What will an Entrance Lane SSAT practice test include?
Which SSAT level does my child take?
The SSAT level depends on the grade your child is in now. A 7th grader takes the Middle Level, and an 8th grader applying to high school takes the Upper Level. The Middle and Upper Levels have the same sections, question counts and timing; they differ in their score scales, and percentiles compare your child with first-time test takers in the same grade.
Sources: SSAT Candidate Handbook for Testing Year 2026–2027, checked October 19, 2026; SSAT for Families, checked October 19, 2026; How should I interpret the SSAT score report?, checked October 19, 2026.| Level | Current grade | Scored questions | Score per section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Grades 3 and 4 | 88 | 300 to 600 |
| Middle | Grades 5 to 7 | 150 | 440 to 710 |
| Upper | Grades 8 to 11 | 150 | 500 to 800 |
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We’re writing full-length SSAT practice tests, timed like the real one, with every answer explained.
What does an SSAT practice question look like?
We’re writing sample questions
Sample questions for each SSAT level, with explanations, will appear here before practice tests open. Join the waitlist.
Who publishes the SSAT?
E3n, the nonprofit formed on March 1, 2026, when the Enrollment Management Association, which developed the SSAT, merged with ERB. The 2026–27 Candidate Handbook names E3n as the company that provides the SSAT. Entrance Lane isn’t affiliated with E3n.
How does the SSAT’s guessing rule work?
At the Middle and Upper Levels, each correct answer earns 1 point, each wrong answer loses a quarter of a point, and a skipped question earns nothing and loses nothing. Each question has five answer choices, so the test owner’s handbook suggests guessing when your child can rule out some of the choices. The Elementary Level doesn’t take points away for wrong answers.
What is the SSAT Elementary Level?
The level for students now in grades 3 and 4. It runs about 2 hours 5 minutes, on paper only, with Math, Verbal and Reading sections, an unscored picture-prompt writing sample and an unscored experimental section. Each section is scored from 300 to 600.
How is the SSAT scored?
Each scored section gets a scaled score, a percentile and a score range. Percentiles compare your child with first-time test takers in the same grade over the last three years in the United States and Canada, and they aren’t gender-specific. Families choose which schools receive each score report.
Does the SSAT’s publisher offer official practice?
Yes. The test owner sells official guide books and an online practice program for the Middle and Upper Levels, each with four full-length practice tests, and offers a 30-question online mini practice test. Schools can grant fee waivers that cover registration and the online practice.
Common questions about the SSAT
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the SSAT?
Yes, at the Middle and Upper Levels. Each correct answer earns 1 point, each wrong answer loses a quarter point, and a skipped question neither gains nor loses points. The Elementary Level has no penalty.
Is the SSAT writing sample scored?
No. The writing sample isn’t scored. It’s sent to the schools that receive your child’s score report.
Can my child use a calculator on the SSAT?
No. Calculators aren’t allowed in any SSAT section.
How does my child take the SSAT?
On paper at a test center on a Saturday Standard test date, on paper at a Flex test given by a school or consultant, online at home, or at a Prometric test center. The question types, sections, timing and breaks are the same in every format.
How many times can my child take the SSAT?
At the Middle and Upper Levels, up to six Standard tests and one Flex test in a testing year, plus one at-home test. Prometric limits were changing in fall 2026, so check the test owner’s page before registering.