Princeton Review SSAT Prep: 3 Practice Tests + Review and Techniques + Drills (2023)

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DownloadedfromStudyXY.com[=Ww+StudyXYoias.Za\Rr'BE\StudyAnythingThisContentHasbeenPostedOnStudyXY.comassupplementarylearningmaterial.StudyXYdoesnotendroseanyuniversity,collegeorpublisher.Allmaterialspostedareundertheliabilityofthecontributors.|8)www.studyxy.com

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ThePrincetonReviewPublishingTeamRobFranek,Editor-in-ChiefDavidSoto,SeniorDirector,DataOperationsStephenKoch,SeniorManager,DataOperationsDeborahWeber,DirectorofProductionJasonUllmeyer,ProductionDesignManagerJenniferChapman,SeniorProductionArtistSelenaCoppock,DirectorofEditorialOrionMcBean,SeniorEditorAaronRiccio,SeniorEditorMeaveShelton,SeniorEditorChrisChimera,EditorPatriciaMurphy,EditorLauraRose,EditorPenguinRandomHousePublishingTeamTomRussell,VP,PublisherAlisonStoltzfus,SeniorDirector,PublishingBrettWright,SeniorEditorEmilyHoffman,AssistantManagingEditorEllenReed,ProductionManagerSuzanneLee,DesignerEugeniaLo,PublishingAssistantThePrincetonReview110East42ndSt.,7thFloorNewYork,NY10017Copyright©2023byTPREducationIPHoldings,LLC.Allrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyPenguinRandomHouseLLC,NewYork.TermsofService:ThePrincetonReviewOnlineCompanionTools(“StudentTools”)fortheretailbooksareavailableforonlythetwomostrecenteditionsofthatbook.StudentToolsmaybeactivatedonlytwicepereligiblebookpurchasedfortwoconsecutive12-monthperiods,foratotalof24monthsofaccess.ActivationofStudentToolsmorethantwiceperbookisindirectviolationoftheseTermsofServiceandmayresultindiscontinuationofaccesstoStudentToolsServices.ISBN9780593516997

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EbookISBN9780593517000SSAT®isaregisteredtrademarkofTheEnrollmentManagementAssociation,whichisnotaffiliatedwithThePrincetonReview.ThePrincetonReviewisnotaffiliatedwithPrincetonUniversity.Thematerialinthisbookisup-to-dateatthetimeofpublication.However,changesmayhavebeeninstitutedbythetestingbodyinthetestafterthisbookwaspublished.Ifthereareanyimportantlate-breakingdevelopments,changes,orcorrectionstothematerialsinthisbook,wewillpostthatinformationonlineintheStudentTools.RegisteryourbookandcheckyourStudentToolstoseeifthereareanyupdatespostedthere.Editor:OrionMcBeanProductionEditors:BeckyRadwayandSarahLittProductionArtist:DeborahWeberCoverartbyCharlesBrutlag/AlamyStockPhotoCoverdesignbySuzanneLeePhotoselectionandlayoutbyCarlingDesign,Inc.Forcustomerservice,pleasecontacteditorialsupport@review.com,andbesuretoinclude:ofulltitleofthebookeISBNepagenumbera_prh_6.0_144303411_c0_r0fStudyxy

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AcknowledgmentsThePrincetonReviewwouldliketothankShainaWalterBowieforherhardworkrevisinganddevelopingtestmaterialforthisbook.

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ContentsGetMore(Free)ContentACaregiver’sIntroductionAStudent'sIntroductionPartI:TheBasics1EverythingYouAlwaysWantedtoKnowAbouttheSSAT2LearningVocabulary3FundamentalMathSkills4FundamentalMathDrills:AnswersandExplanationsPartll:TheStrategies5SSATWritingSample6SSATMathStrategies7SSATVerbalStrategies8SSATReadingStrategies9SSATPracticeDrills:AnswersandExplanationsPartlll:ThePracticeTests10UpperLevelSSATPracticeTest11UpperLevelSSATPracticeTest:AnswersandExplanations12MiddleLevelSSATPracticeTest13MiddleLevelSSATPracticeTest:AnswersandExplanations_144303411_

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1GotoPrincetonReview.com/prepandenterthefollowingISBNforyourbook:97805935170002AnswerafewsimplequestionstosetupanexclusivePrincetonReviewaccount.(Ifyoualreadyhaveone,youcanjustlogin.)

