What Secondary School Admission Test does

SSAT, operated by E3n (formerly the Enrollment Management Association), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers the Secondary School Admission Test and a portfolio of related enrollment services for the private K-12 admission market. Founded in 1957 by a consortium of ten private schools including Phillips Academy, Phillips Exeter, and Lawrenceville, the organization is headquartered in Skillman, NJ and operates with 51-100 employees. It serves more than 80,000 applying families annually across 5,000+ testing locations worldwide and supports a member network of 400+ private schools that use the Standard Application Online (SAO) common application.

The core product is the SSAT itself, a standardized multiple-choice and writing assessment delivered at three levels (Elementary, Middle, Upper) that measures verbal, quantitative, reading, and writing skills, with scores produced through classical psychometric equating procedures. The portfolio extends to a subscription-based online practice platform (cumulative 278,003+ students), printed study guides, the Character Skills Snapshot behavioral add-on, score reporting services, and operational tools for member schools (search.admission.org, fee management, application workflows). Distribution is enabled by formal partnerships with PSI Services for online proctoring (SSAT at Home) and Prometric for global test center access, alongside a China-specific service channel at ssatchina.cn.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-tester SSAT fees of $112-$229 (varying by level and region), recurring online practice subscriptions at $80/year, study guide sales at $70, and modular add-on services (score reporting at $19-$100, Character Skills Snapshot, Admission Concierge). Member school dues, the fee waiver program, and donations supplement these streams. The operating model is hybrid B2C (families) and B2B (member schools), with the SAO and Character Skills Snapshot creating cross-sell opportunities that anchor schools more deeply into the E3n ecosystem.

Name

Secondary School Admission Test

Legal name

E3n (Enrollment Management & Educational Records Group, Inc.)

Website

https://ssat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nonprofit standardized admission assessment and enrollment services organization for private K-12 schools, operating the SSAT exam and Standard Application Online common application for 80,000+ families and 400+ member schools annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assessment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD)

Keywords

• Standardized admission testing
• Private school assessment
• Educational testing services
• School admission preparation
• K-12 enrollment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Skillman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. SSAT Testing Fees: Revenue from test registration fees charged to families for taking the SSAT. Pricing varies by level (Elementary, Middle, Upper), test format (paper, at-home, Prometric), and geographic region (US/Canada vs. International). Additional fees apply for Flex tests administered by educational consultants.
2. Online Practice Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based access to official SSAT online practice materials including full-length practice tests, section tests, and subject quizzes. Subscription priced at $80/year for Middle or Upper Level.
3. Study Guide Books: Sale of official printed SSAT study guide books containing practice tests, study questions, tips, and scoring explanations. Priced at $70 per book for Middle or Upper Level. Elementary Level guides available free.
4. Score Services: Add-on services including Score Alert notifications ($19), Writing Sample copies ($26), Grade Rescoring ($59), and Hand Scoring review ($100).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The SSAT is a standardized admission assessment for private secondary schools, offered in three levels (Elementary grades 3-4, Middle grades 5-7, Upper grades 8-11) and delivered via paper testing, secure at-home online proctoring (US/Canada), and Prometric test centers worldwide. The organization also provides official practice materials (online practice platform, study guide books, free mini-practice test), complementary admission services (Standard Application Online common application, Character Skills Snapshot, Admission Concierge, school search), and equity programs (fee waivers, Equity Tech Kits).

Product overview

The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is a suite of educational assessment and admission services operated by the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), a nonprofit organization. The core product is the SSAT exam, available in three levels (Elementary for grades 3-4, Middle for grades 5-7, and Upper for grades 8-11) delivered via paper, SSAT at Home (online proctored), and Prometric test centers. Preparation is supported through Online Practice Tests, SSAT Study Guide Books, and a free Mini-Practice Test. The ecosystem includes complementary admission services: the Character Skills Snapshot assessment, Standard Application Online (SAO) common application, Admission Concierge newsletter, Connect With Schools service, Private School Search, and the #admissionchat Podcast. Equity and access are addressed through Equity Tech Kits and a Fee Waiver Program. The SSAT has been the leading private school admission assessment since 1957, serving over 80,000 applying families annually with access to over 5,000 testing locations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Standard Application Online (SAO): The premier common application for applying to K–12 private schools that simplifies the application process and saves families time.
• Character Skills Snapshot
• SSAT at Home
• Prometric Testing

