There are two widely used admissions tests for private schools in the U.S. in general and in New York City particularly. Those two admissions tests are the SSAT (Secondary School Aptitude Test) and ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination). The purpose of the tests is to even the playing field somewhat. It doesn’t do this perfectly, but it does it to some degree, keeping in mind that educators unfamiliar with your child’s personality and interests do now have the history with your child that you have. But they don’t have the history with other children either. So admissions tests give them some basic information about aptitude and that’s about it.
The tests are somewhat like the SAT and ACT when preparing for college. They measure verbal and math skills. The tests are administered at the lower level for grades 5 through 7 (SSAT) or 6 through 8 (ISEE) and at the upper level for grades 8-11 and 9-12, respectively. The catch is, you have to arrange for your own tests. The schools do not do this for you.
In order to ensure that your child is accepted into the right school, you need to prepare your child for the tests. The best way to do that is to get them to study hard on their regular assignments at school and practice their skills. But let’s be realistic. Not all students are geared that way. The next step may be to hire a private tutor, but that can get expensive. A third way is to get a study guide for the test, whichever one you decide to use, and go over it with your child on a regular basis. Don’t use the cram method. Start at least a year out and go over a section of the guide with your child at two or three nights a week for that year. It is best if you do it with your child so that you can bond with him or her, but also so that you get a feel for his or her weaknesses and you can focus on those areas.
If your child does not do well on the test the first time, don’t panic. Sometimes it takes a second try. The important thing is to instill consistent study habits so that they improve over time.
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