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Test Preparation Services (TPS)
Information on Taking the SSAT exam in Ottawa (central) and the path for finding a tutor or self-studying SSAT in Ottawa (central).
Ottawa
Ontario |
TPS - SSAT Exam Prep in Ottawa
There is one test centre holding the SSAT test in Ottawa at Ashbury College. Currently 2 private schools require the SSAT for entry (Elmwood and Academie Providence). Ashbury College gives a choice between CAT4 and SSAT for IB entry. Many private schools give children the option of taking the SSAT test or one of their own. The SSAT has no relationship to the SAT exam so taking the test involves registering and taking it at a private school authorized to hold it. You need to decide whether your child is to take the elementary, middle or upper level. There are a number of points you need to realize about the test.
Important Points about SSAT
1) Different schools have different standards for the exam, so it is important to know what your child's prospective school demands as an entry score for it. There is no generic score as there is with IELTS, TOEFL and SAT.
2) The writing component is not counted but it may be looked at and even be part of a school's evaluation.
3) The test is very dependent on your child's level of vocabulary. If he or she has not yet established a foundation level of academic verbs, adjectives and adverbs, you may wait before enrolling him or her in SSAT studies.
4) There is a fair amount of self-study resources so your study plan can include a lot of independent study, but it is often difficult to get a child to stick to independently study the exam.
SSAT is essentially a vocabulary and reading test. The writing test is usually not counted but it may be important to certain schools.
2) It is difficult to know what a school considers a pass rate. You need to clarify this with the principal of the school.
3) Self study is hard for kinds because they need someone to show the how errors occur and to work out particular strategies to pass the test. There are a lot of resources to hep you but it is hard to develop without the guidance of a tutor.
Richmond is in the lead for offering a variety of SSAT courses and it would seem every bookstore has an SSAT study guide. Finding the right teacher and arranging the right timeline for taking the test is a bit more difficult to set
up. Before you rush to enroll your child in a program just because you have been told that your child will need to take this test in order o enter an independent or private school, please pay attention to the following points
1) The pass rate is up to the individual institution and it may also value certain aspects over another (eg some ignore the writing section others take it quite seriously.
2) Your child may be a good reader and be able to speak quite freely in English but the vocabulary and readings are likely to still give him or her quite a bit of difficulty. Do a few practice tests and see what pats with which your child need most help.
3) Your child needs to do a lot of reading beyond what is offered in SSAT readings. There will be a heavy investment of time preparing for the test so your child needs to be aware of this.
2) The writing component is not counted but it may be looked at and even be part of a school's evaluation.
3) The test is very dependent on your child's level of vocabulary. If he or she has not yet established a foundation level of academic verbs, adjectives and adverbs, you may wait before enrolling him or her in SSAT studies.
4) There is a fair amount of self-study resources so your study plan can include a lot of independent study, but it is often difficult to get a child to stick to independently study the exam.
SSAT is essentially a vocabulary and reading test. The writing test is usually not counted but it may be important to certain schools.
2) It is difficult to know what a school considers a pass rate. You need to clarify this with the principal of the school.
3) Self study is hard for kinds because they need someone to show the how errors occur and to work out particular strategies to pass the test. There are a lot of resources to hep you but it is hard to develop without the guidance of a tutor.
Richmond is in the lead for offering a variety of SSAT courses and it would seem every bookstore has an SSAT study guide. Finding the right teacher and arranging the right timeline for taking the test is a bit more difficult to set
up. Before you rush to enroll your child in a program just because you have been told that your child will need to take this test in order o enter an independent or private school, please pay attention to the following points
1) The pass rate is up to the individual institution and it may also value certain aspects over another (eg some ignore the writing section others take it quite seriously.
2) Your child may be a good reader and be able to speak quite freely in English but the vocabulary and readings are likely to still give him or her quite a bit of difficulty. Do a few practice tests and see what pats with which your child need most help.
3) Your child needs to do a lot of reading beyond what is offered in SSAT readings. There will be a heavy investment of time preparing for the test so your child needs to be aware of this.
Home Tutoring
Many parents find it actually more economical to have their children study SSAT at home, with a tailor-made program, since it is more focused and therefore more efficient. Check the SSAT tutor Ottawa page for availability.
Outside of the Home Tutoring
Tutorials with children can be arranged outside the home if this is what you’d prefer and the best locations are either in a local Public Library in Ottawa in a private room pre-booked or on the day of study. Send a request in and we can have this arranged for you.
Taking Classes
SSAT is offered at a number of learning centers, especially those targeting the after-school study children. SSAT test is a demanding test, particularly in terms of vocabulary needs, and is often not administered well in multiple leveled classrooms. Do go through a few practice tests before enrolling or your child in a program to find out if hes or she is ready for one in terms of vocabulary and reading level. It may be more fruitful to send him or her for ELT training instead.
Self-Study
Self-studying SSAT is not easy since getting children to concentrate for long hours on vocabulary building and doing essays is not easy. The best textbook is McGraw Hills SSAT book but the ones produced by Barrons and Kaplan are reliable although a little drier than the McGraw Hills book. Another one I have used and was well received was by the Princeton Review called "Cracking the SSAT". If you find your child is not yet at the SSAT level yet and want to focus on vocabulary, you can try the Score-raising Vocabulary Builder by Paul Simpson, which I have used successfully with lower level students. You can find many others on Amazon or by going to a bookstore like Chapters . My suggestion is to find what you like and then see if it can't be found at a public library in Ottawa. If you are worried about using an older version of the SSAT, please note the SSAT's only large scale change occurred in 2012 with newly revised questions and a new Elementary test.
Self-studying SSAT is not as simple as it seems as it can be a chore to get children to spend long hours concentrating on new words and doing essays is not easy. There are now a number of books on the SSAT and as well vocabulary building supplementary texts. If you think your child is disciplined enough to self-study SSAT, my suggestion is to find which books might suit him and order them online on Amazon under "SSAT textbooks"
Self-studying SSAT is not as simple as it seems as it can be a chore to get children to spend long hours concentrating on new words and doing essays is not easy. There are now a number of books on the SSAT and as well vocabulary building supplementary texts. If you think your child is disciplined enough to self-study SSAT, my suggestion is to find which books might suit him and order them online on Amazon under "SSAT textbooks"
Online study
SSAT resources are not difficult to find. First, go to our SSAT exam page and get information on study tips, and you can also find a blog that regularly posts strategies, skills and topics and information on recent exams. I have also posted practice exams in reading and writing and you can even take a mock writing test and be scored for free.
Test Taking
For those taking the test in Ottawa, there is, according to the official SSAT website a testing venue at Ashbury School at 362 Mariposa Avenue. For a fullaer list of locations see our SSAT Test Locations page For test dates see our SSAT Dates, Times and Fees page