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3EnjoyaccesstoyourFREEcontent!Needtoreportapotentialcontentissue?ContactEditorialSupport@review.comandinclude:

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fulltitleofthebook*ISBN*pagenumberNeedtoreportatechnicalissue?ContactTPRStudentTech@review.comandprovide:«yourfullname«emailaddressusedtoregisterthebook«fullbooktitleandISBN*Operatingsystem(Mac/PC)andbrowser(Chrome,Firefox,Safari,etc.)Onceyou'veregistered,youcan...«GetourtakeonanyrecentorpendingupdatestotheSSAT.«Downloadafull-lengthSSATElementaryLeveltestandtakeonlineversionsoftheSSATtestsfoundinthisbook.eAccessastudentstudyguideandaninteractivePDFofliterarykeyterms.eChecktoseeiftherehavebeenanycorrectionsorupdatestothisedition.rrF///

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LookForTheseIconsThroughoutThePROVENTECHNIQUESAPPLIEDSTRATEGIESANOTHERAPPROACHDON'TFORGET!WATCHOUTTIME-SAVINGTIPTIMEYOURSELFONLINEPRACTICETESTSONLINEARTICLES

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ACaregiver’sIntroduction

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HOWCAN|HELP?Congratulations!Yourchildisconsideringattendingaprivateschool,andbyvirtueofthefactthatyouholdthisbookinyourhands,youhaverecognizedthattheSSATisanimportantpartoftheadmissionsprocess.ProvidingyourchildwiththeinformationcontainedinthisbookisanexcellentfirststeptowardastrongperformanceontheSSAT.Asacaregiver,however,youknowwellthefinelinebetweensupportandintrusion.Toguideyouinyoureffortstohelpyourchild,we’dliketoofferafewsuggestions.HaveaHealthyPerspectiveTheSSATisastandardizedtestdesignedtosaysomethingaboutanindividualstudent’schancesforsuccessinaprivateschool.Itisnotanintelligencetest;itdoesnotclaimtobe.Setrealisticexpectationsforyourchild.Theskillsnecessaryforastrongperformanceonthistestareoftenverydifferentfromthoseastudentusesinschool.Theadditionalstressthatcomesfrombeingexpectedtodowellgenerallyservesonlytodistractastudentfromtakingatestefficiently.Atthesametime,bewareofdismissingdisappointingresultswithasimple,“Mychilddoesn’ttestwell.”Whileitisundoubtedlytruethatsomestudentstestbetterthanothers,thisexplanationdoeslittletoencourageastudenttoinvesttimeandeffortintoovercomingobstaclesandimprovingperformance.BeInformedTheSSATisneitheranachievementtestnoranintelligencetest.Toscorewell,yourchildneedstounderstandwhatistestedandhowitistested.KnowHowtoInterpretPerformanceEachleveloftheSSATcoversarangeofgradelevels.Itisimpossibletointerpretscoreswithoutconsideringthegradelevelofthestudent.Percentile+Studyxy

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rankingshavemuchmorevaluethandoeitherraworscaledscores,andpercentilesarethenumbersschoolsusetocomparestudents.Percentileapproximationsareprovidedintheonlineresources.RememberThatThisIsNotanEnglishoraMathTestTherearebothverbalandmathquestionsontheSSAT.However,thesequestionsareoftenbasedonskillsandconceptsthataredifferentfromthoseusedonaday-to-daybasisinschool.Forinstance,veryfewEnglishteachers—atanylevel—spendalotoftimeteachingstudentshowtoapproachanalogyquestions.Thismaybefrustratingforcaregivers,students,andteachers.Butinthefinaljudgment,oureducationalsystemwouldtakeaturnfortheworseifitattemptedtoteachstudentstodowellontheSSAToreventheSAT.Thefactthatthevaluableskillsstudentslearninschooldon’tdirectlyimprovetestscoresisevidenceofaflawinthetestingsystem,notanindictmentofourschoolsorthosewhohavedevotedtheirprofessionalcareerstoeducation.RealizeThatAllTestsAreDifferentManyofthegeneralrulesthatstudentsareaccustomedtoapplyingtotestsinschooldonotapplytotheSSAT.Manystudents,forinstance,actuallyhurttheirscoresbytryingtoworkoneveryquestion.Althoughthistestistimed,accuracyismuchmoreimportantthanspeed.Onceyourchildlearnstheformatandstructureofthistest,itwillbeeasierforyourchildtoapplyunderlyingknowledgetothetestandanswermorequestionscorrectly.ProvideAlltheResourcesYouCanThisbookhasbeenwrittentoprovideyourchildwithareviewofallthemath,vocabulary,reading,andwritingskillsthatarenecessaryforsuccessontheSSAT.WehavealsoincludedpracticedrillsandpracticeteststhatsimulateactualSSATexaminations.Foramorerealistictestingexperience

