Private Schools

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Private Schools

What Are the SSAT and ISEE?

By Robert Kennedy, About.com

Admissions

Admissions

David Fischer/Getty Images
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.

Resources

More Private Schools Q&A

Explore Private Schools

About.com Special Features

Private Schools

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Private Schools
  4. Getting Into a School
  5. Testing
  6. SSAT and ISEE - An Explanation of the SSAT and ISEE

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.