The Parent's Guide to Conquering the ISEE and SSAT

As your children gear up to take the SSAT or ISEE, there’s a whole lot you as a parent can do to help them master it. We’ve provided a guide below to help you be your child's greatest ally in conquering this standardized testing experience.

STEP 1: GET TO KNOW THE TESTS (and the differences between them!)

STEP 2: WORK WITH YOUR CHILD TO EXPAND THEIR VOCABULARY
A big challenge for students on the ISEE and the SSAT is building up their vocabulary for the verbal reasoning sections. Encourage your child to read for fun and do daily vocabulary flashcards.

STEP 3: ENCOURAGE DAILY PRACTICE
Preparing for a standardized test is like conditioning for a sport. Daily work is essential for long-term success. Encourage your children to break up their test prep homework over the course of the week.

STEP 4: MONITOR PROGRESS
Homework is a huge part of conquering the ISEE and SSAT, but periodic full-length practice tests are vital too! These help all of us better understand the impact of stamina, focus, and stress on your child's progress, and provide us with important benchmarks. This means it’s important to keep Saturday and Sunday practice tests in mind when planning your child’s weekly schedule.

STEP 5: KEEP CONFIDENCE HIGH
Mindset is key to a student’s success! Your children are under a lot of stress in preparing for these tests, so it’s crucial for them to feel relaxed and confident. Lower the stakes by reminding your children that they can take the test more than once, and that test scores are only one part of the application process. Provide emotional support as they deal with this extra work load, and remind them that preparing for these tests will only take up a small part of the school year.