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What Are the SSAT and ISEE?

By Robert Kennedy, About.com

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Question: What Are the SSAT and ISEE?
Private schools use standardized admissions testing at all grade levels to measure and assess achievement and learning skills.
Answer: The SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) and the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) are the two admissions tests most commonly used at American private schools. They are part of a battery of assessment tools which admissions personnel use. What makes these tests useful is that they are objective. The tests show how a one child compares to other children taking the test. They give an indication of a child's aptitude for the kind of academic work likely to be undertaken. They don't, however, address other important factors such as personality, other interests, goals and so forth.

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