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forstudentswhoplantotakeacomputer-basedtest,registerthisbooktoaccessthetestsinanonlineformat.Theverybestpracticetestquestions,however,arenaturallytheoneswrittenbytheorganizationthatwritestherealtestquestions—theEnrollmentManagementAssociation(EMA).Weencourageyoutocontacttheorganization(thewebsite,emailaddress,andphonenumbercanbefoundonthispage)toobtainanyresourcescontainingtestquestionsthatyoucanuseforadditionalpractice.Inaddition,theSSATchangeswithtimeinverysubtleways.Thus,wesuggestsupplementingtheinformationinthisbookwiththecurrenteditionofEMA’sTheOfficialStudyGuidefortheSSAT,whichyoucanorderatssat.org/prepare/practice.Makesurethematerialsyouchooseare,tothegreatestextentpossible,reflectiveofthetestyourchildwilltakeandnotatestthatwasgivenyearsearlier.Also,trytoavoidtheinevitableconfusionthatcomesfromaskingastudenttofollowtwodifferentsetsofadvice.Presumably,youhavedecided(orareabouttodecide)totrustThePrincetonReviewtoprepareyourchildforthistest.Indoingso,youhavemadeawisedecision.Aswehavesaid,weencourageyoutoprovideanyandallsourcesofadditionalpracticematerial(aslongasitisaccurateandreflectiveofthecurrenttest),butprovidingothertestpreparationadvicetendstomuddythewatersandconfusestudents.BePatientandBeInvolvedPreparingfortheSSATislikelearninghowtorideabicycle.Youwillwatchyourchildstruggle,atfirst,todevelopaleveloffamiliarityandcomfortwiththetest’sformatandcontent.Developingthemath,vocabulary,reading,andwritingskillsthatyourchildwilluseontheSSATisalong-termprocess.Inadditiontomakingcertainthatyourchildiscommittedtospendingthetimenecessarytoworkthroughthechaptersofthisbook,youshouldalsobeonthelookoutforother

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opportunitiestobesupportive.Onewaytodothisistomakevocabularydevelopmentintoagroupactivity.Inthevocabularychapter,weprovideanextensivelistofvocabularywords;youcanworkonthemtogetherbycreatingflashcardsandusingthematthebreakfasttableorduringcartrips.Youmayevenpickupanewwordortwoyourself!Important:Ifyourchildisinalowergrade,youmaywanttoofferextraguidanceasyourchildworksthroughthisbookandpreparesforthetest.Becausethisbookcoverspreparationformultipletestlevels,someofthecontentreviewwillbebeyondtheareasthatyourchildisexpectedtoknow.Itisanexcellentideatoworkthroughthebookalongwithyoungerchildren,sothattheydon’tbecomeintimidatedbythesehigher-levelquestionsthatshouldbeskipped.CheckoutyourStudentToolstoseethesuggestedstudyschedule.Forthemostaccurateinformationabouttheiradmissionspolicies,don'thesitatetocalltheschoolstowhichyourchildmayapply.ASHORTWORDONADMISSIONSThemostimportantinsightintoprivateschooladmissionsthatwecanofferisthatastudent’sscoreontheSSATisonlyoneofmanycomponentsinvolvedinadmissiondecisions.WhilemanyschoolswillrequestSSATscores,allwilllookseriouslyatyourchild’sacademicrecord.Thinkaboutit:whichsaysmoreaboutastudent—asingletestoryearsofsolidacademicperformance?ResourcesTheEnrollmentManagementAssociation(EMA)609-683-4440www.ssat.orginfo@ssat.org

