Pear Tree’s SSAT tutoring sessions cover all of the SSAT exam requirements in terms of Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary (“Verbal”), Math (“Quantitative”), and Writing.

The number of sessions shown below is what is required to cover all aspects of the exam. As such, session prices are based on this minimum requirement.

Pear Tree’s approach is not only to prepare your child for all aspects of the exam, but also to improve your child’s approach to the exam.

SSAT tutoring classes are led by one of Pear Tree’s directors, proficient in all aspects of the SSAT exam, as well as in Pear Tree’s progressive educational approach.

SSAT Levels

Elementary Level SSAT – for grades 3-4 applying for admission to grades 4-5 (One-to-One Classes only)
Middle Level SSAT – for grades 5-7 applying for admission to grades 6-8
Upper Level SSAT – for grades 8-12 applying for admission to grades 9-PG (One-to-One Classes only)

OPTION 1) SSAT TUTORING (Max. 16 students)

4 x 1.5hr sessions = $450 + GST

*Scheduled dates and times are listed below.

Join A Group Session

OPTION 2) ONE-TO-ONE SSAT TUTORING

4 x 1.5hr sessions = $800 + GST

Please note that one-on-one tutoring is very limited during September and October, as priority is given to our small group sessions.

Book private classES

Class Format

Although our SSAT tutoring classes are often tailored to the specific needs of the child, the general format of the 4 x 1.5hr lessons is as follows:

Class 1: Math section 1
Class 2: Math section 2 / Writing Review
Class 3: Reading / Vocabulary
Class 4: Test Practice

The order of these classes may change depending on the needs of the students.

In terms of SSAT exam strategies, these are taught in context rather than as a lesson. After each SSAT lesson, we will provide you with written feedback (by email) on your child’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Parent Testimonials:

I want to write and thank you for your help with my son’s SSAT exam. He had a huge improvement from his initial exam scores. He was offered a place at St Georges but we ended up picking Prince of Wales Mini instead. Once again, appreciate your guidance.

The feedback you provided after this SSAT Prep program was very helpful! [My daughter] worked very hard on her math and her writing and she scored well enough in the SSAT to get accepted at both YHS and CHS… Your program was very helpful because you identified challenge areas as well as areas of relative strength, and you provided specific feedback, which ended up being very motivating for her!

You will be pleased to know that my son did much better on the SSAT than his diagnostic test. Your efforts paid off.

Our son really enjoyed the course, which is saying something, as he is not predisposed to enjoying anything even distantly related to school. He spoke quite highly of you as a teacher, too; something that is beyond rare for him.
I thank you, as does our entire family, for providing such a positive experience for him.
It means a great deal to us.

I wanted to say thank you for the quality education you are providing to my daughter at Pear Tree. Thanks to your classes and guidance, she is more confident in her math skills and seems to be on the right track to build a strong foundation for math in high school.

My son really likes your approach to the class, and he is looking forward to the next class.

My son really enjoyed the sessions- even looked forward to it, which is surprising given it’s extra “work” – so it must be a testament to your coaching!

The boys genuinely enjoyed the sessions which says a lot!

My daughter came out of her second session with you and said “I just learned so much math!” – she was really excited. Thank you for being such a good teacher!

It occurred to me that I never got back to you about the boys’ admission. They were both successful in getting into Southpointe Academy in Delta, BC. Thanks again to you and Laura for all your help.

Paul has been working with our son on his preparation for an overseas school entrance exam since September 2015. The test demands strong writing skills and comprehension ability. Our son has been improving due to Paul’s strength in encouraging and guiding our son’s critical thinking and analytical skills. Equally important is Paul’s ability to connect with our son by engaging him with good questions and seeking smart responses. Finally, as a consummate educator his willingness to listen to parents’ concerns and effecting the desired outcome put us as parents at ease. We are pleased with our son’s progress and we look forward to more of Paul’s positive input to our son’s preparation for the exam.

My son relates to you and your teaching method.

Thanks Paul. He was telling me about the vocabulary in the car. We appreciate all the techniques you’ve shared with him. You were a great match for him, and I know he learned a lot.

My son still treasures your assigned readings from last year. I can’t begin to express how much impact your sessions have had. I think he was little disappointed he couldn’t continue the sessions but he’s been lucky to have awesome teachers in the program this year to keep him engaged with school.

What is the SSAT Exam?

The SSAT is the admission test required for many independent schools. This test is one important step on your path to an independent school education. Your SSAT score is just one part of your complete application to an independent school. However, while it is important, it is not the only criteria for admission.

The SSAT is designed for students in grades 3-PG and is administered on three levels (Elementary, Middle, and Upper). There are two types of SSAT test administrations: the Standard administration, given on 8 x Saturdays during the academic year at test sites worldwide; and the Flex administration, an individual or group test administered on any date other than the 8 x standard dates.

SSAT Character Skills Snapshot

The SSAT Character Skills Snapshot is a new, online test that measures a child’s character skills.

The test is designed to be done at home. It takes about 20-30 minutes to complete, and requires both Parental Consent and a Student Honesty Agreement.

For families signed up for our SSAT tutoring Exam Preparation classes, we provide further details of the test, along with sample questions and the benchmark categories. As the test is intended to be an honest evaluation of a child’s character skills, we do not provide tutoring for this.

Average Success Rate?

A common question from parents is ‘What is your success rate?’

The problem with this question is that it assumes that a child’s success is entirely determined by which SSAT tutoring company you choose.

However, this would be a wrong assumption.

SSAT exam preparation is about optimising your child’s existing academic abilities and familiarising them with the specific requirements of the exam. It isn’t about transforming them into top students, and it isn’t about guaranteeing their success.

If your child struggles with reading, for example, there is little we can do to change that through a couple of 1 hr lessons. It takes years to change a child’s reading ability.

If Pear Tree were concerned about our so-called ‘success rate’, we would only accept students who were already guaranteed to get top marks. However, that’s not how we operate.

We’re here to help every child reach their full potential, even if that means that they only get an average score.

How Do I Know If My Child's Academics Are Too Low?

There is no easy way to know if this until you try. Clearly, if you are pursuing private education and the SSAT exam, you must have some belief that your child already has academic abilities.

However, if you would prefer to do a pre-course test (created by the SSAT organisation). This would cost $60 + GST. The test takes 30 minutes. Note that the results of this pre-test likely won’t be amazing, because your child won’t have any prior familiarity with the exam. However, it will give us some indication of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

If you decide to proceed with our exam preparation classes, this $30 would be deducted from your course cost (i.e. the pre-course test would ultimately only cost $30)