Middle level SSAT math: topics and strategies

Updated November 3, 2026

The middle level SSAT has two quantitative (math) sections, each with 25 questions in 30 minutes. The math is mostly what kids see in grades 5 to 7, but much of it comes as word problems, and the wrong answers are the ones a quick mistake gives.

Topics

AreaIncludes
Number and operationsDecimals, fractions, integers, factors and primes, percents, ratios and rates, estimation, and patterns
AlgebraSimple equations and inequalities, expressions, and turning words into math
GeometryPerimeter, area, angles, volume, circles, and the coordinate plane
Data and probabilityCharts and graphs, mean, median, and mode, and simple probability

Strategies

  • Estimate first. It rules out choices that are way off and catches careless slips.
  • Read the last line twice. Many misses answer a different question, e.g. the price before a discount instead of after.
  • Write the steps down, even simple ones. Most wrong choices come from a skipped step.
  • Plug in the answer choices when an equation is hard to set up.
  • Skip a problem that's taking too long and come back to it.

Try a few

Question 1

Which is closest to 297 + 512?

  1. A200
  2. B8,000
  3. C800
  4. D80
  5. E900
Show the answer

C, 800. 297 is about 300 and 512 is about 500. 300 + 500 = 800. The exact sum is 809.

Question 2

What is 5/6 − 3/8?

  1. A1 5/24
  2. B5/16
  3. C11/24
  4. D17/24
  5. E1/12
Show the answer

C, 11/24. The least common denominator is 24. 5/6 = 20/24 and 3/8 = 9/24. 20/24 − 9/24 = 11/24.

Question 3

What is 36 ÷ 4 + 5 × 2?

  1. A18
  2. B8
  3. C19
  4. D16
  5. E14
Show the answer

C, 19. 36 ÷ 4 = 9 and 5 × 2 = 10. 9 + 10 = 19.

Question 4

Which number is divisible by 3?

  1. A436
  2. B252
  3. C1,003
  4. D349
  5. E313
Show the answer

B, 252. A number is divisible by 3 when its digits add to a multiple of 3. 2 + 5 + 2 = 9, so 252 works (252 = 3 × 84). The digit sums of the others are 7, 16, 13, and 4.

Question 5

A ball is dropped and bounces. Its first bounce is 64 inches high, and each bounce after that is half as high as the one before. How high is the 5th bounce, in inches?

  1. A2
  2. B4
  3. C8
  4. D12.8
  5. E124
Show the answer

B, 4. Halve each time: 64, 32, 16, 8, 4. The 5th bounce is 4 inches high.

Question 6

Two swimmers push off from the same end of a pool at the same time. Pia gets back to that end every 6 minutes. Jon gets back every 9 minutes. After how many minutes will they first be back at that end together?

  1. A15
  2. B3
  3. C54
  4. D18
  5. E36
Show the answer

D, 18. Multiples of 9 are 9, 18, 27, and so on. 18 is the first one that 6 divides (6 × 3 = 18). They are back together after 18 minutes.

More in the free SSAT practice questions.

Rookling covers 20 math skills, each with its own level, including questions with figures. Wrong choices come with a note on the mistake that leads to them.

Questions parents ask

Is a calculator allowed?
No. Calculators aren't allowed on the SSAT, so practice should be done without one too.
How many math questions are there?
50 scored questions in two sections of 25, each 30 minutes.

More guides