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REGISTERINGFORTHESSATTheMiddleandUpperLevelSSATmaybetakennumeroustimesduringthetestingyear(whichEMAdefinesasAugust1st-July31st)}—twototalcomputer-basedadministrations(eitheronlineat-homeorataPrometricTestCenter),allofthepaper-basedStandardadministrations(therearesixofferedeachyear),andonepaper-basedFlexadministration.TheElementaryLevelSSATisonlyofferedasapaper-basedtestandmaybetakenuptotwotimes—twoStandardadministrationsoroneStandardadministrationandoneFlextest.AFlextestisapaper-basedSSATgivenonaflexiblescheduleotherthantheStandardtestingSaturdays.Learnmoreatwww.ssat.org/testing/paper/flexBeforeyougoanyfurtherinpreparingfortheSSAT,youmustcompleteoneessentialstep:signupfortheSSAT.TherearefourdifferentwaysforMiddleandUpperLevelstudentstotest:paper-basedStandardtesting,computer-basedPrometricCentertesting,at-homeonlinetesting,andpaper-basedFlextesting.Paper-basedStandardadministrationsareofferedsixtimespertestingyear,typicallyinOctober,November,December,January,February,andApril.Theonlineat-hometestsareofferedatleastoneweekendeachmonth(usuallyonbothFridayandSaturdays).Additionaltestdatesarealsoavailableduringpeaktestingtimes.At-homeonlinetestingisonlyavailableintheUnitedStatesandCanada.StudentsalsohavetheoptiontotaketheonlinetestatPrometricTestCentersonawidevarietyofdates.Inaddition,MiddleandUpperLevelstudentscantakeonepaper-basedFlextestpertestingyear(August1stthroughJuly31st).TheElementaryLevelisonly

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offeredasapaper-basedtest,andFlextestingisonlyavailableforElementaryLevelstudentswhohavenotalreadytakentwoStandardadministrationtests.Checkwww.ssat.orgtodeterminewhetherthereisaStandardElementaryadministrationavailableinyourareaonyourpreferreddateorcalltheschoolyourchildisapplyingtoandaskwhethertheschoolisofferingaFlexadministration.Additionalinformationonthevarioustestingoptionscanbefoundatwww.ssat.org/testing/about-the-test#testing-options.Testingdatesandtimescanfillup;byregisteringearly,yourchildwillavoidthepossibilityofhavingtotakethetestonaninconvenientdateorataninconvenienttime.Youcanregisteronlineatwww.ssat.org.Notonlywillearlyregistrationgiveyouonelessthingtoworryaboutasthetestapproaches,butitwillalsomakeiteasiertogetyourfirst-choicetestdateandtimeRegistrationforonlinetestingisavailableuntiltwenty-fourhourspriortothetest(thoughdatestypicallyfillupfarinadvanceofthatdeadline,sowestronglyrecommendthatyouselectadateandtimewellinadvance).Theregularregistrationdeadlineforthepaper-basedStandardtest(atdomestictestcenters)istheSundaythreeweeksbeforethetestdate;fromthatpointuntilthenextSunday,thereisa$55LateFee.Fromthatpointuntilregistrationcloses,thereisaRushFeeof$100.Registrationforpaper-basedStandardtestdatesclosesat11:59p.m.theWednesdaybeforethetestdate.ThecosttotestintheUnitedStatesandCanadastartsat$105fortheElementaryLevelStandardorschool-basedFlextestand$165fortheMiddleandUpperLevelpaper-basedStandardorschoolFlextests,andishigherfortestingwithaneducationalconsultant,onlineataPrometriccenter,oronlineathome.Forafulllistofcurrentfees,seewww.ssat.org/testing/about-the-test#pricing.Internationally,thecostis$225fortheElementaryLeveltestand$320fortheMiddleandUpperLeveltests.Thereareadditionalfeesforoptionaladd-onssuchasscoreavailabilityalertsormailedpaperscorereports(onlinescorereportaccessisfree).FeesarepaidonlinebyVisa,

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MasterCard,orAmericanExpress.Insomecases,youmaybeabletoobtainanSSATfeewaiver.FeesforthemostpopularSSATtestingoptionsintheU.S.®$105forElementaryLevelStandardorschool-basedFlextest®$165forMiddleLevel/UpperLevelStandardorschoolFlex®$235foraPrometricCentertest®$255forSSATatHomeIfyouhavealreadyregisteredandwanttochangeyourPrometricTestCenterdateorlocationatleast29daysinadvanceofyouroriginalappointment,thereisnofee.Ifyouwanttochangewithin3-28daysofyourPrometricappointment,there’sachangefeeof$35.Thereisnochargetorescheduleanat-homeappointment,butitmustbedoneatleastthreedaysinadvanceofyouroriginalappointment.Studentswhoneedspecialtestingaccommodationsmustapplyandbeapprovedforaccommodationsbeforeregisteringforatestdate.Makesuretoapplyforaccommodationsearly;ittypicallytakesatleast3-4weeksforapplicationstobereviewed.Onceapproved,accommodationswillapplytoallofastudent’stestswithinatestingyear(August1sttoJuly31st).Findmoreinformationatwww.ssat.org/about/accommodations.

