The Character Skills Snapshot
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New to the SSAT, the Character Skills Snapshot
The SSAT has introduced a new assessment test this year, called the Character Skills Snapshot. This assessment will be a new piece to your child’s application, designed to give admission teams a more “complete picture” of who your child is.
The Snapshot was designed based on research from the makers of the SSAT exam, The Enrollment Management Association, an independent think tank dedicated to helping enhance the independent school admission process for families and enrollment teams.
The 8 Character Skills
The Snapshot will assess the following eight character skills:
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Teamwork
- Initiative
- Resilience
- Responsibility
- Self-control
- Open-mindedness
- Social Awareness
Important to note for parents, this assessment is called a “snapshot” because it is not meant to express a child’s ability to grow these skill sets. Rather, schools hope that this assessment will give them a “better idea of the areas in which their community has opportunities to help your child grow and develop.” Some schools will be requiring the Character Skills Snapshot this year, while for others it is just recommended. Please contact the schools you are applying your child to if you are unsure whether this will be required.
The Content
The Snapshot will consist of the following questions:
- 19 questions that ask your child to rate three statements on a scale from “MOST Like Me” to “LEAST Like Me.”
- 10 questions that ask your child to rate four different responses to a given scenario on a scale of 1 (Not Appropriate) to 4 (Very Appropriate).
Please take a look at the sample questions provided here for a better understanding of what will be asked. To see how your child’s “score” will be broken down, view this example.
The Character Skills Snapshot will be available to take online starting on September 25th. Your child can take the assessment online from home or wherever they may have computer access, but can only take it once per admission cycle. If you have already registered your child for the SSAT, there will be no additional charge for this assessment, and you can follow this guide to learn How to Access the Character Skills Snapshot for SSAT Test Takers. Parents can send their child’s Snapshot report to schools using their same SSAT account.