# Are students sitting the SSAT and SAT exams expected to explain their math answers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 13, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446 "2015-11-13T06:43:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/1 "2015-11-13T06:43:18Z")

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Hi  
I was reading about the Common Core standards in the following article

[The Common Core-Inspired “Explain Your Answers” Rule in Math Is Misguided\<!-- --\> - The Atlantic](http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/math-showing-work/414924/#article-comments)

What I haven’t been able to find out is whether students sitting the SSAT and SAT exams are expected to explain their multiple choice math answers? I look forward to your feedback.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/2 "2015-11-13T06:55:48Z")

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Not on the SAT. It has 10 questions where you have to produce the answer yourself, but the only thing submitted is the [final answer on a bubble sheet](https://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-questions-math-student-produced-response?practiceTestSectionIDKey=QuestionType.STUDENT_PRODUCED_RESPONSE).

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**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/3 "2015-11-13T11:00:30Z")

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The new PSAT/SAT both have mc questions where you have to select from several different ways to set up an equation, which approaches this idea.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/4 "2015-11-13T12:03:48Z")

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When my kids took the SSAT (which was prior to CC) they did not, I’m pretty sure. I can ask them, though it’s been awhile!

As answered, the SAT and PSAT didn’t either.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/5 "2015-11-13T23:41:06Z")

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Thanks Manda Jo. If it applies to the new SAT, then I assume it will apply to the SSAT but I haven’t been able to verify that.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/6 "2015-11-13T23:43:42Z")

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> [@davidmich](#):
>
> Thanks Manda Jo. If it applies to the new SAT, then I assume it will apply to the SSAT but I haven’t been able to verify that.

If I recall, the SSAT (secondary school admissions test) is not administered by the same organization as the SAT or PSAT.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/7 "2015-11-13T23:52:23Z")

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Good point. All I know is that ETS developed these test.

[http://excelprogram.org/images/pdf/P-Info-on-ISEE-and-SSAT.pdf](http://excelprogram.org/images/pdf/P-Info-on-ISEE-and-SSAT.pdf)

“The SSAT is an ability test developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) which has been used by over 500 private schools to help them choose the best candidates from among the 30,000 students who take the test annually. ETS is the same company that produces the college SAT.”

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**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/8 "2015-11-13T23:52:58Z")

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I took my SAT last month, and have taken the PSAT based off the new one (which hasn’t been officially administered yet). There are short-answer math questions (in addition to the multiple choice) but no explanations. The SSAT is a totally different animal, of which I know nada.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-students-sitting-the-ssat-and-sat-exams-expected-to-explain-their-math-answers/737446/9 "2015-11-13T23:55:21Z")

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> [@davidmich](#):
>
> Good point. All I know is that ETS developed these test.
> 
> [http://excelprogram.org/images/pdf/P-Info-on-ISEE-and-SSAT.pdf](http://excelprogram.org/images/pdf/P-Info-on-ISEE-and-SSAT.pdf)
> 
> “The SSAT is an ability test developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) which has been used by over 500 private schools to help them choose the best candidates from among the 30,000 students who take the test annually. ETS is the same company that produces the college SAT.”

That’s for digging that up. My son who took the exam in 8th grade (it’s a prep high school entrance exam) is a junior in college now, so my memory fails.