Entrance test guide

SSAT or ISEE: what is the difference?

Both are admission tests for independent schools, and many schools accept either one. They test similar skills but differ in format, scoring and how often a student can sit them. Here is how they compare, and how to choose.

SSATSecondary School Admission Test, run by The Enrollment Management Association (EMA).

ISEEIndependent School Entrance Exam, run by ERB (Educational Records Bureau).

In VancouverThe independent schools our families apply to ask for the SSAT or their own test. Many U.S. schools accept either.

Side by side

	SSAT	ISEE
Levels	Set by the grade the student is in now: Elementary (Gr 3–4), Middle (Gr 5–7), Upper (Gr 8–11)	Set by the grade the student is applying to: Primary (Gr 2–4), Lower (entry to Gr 5–6), Middle (entry to Gr 7–8), Upper (entry to Gr 9–12)
Verbal	Synonyms and analogies	Synonyms and sentence completion — no analogies
Math	Two quantitative sections of the same kind	Two different sections: Quantitative Reasoning (problem solving) and Mathematics Achievement (curriculum math)
Reading	Reading comprehension	Reading comprehension
Essay	Writing sample, 25 min, not scored, sent to schools	Essay, 30 min, not scored, sent to schools
Length (Upper)	About 3 hours with breaks, including an unscored experimental section	About 2 hours 40 minutes plus two short breaks
Wrong answers	Middle and Upper: a quarter point is taken off for each wrong answer, so blind guessing can lower the score	No penalty — every question should be answered
Scores	Scaled score per section (Upper 500–800, Middle 440–710) and a percentile against other SSAT test-takers in the same grade	Scaled score per section, a percentile and a stanine (1–9) against students applying to the same grade
How often	Paper: several test dates a year. At home or at a Prometric centre (Middle and Upper): currently once a testing year each	Once per testing season — fall, winter and spring/summer — so up to three times a year
Where	Paper test centres, Prometric test centres, or at home online (U.S. and Canada)	Schools, test offices, Prometric centres, or at home online

Details from the SSAT and ISEE official information for the current testing year. Both organizations update their rules regularly — check before you register.

Which one should my child take?

1. Check each school firstIf a school asks for one test only, that decides it. Vancouver independent schools generally ask for the SSAT or run their own assessment.

2. If both are acceptedStudents strong in school math often prefer the ISEE's Mathematics Achievement section. Strong readers who enjoy word puzzles often do well with SSAT analogies.

3. Think about guessingCareful students who leave hard questions blank suit the SSAT's scoring. Students who run out of time do better on the ISEE, where a guess never costs points.

4. Try both formatsThe fastest way to decide is a practice test in each. Compare the percentiles, not the raw numbers — the two scales are different.

Applying to both Vancouver and U.S. schools? Most families choose the SSAT, since the Vancouver schools ask for it and almost every U.S. boarding school accepts it too.

Free practice

Try a short practice test in each format. Both are free, need no account and show the result on screen.

SSAT Middle Level test SSAT Upper Level test ISEE practice test

Not sure which test fits your child?

Ivy Academy has prepared students for independent school entrance tests since 2005. Tell us which schools and which grade, and we will tell you which test to take, when to sit it, and what the preparation looks like.

Call 604-266-3787 · Email ivyacademy@gmail.com