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AStudent’sIntroduction

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HOWTOUSETHISBOOKYou'vegotaheftyamountofpaperandinformationinyourhands.Howcanyouworkthroughitthoroughly,withoutspendingeighthoursonittheSaturdaybeforethetest?Planahead.Beforeyoustart,gotoyourStudentToolsanddownloadthestudyguide.We’vebrokendownthecontentsofthisbookinto12studysessionsandsuggestedatimelineforyoutofollow.Someofthesesessionswilltakelongerthanothers,dependingonyourstrengthsandweaknesses.Ifanyofthemtakesmorethantwohours,takeabreakandtrytofinishthesessionthefollowingday.Youmaywanttodoone,two,orthreesessionsaweek,butwesuggestyougiveyourselfatleastadayortwoinbetweentoabsorbtheinformationyou’vejustlearned.Theonethingyoushouldbedoingeverydayisquizzingyourselfonvocabularyandmakingnewflashcards.Wealsocautionagainstthinkingthatyoucanworkthroughthisbookduringsummervacation,putitasideinSeptember,andbereadytotakethetestinDecember.Ifyouwanttostartthatearly,workprimarilyonvocabularyuntilabout10weeksbeforethetest.Thenyoucanstartontechniques,andthey’llbefreshinyourmindonthedayofthetest.Ifyou’vefinishedyourpreparationtoosoonandhavenothingtopracticeonintheweeksbeforethetest,you'regoingtogetrusty.Ifyouknowyouaresignificantlyweakerinoneofthesubjectscoveredbythetest,youshouldbeginwiththatsubjectsoyoucanpracticeitthroughoutyourpreparation.Ifyouhavemorethantenweekstoprepare,startwithvocabularybuildingandessaywriting.Theseskillsonlyimprovewithtime

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AtEachSessionAteachpracticesession,makesureyouhavesharpenedpencils,blankindexcards,andadictionary.Ifyou’llbetestingonline,youshouldalsohaveanotebookorstackofscratchpaper.Eachchapterisinteractive;tofullyunderstandthetechniqueswepresent,youneedtobereadytotrythemout.Asyoureadeachchapter,practicethetechniquesanddoalltheexercises.CheckyouranswersintheAnswersandExplanationschaptersasyoufinisheachsetofproblems,andtrytofigureoutwhattypesoferrorsyoumadesoyoucancorrectthem.Reviewallofthetechniquesthatgiveyoutrouble.You'llgetthemostoutofthisbookbytryingouttechniquesasyoureadaboutthem.Asyoubegineachsession,reviewthechapteryoucompletedduringtheprevioussessionbeforemovingontoanewchapter.WhenYouTakeaPracticeTestWerecommendsomespecifictimestotakepracticetestsinthefollowingsessionoutlines.Herearesomeguidelinesfortakingthesetests.*Knowwhetheryouwillbetestingonpaperoronline,andpracticeaccordingly.Ifyou'retakingapaper-basedtest,youwon’tbeabletouseadditionalscratchpaper,sopracticeworkinginthebook.Ifyou'retakinganat-homeonlineSSAT,you’llbepermittedtwopiecesofscratchpaperandonepencil.Ifyou'retestingataPrometricCenter,you’llbeusingasmalldryeraseboardandmarker.oTimeyourselfstrictly.Useatimer,watch,orstopwatchthatwillring,anddonotallowyourselftogoovertheallottedtimeforanysection.Ifyoutrytodosoontherealtest,yourscoreswillprobablybecanceled.oTakeapracticetestinonesitting,allowingyourselfonlythebreaksthatyou’llhaveontestday(seethispage)andnomorethantwominutes

