, you can request additional reports online for $25 per testing date.
877-223-3828 I 151 West 46th Street, Suite 900 I New York, NY 10036 I bellcurves.com
1
Learn the differences between the SSAT and the ISEE!
SSAT
Guessing Penalty Scoring Each wrong answer deducts 1/4 of a point from your raw score. Unanswered questions do not add or subtract points from your raw score. 500 800 for each section 1500 2400 cumulative score 2 sections 1 section 1 section 1 essay (not graded) Problem Solving Reading Comprehension Synonyms, Sentence Completions
ISEE
Each wrong answer does not add or subtract points from your raw score. Unanswered questions do not add or subtract points from your raw score. 760 940 for each section 1 9 Stanine score 2 sections 1 section 1 section 1 essay (not graded) Problem Solving, Quantitative Comparisons Reading Comprehension Synonyms, Analogies
Skipping
Scaled Score Math Sections Reading Verbal Writing Sample Question Types Math Reading Verbal
To find out which test is better suited for you, make sure to take a practice test of both the SSAT and the ISEE under timed conditions. Individual schools vary on their policies about whether they require the ISEE, the SSAT, or both. Research the schools you are interested in so you know which test to prepare for.
877-223-3828 I 151 West 46th Street, Suite 900 I New York, NY 10036 I bellcurves.com
2
Build your endurance with real practice!
The SSAT and ISEE each consist of almost three hours of testing. Taking practice tests will build your endurance and stamina. Like an athlete, you will perform at your best only if you train and practice realistically.
SSAT Section
Verbal (60 questions) Quantitative (25 questions) Reading Comprehension (40 questions) Quantitative (25 questions) Essay Total Time
Timing
30 minutes 30 minutes 40 minutes 30 minutes 25 minutes 2 hours 35 minutes
ISEE Section
Verbal Reasoning (40 questions) Quantitative Reasoning (35 questions) Reading Comprehension (40 questions) Math Achievement (45 questions) Essay Total Time
Timing
20 minutes 35 minutes 40 minutes 40 minutes 30 minutes 2 hours 45 minutes
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3
Work smarter, not harder...
Most students attempt to answer every question on the SSAT, but shouldnt! To get a great score, you should focus on achieving the highest possible accuracy rather than finishing as quickly as possible.
2
Quantitative
Section 2 results:
Total Correct: 9
Total Wrong: 11
Total Skipped: 5
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 D B D B B A C A D B E B A D E B D C A C D E D E A B -
Correct Student
Section 4 results:
Total Correct: 10
Total Wrong: 13
Total Skipped: 2
2
Quantitative
Section 2 results:
Total Correct: 14
Total Wrong: 4
Total Skipped: 7
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 D A A C C A D B E A C A C B C E D D C B
Correct Student
Section 4 results:
Total Correct: 10
Total Wrong: 5
Total Skipped: 10
Raw Scores
Correct Answers = +1 Wrong Answers = 1/4 Blank = 0
You can increase your score by slowing down and focusing on the easy and medium questions and skipping the harder questions.
877-223-3828 I 151 West 46th Street, Suite 900 I New York, NY 10036 I bellcurves.com
4
by focusing on accuracy, not speed!
There is no guessing penalty on the ISEE, which means you should answer every question. But that doesnt mean you have to spend time on every question. Since ISEE questions are not in a predictable order of difficulty, you should skip the hard questions and try them later. If you are running out of time, guess.
ISEE Scoring
Josefina Schmoe
Question Correct Student 1 B a 2 H J 3 C a 4 K F 5 C a 6 F J 7 E a 8 G a 9 D a 10 F G 11 D A 12 H a 13 C B 14 G a 15 D C 16 F a 17 B D 18 J a 19 B C 20 K F
Raw Scores
Correct Answers = +1 Wrong Answers = 0
23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12
Use the time for each section to answer the number of questions that you need to achieve your target score.
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5
Estimate to simplify calculations!
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is equal to (A) 4 (B) 8 (C) 12 (D) 38 (E) 96 3 of 32? 8
2. Mr. Chan purchased 841 square yards of cloth at a cost of $14,297 to make dresses. How much did Mr. Chan spend per square yard of cloth ? (A) $17.00 (B) $8.25 (C) $5.00 (D) $2.00 (E) $1.75
3. If the monthly office budget is $30,000, what is the amount spent each month on rent? (A) $3,100 (B) $4,200 (C) $6,300 (D) $6,600
SSAT and ISEE math questions look more difficult than they are. Estimation and taking advantage of the multiple choices make the questions much easier.
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Answers: C, A, C
6
Answer Sentence Completion questions in your own words before looking at the choices!
Sentence Completions (ISEE only)
4. Because the evidence against the criminal was so insufficient, the presiding judge was not ------- by it. (A) convinced (B) surprised (C) aggravated (D) entertained 6. To adequately portray the impact of Martin Luther King Jr.s fight for civil rights in a short presentation, Susan had to ------- the most ------- achievements in his life. (A) highlight . . trite (B) compare . . important (C) trivialize . . successful (D) emphasize . . significant
5. Hardly -------, the companys new product shares many design elements with previous models. (A) damaging (B) outdated (C) innovative (D) possible
Learning vocabulary words will help your performance in sentence completions, analogies, synonyms, and passage-based reading. Trite: lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition Innovative: using new methods, ideas, etc | Aggravated: to make worse or more severe Trivialize: cause to appear unimportant
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Answers: A, C, D
7
Make a sentence to form the relationship between words!
Analogies (SSAT only)
7. Mountain is to peak as (A) hair is to head (B) house is to roof (C) moon is to sun (D) ice is to pole (E) water is to fountain 9. Hint is to indirectly as (A) point is to graphically (B) cry is to sadly (C) scream is to loudly (D) reveal is to openly (E) whisper is to murmur
8. Embark is to ship as (A) board is to airplane (B) deport is to country (C) regurgitate is to stomach (D) erase is to chalkboard (E) yacht is to boat
Analogies on the SSAT usually contain a few common relationships such as degree of severity, usage, similarity, and opposing ideas.
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Answers: B, A, D