Do you have to take the Middle Level SSAT? Are you worried about how you will do on the Quantitative section because math isn’t your best subject? Many students find themselves worrying about the Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative section, becoming apprehensive about having to take it and how well or how poorly they might do on it; however, by learning about what topics the Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative section tests, how the section is structured, and how you can use free online resources to study, you can stop worrying about how you’ll do on the Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative section and prepare to do as well as you can on test day.

The Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative section is split into two sections on the exam. One is the first of five multiple-choice sections that are given on the exam; it comes right after the Writing Sample, but before the Reading section. The second Quantitative section on the Middle Level SSAT comes right after the Verbal section and right before the last section, which is Experimental. So, the two Quantitative sections are split up by the Reading section, a five-minute break, and the Verbal section, so don’t feel as if you have to do all of the test’s math problems at once. Each of the Middle Level SSAT’s two Quantitative sections consists of 25 questions, and you are given a half hour, or thirty minutes, in which to answer them. Some of these problems are word problems or story problems that ask you to read a sentence or a few sentences and figure out a mathematical expression that describes the situation. Other problems simply present equations and ask you to solve them. These given equations are usually a little more difficult than the ones you need to find in story problems.

The topics tested on the Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative Section fall into one of four categories: Number Concepts and Operations, which asks questions about topics like addition and subtraction, sequences, and multiplication and division; Algebra, which asks questions about topics like properties of exponents, equations or lines, and absolute value; Geometry and Measurement, which asks questions about topics like finding the perimeter and area of different shapes, the Pythagorean theorem, properties of different types of triangles, and properties of perpendicular and parallel lines; and Data Analysis and Probability, which asks questions about topics like data interpretation, trend identification, and probability.

If you’re still nervous about taking the Quantitative section of the Middle Level SSAT, the best thing you can do is practice the concepts that you understand least well. If you’re not sure what these are, or need to find practice problems, you can do so by taking Varsity Tutors’ free online Middle Level SSAT Practice Tests. A Practice Test is made up of about a dozen Middle Level SSAT Quantitative problems, and you can choose to do problems drawn from all categories covered on the Middle Level SSAT, or just one specific category you know you need to work on. Like the actual Middle Level SSAT, each question on a Practice Test is multiple-choice, and after answering all of the problems on a Practice Test, your score is compared to those of other students who answered the same questions. You also get to see statistics about how long you took to answer each question, and detailed explanations of how to find the right answer for each question. If you miss any questions, you can use these explanations to figure out where you made a mistake, so as not to repeat it!

To evaluate your skills, kick-start your review by taking an online Full-Length Middle Level SSAT Quantitative Practice Test. The complete practice tests present questions on all of the concepts that could be covered on the real exam. The extended format also gives you the opportunity to check your pace to ensure you’ll have time to complete the entire section on exam day. Each results page for the complete practice tests is just like those offered on the concept-specific practice tests, including the step-by-step explanations illustrating each answer and links to pertinent formulas. Each full-length SSAT practice test can help you to build a study plan unique to you by honing in on the topics you most need to review. Once you know the concepts that need the most work, try using Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools to review. You can evaluate your growth by taking another Full-Length Middle Level SSAT Quantitative Practice Test.

By making use of Varsity Tutors’ free Middle Level SSAT Practice Tests and other free Middle Level SSAT resources, you can identify the topics you need to review the most and focus your studying on those. That way, you can feel completely ready to take the Middle Level SSAT’s Quantitative section when you open your test booklet to take the real Middle Level SSAT!