Independent School Admissions · SSAT
Comprehensive SSAT preparation with personalized one-on-one instruction by Mr. Sharma.
The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is a multi-level admissions exam for independent and private schools. Mr. Sharma specializes in the Quantitative section, with full preparation across Verbal, Reading, and the Writing Sample.
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The numbers, levels, and format every SSAT family should know before beginning preparation.
Section 01
The SSAT is offered at three levels. Students complete a Writing Sample followed by multiple-choice sections. The Writing Sample is not scored but is sent to the schools the student applies to.
Score Scale
1,500 – 2,400 (Upper)
Core Time
≈ 3 hours
Sections
5 (incl. experimental)
Format
Paper or computer
Section 02 · Test Structure
Order of sections on test day (Middle and Upper Levels). Sections appear in a fixed sequence with short breaks between them.
A short essay or creative response, depending on level. Unscored but sent directly to schools.
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and word problems. No calculator.
Seven to eight short passages with main-idea, inference, vocabulary-in-context, and tone questions.
30 Synonyms and 30 Analogies measuring vocabulary depth and reasoning.
A second math section mixing the same content areas as Part 1.
Unscored items used to develop future test questions. Counts for nothing — but students should still attempt every item.
Section 03 · Writing Sample
The Writing Sample is not scored, but admissions officers read it. A short, well-organized response signals readiness for the writing demands of independent school.
Students choose between two prompts: a traditional essay topic or a creative writing topic. 25 minutes.
Students choose between a creative writing prompt and a more traditional general-interest prompt. 25 minutes.
A clear thesis or governing idea, three short supporting paragraphs, and a final sentence that resolves the response. Two minutes of outlining beats five minutes of revision.
Organization, specificity of detail, varied sentence structure, and grade-appropriate vocabulary.
Section 04 · Quantitative Mathematics · Our Specialty
Two 25-question sections in 30 minutes each, no calculator. Mr. Sharma's primary SSAT specialty — content domains spanning arithmetic through introductory algebra and geometry.
Duration
60 minutes (2 × 30)
Questions
50 multiple choice
Calculator
Not permitted
Arithmetic
Number Theory
Ratios & Rates
Expressions & Equations
Inequalities
Word Problems
Plane Geometry
Coordinate Geometry
Area, Perimeter & Volume
Statistics
Probability
Data Displays
Section 05 · Reading
Seven to eight short passages drawn from literature, humanities, social studies, and science. Students answer 40 questions in 40 minutes — close, fast reading is essential.
Duration
40 minutes
Questions
40
Passages
7–8 (fiction & nonfiction)
Literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, humanities, social studies, and science. Roughly half fiction or poetry and half nonfiction.
Main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, author's purpose, tone, and figurative language.
Skim for structure before reading line-by-line. Mark the thesis, the turn, and any rhetorical questions before attempting the questions.
Roughly five minutes per passage. Move on from any single question that takes more than a minute and return at the end.
Section 06 · Verbal
Sixty questions in thirty minutes: thirty Synonyms followed by thirty Analogies. Vocabulary depth matters, but so does relationship-recognition between paired words.
Duration
30 minutes
Questions
60
Types
30 Synonyms · 30 Analogies
Single-word stems paired with five answer choices. Word roots, prefixes, and suffixes are reliable tools when an unfamiliar word appears.
Stems of the form A : B :: ? : ?. Students articulate the relationship in a complete sentence before checking each choice.
Quizlet-style flashcards alone rarely move the needle. Mr. Sharma uses categorized roots, structured weekly word lists, and reading-based vocabulary.
About 30 seconds per question. Flag and skip rather than burn time — the ¼-point guessing penalty rewards intelligent restraint, not random guessing.
Section 07 · Skills Tested
What the SSAT actually measures beyond memorized facts.
Section 08
The SSAT measures developed verbal and quantitative reasoning, not memorized content. These are the underlying skills that separate strong scaled scores from average ones.
Quick, accurate calculation without a calculator across fractions, decimals, and percents.
