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United States · Admissions test

The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT): levels, dates and fees

The SSAT has three levels: Elementary for students in grades 3 and 4, Middle for grades 5 to 7 and Upper for grades 8 to 11. The Secondary School Admission Test began in 1957 with the Secondary School Admission Test Board, which grew into the Enrollment Management Association (EMA). In 2026 EMA merged with the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) to form E3n, which runs the SSAT. Middle and Upper Level students can test on paper, at a Prometric center or at home; Elementary Level is paper only.

  • 3SSAT levels, by the grade a student is in
  • $112 to $272US and Canada registration fees
  • March 13, 2027Last Standard paper date, Middle and Upper
Register for the SSAT

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What’s on the Secondary School Admission Test?

SectionMiddle and UpperElementary
Quantitative (math)50 questions in two 30-minute parts30 questions, 30 minutes
Verbal60 questions, 30 minutes30 questions, 20 minutes
Reading40 questions, 40 minutes28 questions, 30 minutes
Writing sample (unscored)25 minutes15 minutes
Experimental (unscored)16 questions, 15 minutes15 to 17 questions, 15 minutes
Total time3 hours 10 minutes2 hours 5 minutes

Middle and Upper Level tests start with the writing sample and have two 10-minute breaks. Elementary Level starts with the multiple-choice sections, has one 15-minute break and ends with the writing sample. Calculators aren’t allowed. The Middle Level is for students applying to grades 6 to 8, and the Upper Level for grades 9 up to a postgraduate (PG) year.

There’s no Lower Level SSAT. Lower Level is a level of the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), for students applying to grades 5 and 6.

SSAT verbal: synonyms and analogies →The SSAT writing sample →The Lower Level ISEE →

SSAT test dates and ways to test

Standard paper tests are given on six Saturdays from October 2026 to March 2027 at authorized test centers, which E3n says are typically schools. Elementary Level’s last Standard date of the 2026‑2027 testing year is December 12, 2026. The last three dates are for Middle and Upper Level only:

  • January 9, 2027
  • January 30, 2027
  • March 13, 2027

Registration for each date closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on the Wednesday before, and 14 days before for tests with accommodations. Tests start at 9 a.m. local time, and E3n asks you to arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. After December 12, 2026, Elementary students can take a Flex test at a member school or with a consultant until July 20, 2027.

Flex tests are paper tests on other dates, given by E3n member schools and educational consultants. SSAT at Home is a computer test on select weeks, Tuesday to Saturday, for students physically in the US, its territories or Canada, booked at least 72 hours ahead. Prometric centers give the computer test in over 5,000 locations, but not in China, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Korea, Laos, Myanmar or Vietnam.

SSAT fees

ItemFee
Elementary, Standard or school Flex$112
Elementary, Flex with a consultant$172
Middle or Upper, Standard or school Flex$177
Middle or Upper, Prometric$250
Middle or Upper, SSAT at Home$263
Middle or Upper, Flex with a consultant$272
Late registration (paper Standard)$59
Rush registration (paper Standard)$100
Paper test change$49
Elementary, outside US and Canada$229
Middle or Upper, outside US and Canada$339

Fees are in US dollars. Consultants who give Flex tests may add their own fee, so ask them first. E3n gives no refunds for canceled tests, though depending on the format you may get a free or paid test change. Fee waivers come from schools, not E3n, and cover the base registration fee and Online Practice.

How many times can you take the SSAT?

  • Elementary Level: up to three tests a testing year, two Standard and one Flex.
  • Middle and Upper Level: each of the six Standard tests, one Flex test, one SSAT at Home and up to two Prometric tests.

The 2026‑2027 testing year runs from August 3, 2026 to July 20, 2027 in E3n’s Candidate Handbook. The handbook allows two Prometric tests, but in October 2026 E3n’s About the SSAT page said students could take one for the time being, rising to two later in the fall. Check that page before you book a second Prometric test. Schools see only the tests you name them as recipients for, so you can wait for scores and send the best.

E3n: About the SSAT (test limits) ↗

How SSAT scores work

LevelEach sectionTotal
Upper500 to 8001500 to 2400
Middle440 to 7101320 to 2130
Elementary300 to 600900 to 1800

At Middle and Upper Level, each right answer earns a point, each wrong answer loses a quarter point and a skipped question scores zero. Elementary Level has no penalty. The percentile, from 1 to 99, compares the scaled score with first-time test takers in the same grade over the past three years in the US and Canada.

Paper scores typically come out within two weeks of the test. SSAT at Home scores come on the Wednesday after the testing week, and Prometric scores on the Wednesday after the Sunday that ends the scoring week. A parent must complete the Testing Experience Statement before any scores are released. Extras include a Score Alert ($19), rescoring for a different grade ($59) and hand scoring of paper tests ($100).

Is the SSAT the same as the SAT?

No. The SAT is College Board’s college admission test: a digital test with a Reading and Writing section and a Math section, 2 hours 14 minutes in all. The Secondary School Admission Test is for students in grades 3 to 11 applying to private and independent schools, and it’s run by E3n.

The SAT →ISEE vs SSAT →
Sources: E3n · College Board and 9 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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