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betweenothersections.Youneedtobuildupyourendurancefortherealtest,andyoualsoneedanaccuratepictureofhowyouwilldo.oIfyou'retakinganonlinetest,registerthisbooktotaketheincludedtestsonline.oIfyouronlinetestwillbeathome,setupyourworkareathesamewayyouwillontestday.Makesurethatyouhaveaquiet,privatespaceandthatthecomputeryou’reusingmeetsthetest’stechnicalrequirements.Youcanseethefullrequirementsatwww.ssat.org/testing/home/overview#requirements.Theonlythingsonyourworkspaceotherthanyourcomputer,mouse,andkeyboardshouldbeapencil,yourtwopiecesofscratchpaper,andaglassorbottleofwater.oIfyou'retakingapaper-basedtest,alwayspracticewithananswersheetwithbubblestofillin,justasyouwilldofortherealtest.Forthepracticetestsinthisbook,usetheattachedanswersheets.Youneedtobecomfortabletransferringanswerstotheseparatesheetbecauseyoumightendupskippingaroundabit.Thoroughlyfillineachbubbleyouchoose,andmakenoothermarksintheanswerarea.Asyoufillinthebubbleforaquestion,checktobesureyouareonthecorrectnumberontheanswersheet.Ifyoufillinthewrongbubbleontheanswersheet,itwon’tmatterifyou’veworkedouttheproblemcorrectlyinyourtestbooklet.AllthatmatterstothemachinescoringyourtestistheNo.2pencilmark.information,sowecan’treproducethemforourpracticetests.Youcangetanideaofhowyoudidbymarkingoffhowmanyyougotrightintheanswerkeyaftereachtest.Keepthelearninggoing!TheDayoftheExam*Wakeuprefreshedfromatleasteighthoursofsleepthenightbefore.*Eatagoodbreakfast.

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*Plantoarriveatthetestcenterorcheckintotheonlineproctoringsiteaboutahalfhourbeforeyourtestisscheduledtobegin.oIfyou'retestingataschoolortestcenter,bringyourSSATadmissionticketandatleastthreenon-mechanicalNo.2pencilswitherasers,andasnackandbeverage(mustbeinaclearplasticbagandclearbottleatpaper-basedtestcenters).PrometricTestCenterswillprovideasmalldryeraseboardandmarker.Thetestcentermaynotallowyoutotakefoodorbeveragesintotheroom,butyoucanleavetheminthehalltoaccessduringthebreaks.Donottakeanybooks,papers,calculators,watches,oranyotherelectronics.Ifyouneedtohaveacellphoneforsecurityortransportationpurposes,itmustbeturnedcompletelyoffandleftinthedesignatedprohibiteditemsareaatthetestcenteruntilthetestisover(itcannotbeaccessedatthebreaks).*Remindyourselfthatyoudonothavetoworkouteveryquestiononthetesttogetagoodscore.Don’tletyourselfbecomerushed.Paceyourself.neverknowhowcoldtheroommightbeGENERALTEST-TAKINGTECHNIQUESPacingMostpeoplebelievethattodowellonatest,itisimportanttoanswereveryquestion.Whilethisistrueofmostofthetestsyoutakeinschool,itisnottrueofmanystandardizedtests,includingtheSSAT.Onthistest,itisverypossibletoscorewellwithoutattemptingallofthequestions;infact,manystudentscanimprovetheirscoresbyansweringfewerquestions.“Waitasecond.Icangetabetterscorebyattemptingfewerquestions?”Yes!OntheMiddleandUpperLevelSSAT,youarepenalizedforthequestionsyouanswerincorrectly,notforthequestionsyouskip.Becauseallofthequestionsareworththesameamountofpoints,it’sbettertoansweraneasier

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questionyouunderstandandarelikelytogetrightthanwastetimewithoneyoudon’t.Soforthemostpart,you’llgiveyourattentiontoproblemsyouthinkyoucananswer,anddecidewhichquestionsaretoothornytowastetimeon.Thistest-takingapproachisjustasimportanttoscoreimprovementasyourknowledgeofvocabularyandmathrules!testsresultsina0.25-pointdeductionfromyourrawscore,sodon'tanswerquestionsyou'renotlikelytogetright.Ingeneral,allmathandverbalquestionsontheSSATgraduallyincreaseindifficultyfromfirsttolast.(TheoneexceptionistheReadingsection,wherequestiondifficultyismixed.)Thismeansthatformoststudents,thelongestandmostcomplicatedproblemsareattheendofeachsection.Forthisreason,allstudentsshouldfocusthemajorityoftheirattentiononthequestionstheyknowtheycananswersuccessfully,startingatthebeginningofthesectionwiththequestionsyouknowhowtodoandskippingoveranythingchallenging.Whyrushthroughtheseandmakecarelesserrorswhenyoucouldspendtimeandgetallofthemright?Attempttheonesyoufindmorechallenginglast—ifyouhavetime.Thereasonthatthisapproachtopacingcanactuallyincreasescoresisthatskippedquestionsgainyouzeropoints,whereaseachincorrectanswerreducesyourrawscorebyaquarter-point.Becauseyourrawscorewilldecreaseonlyifyouansweraquestionincorrectly,skippingisthebeststrategyforaproblemthathasyoucompletelystumped.Ideally,youwilleithergetaquestionrightorskipit(withsomeexceptionswhenyoucanguessintelligentlyandaggressively).

