SSAT Upper Level Prep
For students currently in grades 8–11, applying to independent schools and boarding schools for grades 9–12.
A plain guide to what's on the test, and how to prepare for it.
Upper Level at a glance
- Four scored parts: two Quantitative sections, Reading, and Verbal, plus a 25-minute writing sample.
- Verbal is synonyms and analogies, with harder, more abstract vocabulary than the Middle Level.
- Math reaches into algebra, geometry, exponents and radicals, and data, with no calculator.
- You lose a quarter point for a wrong answer, but nothing for a blank.
What's on the test
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Sample (unscored, sent to schools) | 1 prompt | 25 min |
| Quantitative 1 | 25 | 30 min |
| Reading Comprehension | 40 | 40 min |
| Verbal (synonyms + analogies) | 60 | 30 min |
| Quantitative 2 | 25 | 30 min |
The real test also includes a short unscored experimental section the test maker uses to try out new questions. There are brief scheduled breaks between sections, so the whole sitting runs about three hours.
Quantitative
Two sections of math reasoning. Alongside the core arithmetic, fractions, percents, and geometry, the Upper Level reaches into algebra, coordinate geometry, exponents and radicals, and data and probability. It rewards reasoning over calculation, and there is no calculator.
Verbal
Two question types. Synonyms ask for the word closest in meaning to a given word, drawing on a wide, advanced vocabulary. Analogies ask you to complete a relationship between a pair of words, testing precise reasoning about how words relate.
Reading
Passages across fiction, science, social studies, humanities, and poetry, each followed by questions on main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary in context, argument, and tone. Upper Level passages are denser and the questions lean harder on inference.
Writing sample
A 25-minute writing sample. Upper Level students typically choose between two prompts, often one personal and one more general or opinion-based. It is not scored, but a copy is sent to the schools you apply to, so it is worth practicing.
How scoring works
Each right answer earns a point, each wrong answer costs a quarter point, and a blank costs nothing. Because of that penalty, guessing blindly can hurt, but an educated guess after ruling out even one choice is usually worth it. Knowing when to answer and when to skip is its own skill, and one of the biggest, easiest gains on this test.
How to prepare
- Practice in the real format and timing so pacing is second nature before test day.
- Grow an advanced vocabulary for synonyms and analogies; steady daily practice compounds.
- Shore up the Upper-level math (algebra, coordinate geometry, exponents and radicals) that goes beyond grade level.
- Learn the guessing math and take full-length timed tests to build endurance for a three-hour sitting.
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