SSAT Schools
Applying to a private school with SSAT exams
It's a four-letter word that's associated with an awful lot of nervousness among many private school applicants—SSAT. Read more
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It's a four-letter word that's associated with an awful lot of nervousness among many private school applicants—SSAT. Read more
![]() Toronto, Ontario — Crescent School is a Toronto independent day school for boys in Grades 3 to 12. Our relational learning environment develops students' characters through academics, arts, athletics, business, outreach and robotics. View School Profile.
Grades:
3 to 12 (Boys)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$35,075
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
769
Avg. Class:
15 to 20
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![]() Toronto, Ontario — Branksome Hall is Toronto’s only all-girls, all-years International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Liberal Arts, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$34,650 to $69,850
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
964
Avg. Class:
12 to 22
|
![]() Toronto, Ontario — The York School is a JK to Grade 12 International Baccalaureate school in midtown Toronto. Our mission is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are engaged citizens of the world. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$30,000 to $33,000
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
730
Avg. Class:
16 to 22
|
![]() Toronto, Ontario — St. Clement's School develops outstanding women who are intellectually curious, courageous, and compassionate. View School Profile.
Grades:
1 to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$31,900
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
460
Avg. Class:
16
|
![]() Toronto, Ontario — Located in the heart of Toronto, Upper Canada College is the oldest independent boys' school in Ontario. Our IB graduates are highly regarded by top universities and post-secondary institutions worldwide. View School Profile.
Grades:
SK to 12 (Boys)
Type:
Liberal Arts, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$34,135 to $66,835
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
1170
Avg. Class:
20 to 25
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Appleby College in Oakville is recognized globally as one of Canada's leading independent schools. Breadth, excellence, innovation and caring are the characteristics that define the essence of the Appleby experience.
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Villanova College is York Region's only independent Catholic school offering Grades 4 to 12 in King City, Ontario. Average class size is 18 students. Specialty programs include STEM and AP.
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Balanced Academics, Arts, Athletics & Character Development. We value best practices & evidenced based approaches. University preparatory & 21st Century Tech Rich & Future Proof school. Enriched and rigorous curriculum.
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TFS - Canada's International School offers Canada's only bilingual IB programs from PK to Grade 12. Average class size is 12 to 22 students. Entrance Scholarship to Grade 7 is available.
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TMS is a leading, accredited independent school that offers a unique design of Montessori and International Baccalaureate programmes. Our students thrive in academics while building a foundation of Significance.
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Meadowridge is an IB Continuum World School that supports the development of the whole child in a safe, supportive and challenging environment.
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Havergal College has been preparing young women to make a difference since 1894.
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The Country Day School offers JK-12 in a co-ed, non-denominational environment located on 100 beautiful acres just north of Toronto in King.
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Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is an independent, private coeducational, full IB (primary, middle, and diploma programme) day school for Kindergarten - Grade 12 close to Calgary, AB.
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TFS - Canada's International School (West Campus) offers programs from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 7. Its average class size is 12 to 22 students.
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Accomplished, confident and innovative - adjectives that describe not only our programs but more importantly, our students. Developing critical thinking, creative problem solving and academic excellence for everyone.
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St. Andrew's College offers programs from grades 5 to 12 in Aurora. Its average class size is 17 students.
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Founded in 1912, Montverde Academy is an elite college preparatory school for students in grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies with a distinct student population from over 80 countries worldwide.
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With over 120 years of excellence in all-girls’ education, our rigorous academic program is complemented by strong arts, design technology and athletic programs. Financial assistance is available.
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St. Michael's College School offers students in Grades 7-12 an enriched, Catholic, liberal arts education complemented by a diverse co-curricular programme.
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Rundle College is a university preparatory school from Kindergarten-Grade 12 in Calgary, Alberta. Our small class sizes of 12-16 students, gives our students the advantage of an enriched, personalized education.
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Mulgrave School offers programmes from Preschool to Grade 12 in West Vancouver to all genders. Its average class size is 20 students with teacher to student ratios of 1:8.
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Collingwood creates infinite opportunities for our students to excel. Our four Strand approach is delivered through university preparatory programs that are collaborative, interdisciplinary, relevant and pioneering.
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University of Toronto Schools (UTS) offers a transformative education to high-achieving students in Grades 7 to 12 from all backgrounds. UTS graduates take initiative and innovate as socially responsible global citizens.
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Now offered online, the PK – Grade 6 program is a visible expression of the philosophy embodied in Ledson's books, Raising Brighter Children and Teach Your Child to Read in Just 10 Minutes a Day.
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Ridley College is an acclaimed co-educational boarding and day school that prepares meaningful and flourishing lives by teaching the habits of mind, body, and spirit, and the values needed to lead in a global society.
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West Island College offers post-secondary preparatory programs from grades 7 to 12 in Calgary. Its class size varies from 15 to 25 students. French Immersion is offered alongside the English program
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Our East Meets West environment fosters global awareness and advances our student body into responsible and globally aware citizens who are well-equipped for life beyond academia.
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De La Salle College is a Catholic, co-educational, university preparatory school in Toronto from Grade 5 to 12, with average class sizes of 23 students and tuition at $13,325.
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Providence Academy is the only Private French Catholic School offering a trilingual program of study in Ontario with classes from nursery to grade eight. Tuition: $8,800-10,300. Extracurricular activities: $600-$650.
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With knowledge, however, comes power. So, let's demystify the SSAT for you, so you can be confident about what this means, and what it does not, as you embark on the application process.
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Gain access to exclusive discounts on Surface products—from laptops to accessories that support remote learning—at the Store through your Our Kids account dashboard.
SSAT stands for Secondary School Admissions Test. This standardized test is a popular admission requirement for private schools. Schools rely on the SSAT to assess a student's overall abilities, rather than knowledge in specific subjects.
There are several important sections of the SSAT. The multiple-choice aptitude test that evaluates:
Tests problem-solving involving math, elementary algebra, geometry, and concepts
Tests the ability to understand what is read
Students must write an essay responding to a topic statement. Essays aren't graded. However, a copy is sent to schools along with test scores.
Middle: For students currently in Grade 5-7
Upper: For students currently in Grade 8-11.
SSATs are required by almost all private schools for entry into junior and senior grades—Grade 5 and up. It's up to the individual school to determine whether it is required.
The amount of weight SSAT scores are given in the application process varies from school to school, so those requiring SSATs aren't necessarily more heavily focused on academics than those who do not.
Since many schools use various criteria to evaluate its applicants, SSATs are often the most objective tool administrators have to judge their applicants. They're also helpful when a personal interview isn't possible with an applicant.
It's important to remember that the SSAT is not an achievement test. It offers a snapshot of a student's academic capabilities, regardless of his or her current grades.
Taking the SSAT provides students and their prospective schools with an important assessment of his/her academic strengths, as well as weaknesses. This information may be particularly valuable to students taking the test in Grade 7-10, since it also provides a predicted Grade 12 SAT score.
Students write the exam at a designated test location school.
All tests are sent to SSAT headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey where they are marked. Results are sent to schools indicated by the students.