Products and services

• SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) The primary standardized admission assessment for private school enrollment, available in three levels: Elementary (grades 3-4), Middle (grades 5-7), and Upper (grades 8-11). Offered via paper, at-home online proctoring (US/Canada), and Prometric test centers worldwide. The assessment covers Verbal (synonyms and analogies), Quantitative (Math), Reading Comprehension, Writing Sample, and Experimental sections.
• Online Practice Tests Official online SSAT practice subscription offering four full-length practice tests, 15 practice section tests, over 50 subject quizzes, and answer explanations with detailed instant reporting for Middle and Upper Level students. Priced at $80/year per subscription.
• SSAT Study Guide Books Official printed study guides for Middle and Upper Level SSAT preparation, containing four full-length practice tests, study questions and tips, scoring instructions, and section-specific exercises. Priced at $70 per book. Elementary Level guides available as free PDF downloads.
• Free Mini-Practice Test Free 30-question online practice test providing instant detailed reports showing students' highest and lowest-scoring topics to identify where to focus studying.
• Character Skills Snapshot An assessment measuring student preferences, attitudes, and beliefs designed to complement SSAT scores and help admission teams understand applicants holistically beyond academic test scores.
• Standard Application Online (SAO) Common private school application platform enabling families to apply to over 400 schools with a single application, simplifying the K-12 private school admission process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 278,003+ students helped with official practice materials in the last 10 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PSI Services, LLCcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1957PSI Services provides remote proctoring services for the SSAT at Home, monitoring test administrations via webcam to ensure test integrity and security.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric provides computer-based test center infrastructure for SSAT administrations worldwide, enabling students to take the CBT version at authorized test centers.
• Member Private SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMA was founded in 1957 by a consortium of ten private schools including Phillips Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, and The Lawrenceville School. Today, member schools receive SSAT scores, participate in professional development conferences, and help shape assessment standards.
• search.admission.orgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool search platform that integrates with SSAT services, allowing families to search private schools by criteria and discover schools accepting the Standard Application Online (SAO).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NWEA: NWEA administers MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments widely used in K-12 schools for benchmarking and growth measurement. While MAP serves a different purpose (in-school formative assessment vs. high-stakes admission testing), NWEA overlaps with EMA in serving private/independent schools and competes for school-level assessment budgets.
• College Board: College Board administers the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams — the most established standardized testing suite in US education. While focused on college admissions rather than private secondary school admissions, College Board operates the same kind of large-scale, multi-modal standardized assessment business with member institutions and student-facing prep products.
• Pearson Assessments: Pearson is a global assessment and education publisher offering a wide portfolio of K-12 and clinical assessments. As a broad incumbent, Pearson competes in adjacent assessment categories and has the scale to enter or expand in private school admissions testing.
• Educational Testing Service (ETS): ETS is one of the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing organizations, administering GRE, TOEFL, Praxis, and many other assessments. It shares the same operating model — content development, multi-modal delivery, equating/scoring infrastructure — and serves overlapping student populations transitioning to higher education.
• ACT, Inc. ACT is a major US-based nonprofit standardized testing organization offering the ACT assessment and a portfolio of K-12 and workforce solutions. It shares the nonprofit, mission-driven assessment model with EMA and competes in the broader standardized testing market that touches secondary school students.
• Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing: Cambridge Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge, develops and administers a range of international admissions and qualification tests. It is comparable in providing standardized assessment services globally and serves similar international student populations applying to private secondary and postsecondary institutions.

Emerging players

• Renaissance Learning: Renaissance Learning provides K-12 educational software and assessment products (e.g., Star Assessments, Accelerated Reader). It overlaps with EMA in serving independent schools with assessment and progress-monitoring tools, though focused more on in-school instruction than admission.

Direct peers

• Educational Records Bureau (ERB): ERB administers the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination), the SSAT's most direct competitor for private school admission assessments. Both organizations serve the same family and member-school customer base with comparable standardized tests covering similar student levels.

Others

• Law School Admission Council (LSAC): LSAC operates the LSAT and the centralized law school application service, sharing the same structural model as EMA (nonprofit testing body + common application platform like the SSAT + SAO). It is comparable as a peer organization in nonprofit standardized admissions testing, though serving a different vertical (law school).
• AAMC: AAMC administers the MCAT and the AMCAS medical school application. While serving a different professional admissions vertical, AAMC shares the same integrated nonprofit assessment + common application model that EMA has built with the SSAT and Standard Application Online.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Secondary School Admission Test