Recognizing precise word meaning, secondary definitions, and connotation.
Identifying the relationship between paired words quickly enough to apply it to four to five choices.
Extracting main idea, evidence, and inference from dense short passages.
Translating word problems into equations or diagrams under tight time limits.
Managing the ¼-point guessing penalty across four scored sections.
Diagram-based reasoning about triangles, polygons, and circles.
Sustained focus across a 3-hour exam day, including the unscored Experimental section.
Planning and producing a coherent 25-minute essay that admissions officers will read.
Section 09
The patterns Mr. Sharma sees most often on the SSAT — and exactly how each one is addressed during tutoring.
Section 10
A six-step path from diagnostic to test day, used with every SSAT student.
A full-length diagnostic establishes the student's true starting point across every tested area.
Results are mapped to specific subtopics — not just section scores — so the plan targets the right work.
Underlying content is rebuilt where needed so test strategies have something solid to stand on.
Curated, exam-aligned problems are worked through together on the digital whiteboard.
Pacing, elimination, and figure-reading techniques tuned to this exam's format.
Regular timed practice tests turn preparation into performance — and reveal exactly what to refine next.
Section 11
What families consistently point to when they describe preparing for the SSAT with Mr. Sharma.
Decades of one-on-one and classroom instruction across every level of mathematics and science.
Every session is built around the student in front of the camera — never a group class.
Students learn why the material works, not just which button to press.
Live, written, step-by-step instruction that mirrors a real classroom whiteboard.
Assignments written for the student's plan — never generic worksheets.
Clear, ongoing measurement so families see exactly where their student stands.
Sessions fit around school, sports, and family life — anywhere in the country.
Questions are welcomed, not rushed. Students learn to think out loud.
Every lesson connects back to how the concept actually appears on the exam.
Section 12
Topics in the STEM Library and other exams that complement SSAT preparation. Strong SSAT Quantitative work is built on the same Algebra and Geometry foundations students later use on the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and systems.
Explore STEM LibraryReasoning through shape, proof, congruence, and measurement.
Explore STEM LibraryPolynomials, exponentials, logarithms, and complex numbers.
Explore STEM LibraryCounting, distributions, and the language of chance.
Explore Test PrepIndependent School Entrance Examination preparation.
Explore Test PrepSAT Math tutoring with full Digital SAT context.
Explore Test PrepACT Math and Science tutoring with full ACT context.
Explore Test PrepMath and science Regents examinations.
ExploreSection 13
The questions parents and students ask most often about this exam and how Mr. Sharma prepares his students.
Advanced STEM Library
Downloadable formula sheets, study guides, and reference materials for SSAT Mathematics & Verbal Tutoring — curated by Mr. Sharma and continuously expanded as part of the Advanced STEM Library.
Every formula, identity, and relationship a student needs for SSAT Mathematics & Verbal Tutoring — organized by topic and printable in one page.
Publishing shortlyA structured written companion covering the core content areas tested on SSAT Mathematics & Verbal Tutoring, section by section.
Publishing shortlyConcise topic-by-topic reviews with worked examples — designed to be re-read the week before test day.
Publishing shortlyFour-, eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-week study calendars aligned to a student's timeline and current level.
Publishing shortlyThe specific errors that quietly cost points on this exam — with the fix Mr. Sharma teaches for each.
Publishing shortlyA curated set of exam-aligned practice questions targeting the highest-yield subtopics.
Publishing shortlyThe Advanced STEM Library
Every resource on this page will live in the Advanced STEM Library — a single, expanding home for the formula sheets, study guides, topic reviews, encyclopedia entries, practice plans, and reference materials Mr. Sharma uses with his own students.
Open the Advanced STEM LibraryReady When You Are
Whether your student is targeting a specific independent school or building admissions options, Mr. Sharma provides personalized SSAT instruction tailored to age, goals, and current level of preparation.
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The strategy session is the first step of working together — a focused academic planning and diagnostic conversation used to understand the student before any ongoing academic support begins.
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