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Skippingwillbeamajortoolforthequestionsyoufindmosttroublesome.Guessingwillbepartofthewholetest,solet’slookathowguessingandskippingworktogether.Again,ElementarySSATstudentsshouldselectananswerforeveryquestionsincewronganswersandblanksaretreatedthesameonthosetests.PointsarenotdeductedforwronganswersontheElementaryLeveltest.Thus,donotleaveanyanswersblank.Evenso,paceyourselfwiselytoincreaseyouraccuracyonquestionsyouknoworthinkyouknowtheanswersto.GuessingontheMiddleandUpperLevelSSATWhenshouldyouguess?Wheneveryoucaneliminateevenonewronganswerwithcertainty.Yes,really.We’llgettowhyinaminute.Eliminatethewronganswersandyou’llhavetherightanswerbyProcessofElimination(we’llexplainmoreaboutthislater).Soeliminatetheanswersthatareclearlywrongandguess!Beaggressive.Overthecourseofthewholetest,thisstrategywillincreaseyourscore.How?Well,let’slookagainathowSSATquestionsarescored:rightanswersarerewardedandwronganswersarepenalized.Correctanswers:+1pointWronganswers:—pointBlankanswers:0pointsStudyXY

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Supposeweaskedyoutoplaceabetonfiveattemptstodrawayellowmarblefromabag.Thebagcontainsfourblackmarblesandoneyellowmarble,andyouhavetoputthedrawnmarblebackaftereachattempt.There’sonlyonechanceinfivethatyou’lldrawtheyellowmarble,butifyoudo,yougetadollar.There’safourinfivechanceofablackmarble;whenyoudrawblack,youpayus25¢.Wouldyoudoit?Maybeyes,maybeno.Ifyoudrewyellowonceandblackfourtimes,you’dgetadollarandthenpay25¢fourtimes,endingupwithnothing.Youwouldn’tlosemoney,butyouwouldn’twinany,either.Similarly,therearefivechoicesoneverySSATquestion,butonlyonerightanswer.Soifyoujustguessrandomlywithouteliminatinganythingfirst,youwillberightaboutonetimeandwrongaboutfourtimesforeveryfivequestionsyoudo.Thatmeansthattheonetimeyouwereright,youwouldgetonefullrawpoint(yay!),butyouwouldloseaquarter-pointfourtimes(boo!).Allofthiswouldbringyourightbacktowhereyoustarted.1-4()=0Sorandomguessingwillprettymuchkeepyourscoreflat.Hereiswhereourguessingstrategycomesin.Whatif,insteadofaone-in-fivechanceofdrawingyellow,theoddswereoneinfour?Thistime,iffourattemptsusuallyresultedindrawingoneyellow($1foryou)andthreeblacks(payout75¢),you’dmakealittlemoneyandcomeoutontop.OnanSSATquestion,ifyoucaneliminateonechoiceoutofthefive,you'reinthesamesituation.Younowhaveonlyfourpossibleanswers,andyouwillberightaboutonceforeverythreetimesyouarewrong.Nowthepenaltyforwronganswerswillhavelessimpact.Ifyounarrowitdowntothreechoices,you’llgetaboutonerightforeverytwotimesyou’rewrong.Goododds?Youbet.That’slikereceivingadollarbutlosingonly50¢.Ifyoucandothisthroughoutthetest,youwillgraduallyincreaseyourscore.That’swhyitpaystospendtimeeliminatingthewronganswersandthenguessingaggressively.

