Expert ISEE and SSAT tutoring for your child, in London and online
Book a Complimentary ConsultationOur ISEE and SSAT tutoring gives your child a calm, structured route through an unfamiliar American entrance exam. Working one-to-one with a Guidewell Global mentor, in London and online, your child learns the content, the question types and the pacing each test rewards, and walks into the exam room knowing exactly what to expect.
Whether your family is applying to a US boarding or day school, or to an American-curriculum school in the UK or abroad, we help you choose the right test and level, plan the timeline and prepare with confidence.
A trusted partner for independent school entrance exams
Our mentors know both tests inside out, and they know how to teach a nine-year-old as well as a sixteen-year-old: patiently, positively and with an eye on confidence as much as content.
Why the ISEE and SSAT feel unfamiliar to UK families
Three questions families ask:
- Which test does the school actually want, and at what level?
- How different is it from the 11+ or Common Entrance?
- How do we prepare without piling pressure on a young child?
The tests use American grade levels rather than UK year groups, the two providers assign levels differently, and every school sets its own policy. Families often lose weeks working out what is required before any preparation begins.
We settle those questions first, then build a plan that fits your child and the time available.
The ISEE and SSAT at a glance
The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) and the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) are standardised admissions tests used by independent schools, mainly in the United States and at some American-curriculum schools in the UK and elsewhere. They are different tests from the UK's 11+ and Common Entrance, which serve British-curriculum schools.
At the levels we prepare students for, both tests assess verbal reasoning, reading comprehension and mathematics, and both include an unscored writing sample that receiving schools can read. Score reports show results for the scored sections together with percentile ranks against each provider's comparison group of applicants.
ISEE levels: Lower (applying to Grades 5 to 6), Middle (Grades 7 to 8) and Upper (Grades 9 to 12). The level depends on the grade your child is applying to.
SSAT levels: Elementary (currently in Grades 3 to 4), Middle (Grades 5 to 7) and Upper (Grades 8 to 11). The level usually depends on your child's current grade.
Sections: verbal reasoning, reading comprehension and mathematics, plus an unscored writing sample.
Guessing: the SSAT deducts a quarter-point for each wrong answer at Middle and Upper Level; the ISEE does not penalise wrong answers.
How often: the ISEE can be taken once in each of three testing seasons (up to three sittings a school year). SSAT sitting limits depend on level, format and location.
Each school decides which test it accepts, or whether it needs one at all: some require a score, some will consider a result you already hold, and some run no entrance exam. The school's own admissions page is the place to start, and we are happy to help you interpret it.
Which test and level is right for my child?
The two providers set levels differently. The ISEE level depends on the grade your child is applying to; the SSAT level usually depends on the grade your child is in now. For a child in England or Wales moving up one year group, the mapping works out as follows (the US grade is one number lower than the UK year group):
- Applying to Year 6 (US Grade 5): ISEE Lower Level or SSAT Elementary Level
- Applying to Year 7 (US Grade 6): ISEE Lower Level or SSAT Middle Level
- Applying to Years 8 to 9 (US Grades 7 to 8): ISEE Middle Level or SSAT Middle Level
- Applying to Years 10 to 13 (US Grades 9 to 12): ISEE Upper Level or SSAT Upper Level
Families in Scotland and Northern Ireland should work from the US grade rather than the year-group label. If the school accepts either test, we can talk through which suits your child better: the two differ in length, question style and how they treat guessing, and some children are more comfortable with one than the other.
ISEE and SSAT tutoring built around your child
Every child starts from a different place, so every programme starts with understanding yours.
Consultation and assessment
We talk through the target school's requirements, confirm the right test and level, and can use an initial assessment to see where your child is strongest and where the marks are going.
Right-fit tutor
Your child is matched with a mentor chosen for subject expertise and for the way they teach younger students, and works with that same mentor from start to finish.
A personalised plan
Sessions are one-to-one and follow a plan built around your child, their level and the weeks available: verbal reasoning, reading, maths, the writing sample, and the pacing each section demands.
Practice and feedback
Your mentor tracks progress session by session, adjusts the plan as skills grow, and keeps you informed along the way.
Ready for test day
Timed practice under exam conditions builds familiarity and calm, so your child arrives knowing exactly what to expect.
Confidence on test day, and skills that last
Through the process, our students:
Learn the content and question types their level actually tests
Build the timing and technique each section rewards
Approach test day calmly, with strategies they trust
We work with families whose children are:
Sessions are one-to-one, in London and online. Online lessons are live and interactive, so families anywhere in the UK or overseas receive the same mentor, materials and attention as students in London.
Explore our tools, guides, and insights
Our families often tell us that understanding the US college process feels far easier once they have the right tools in hand. Explore our curated guides designed to help you prepare for your future — from early exploration to final applications.
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Your ISEE and SSAT questions, answered
Both assess verbal reasoning, reading and maths, and both include an unscored writing sample. They differ in how levels are assigned (the ISEE by the grade applied to, the SSAT by current grade), in question style and format, in scoring and guessing rules, and in how often they can be taken. Some schools accept either; others name one. The school's instructions decide, and we help you weigh the options against them.
The 11+ and Common Entrance are British tests for British-curriculum schools. The ISEE and SSAT are American tests, built around US grade levels and question formats, and are used by US independent schools and some American-curriculum schools in the UK. Preparation for one does not transfer neatly to the other, which is why we teach them as separate programmes.
Ideally three to six months before the test date, working back from each school's application deadline. That leaves time to build skills gradually rather than cram. Check the school's deadline and the official test dates first, then book a consultation and we will map a realistic timeline.
Every session is one-to-one with the same mentor throughout, in London and online. Online lessons are live, so students can prepare from anywhere in the UK or internationally.
No. The first sessions establish where your child is now. All you need is the target school's requirements and a rough sense of the timeline.