Princeton Review SSAT Prep: 3 Practice Tests + Review and Techniques + Drills (2023) - Page 29 preview image

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1-3()=Wanttousewhatyou’vejustlearnedtoimproveyourscore?You’vecometotherightplace.Guessingwellisoneofthemostimportantskillsthisbookcanteachyou.Strategicguessingandskipping,assimpleastheyseem,areverypowerfulscore-boostersonstandardizedtestsliketheSSAT.Now,let’sdiscussonemoremajortest-takingapproachthatshouldbeapartofyourgameplan.ProcessofEliminationHere’saquestionyouwillnotseeontheSSAT,butwhichwillshowyouhowpowerfulProcessofElimination(POE)canbe.WhatisthecapitalofMalawi?(A)NewYork(B)Paris(C)London(D)Lilongwe(E)Washington,D.C.Therearetwowaystogetthisquestionright.First,youcanknowthatthecapitalofMalawiisLilongwe.Ifyoudo,goodforyou!ThesecondistoknowthatthecapitalofMalawiisnotNewYork,Paris,London,orWashington,D.C.Youdon’tgetmorepointsforknowingtherightanswerfromthestart,soonewayisjustasgoodastheother.Trytogetintothehabitoflookingataquestionandasking,“Whatarethewronganswers?”insteadof“Whatistherightanswer?”Should|Guess?RandomguessingwillnotimproveyourUpperorMiddleLevelSSATscore.Educatedguessing,however,isalwaysagoodidea.

Princeton Review SSAT Prep: 3 Practice Tests + Review and Techniques + Drills (2023) - Page 30 preview image

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ByusingPOEthisway,youwilleliminatewronganswersandhavefeweranswersfromwhichtochoose.Theresultisthatyouwillpickrightanswersmoreoften.Intheexampleabove,you’renotevenreallyguessing.Youknowthattheotherfouranswersarewrongandthat’sasgoodasknowingtherightanswer.Infact,nowyoudoknowthecapitalofMalawi.That’sthegreatthingaboutguessingonastandardizedtestliketheSSAT—whenyouhavetroublefindingthecorrectanswer,youcanofteneliminatethewrongonesandcomeoutontop.Nowlet’spracticethesametechniqueonanotherproblem.WhichofthefollowingcitiesisthecapitalofSamoa?(A)Vila(B)Boston(C)Apia(D)Chicago(E)LosAngelesYoumaynotknowtherightansweroffthetopofyourhead,butwhichcitiesarenotthecapitalofSamoa?Youprobablyknowenoughaboutthelocationsof(B),(D),and(E)toknowthatBoston,Chicago,andLosAngelesarenotthecapitalofSamoa.So,what’sagoodanswertothisquestion?(A)or(C).What’stherightanswer?Thatisnottherightquestionhere.Thebetterquestionisthis:shouldIguess?Andtheanswerisabsolutelyyes.Yes,yes,yes.You'vedoneagreatjobofnarrowingtheanswerdowntojusttwochoices.Onanyquestionwhereyou’vedonethis,you’llhaveafifty-fiftychance.Inotherwords,onaverageyou’llgetthesequestionsrightabouthalf

Princeton Review SSAT Prep: 3 Practice Tests + Review and Techniques + Drills (2023) - Page 31 preview image

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thetime(+1point)andwrongtheotherhalf(—point).Eventhoughyou’llgetsome(abouthalf)ofthesewrong,yourscorewillgoupoverall,byabout1pointforevery3questions,andthatcanmakeallthedifference.AlwaysusePOEandguessaggressively.RememberthatontheMiddleandUpperLeveltests,youshouldskipthequestionifyoucan’teliminateanythingatall.ONLINETESTINGYoumaybecomfortablewithonlinelearning,butonlinetestingisoftenalittlebitdifferentfromwhatyou’reusedto.Whileallofthecoretestingstrategiesstillapply,herearesomeadditionaltipstokeepinmind.oUsetheon-screentools.Theat-homeSSATfeaturesanavigationpaneinallsectionsandhighlightingintheReadingsection.TheonlineSSATatPrometricTestCentersfeaturesastrikeouttool,ahighlighttool,questionflagging,andareviewscreen.oUseyourscratchpaperordryeraseboard.Workmathoutonthepage,jotdownnotesonreadingpassages,andifyoudon’thaveon-screenstrikeoutcapability,writedownABCDEsothatyoucanusePOE.AQUICKSUMMARYThesepointsabouttheSSATareimportantenoughthatwewanttomentionthemagain.Makesureyouunderstandthembeforeyougoanyfartherinthisbook.*Youdonothavetoworkeveryquestiononthetest.Slowdown!*Youwillnotimmediatelyknowthecorrectanswertoeveryquestion.Instead,lookforwronganswersthatyoucaneliminate.

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