Most failed SSAT at Home appointments are not academic problems — they are tech problems. This SSAT at Home setup guide walks through every hardware spec, the PSI Bridge system check, the macOS screen recording permission step, and the Equity Tech Kit request process so your computer is ready well before the proctor logs on.
Before you click anything else, confirm the device. The SSAT at Home setup process is unforgiving about hardware: the secure browser refuses to launch on anything that is not a Windows or Mac laptop or desktop. There is no workaround, no compatibility mode, and no developer override.
| Component | Requirement | Not Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Device | Windows or Mac laptop or desktop | Chromebook, tablet, iPad, phone |
| Screen | Single monitor, 1366 x 768 minimum resolution | Dual-monitor setups |
| Browser | Latest Chrome (for system check and launch) | Other browsers for system check |
| Internet | Reliable home connection, 300 kbps minimum | VPNs, many corporate or school networks |
| Webcam | Movable internal or external webcam | Stationary security cameras, fixed-mount cams |
| Audio output | Built-in or external speaker | Headphones, earbuds, AirPods, headset speakers |
| Microphone | Internal or external mic for proctor chat | Microphones built into headsets |
The SSAT at Home runs the PSI Bridge Secure Browser, which is compiled for macOS and Windows only. A standard MacBook, iMac, Mac mini, or any reasonably current Windows laptop or desktop will work. Operating systems must meet the PSI Platform System Requirements, so older Mac OS X versions or unsupported Windows builds may need an update before the system check passes.
These are the most common rejections families discover only after registering: Chromebooks (because they run ChromeOS, not desktop Windows or macOS), iPads and Android tablets, and any phone. Hybrid devices like the Microsoft Surface running Windows in full desktop mode are fine, but a Surface running in tablet-only mode is not. If the family computer is a Chromebook, the answer is not to find a workaround — the answer is to request an Equity Tech Kit before scheduling.
Only one display is allowed. If the laptop is normally docked to an external monitor, disconnect the monitor and clear the workspace. Resolution must be at least 1366 x 768; almost any modern laptop screen meets that standard. Plug the laptop in and charge it to 100% before launch — a battery dropout during the room scan can cancel the appointment as decisively as an internet outage.
| Format | 2025-2026 Fee | Tech Setup Burden | Tests Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSAT at Home (Middle/Upper) | $258 | High — system check, secure browser, room scan | 1 |
| Prometric Center (Middle/Upper) | $242 | Low — Prometric provides the computer | 2 |
| Paper SSAT (Standard) | $172 | None | Up to 6 Standard + 1 Flex |
If you are still weighing at-home against Prometric or paper, the calculator below maps each format's fee and tech burden so you can compare cost across multiple attempts before committing.
Compare the upfront fee for each SSAT format. Tech burden ranges from 0 (paper) to 5 (at home) based on the setup steps in this guide.
SSAT at Home technical requirements for connectivity look modest on paper but trip up more families than the hardware. PSI Bridge needs a connection that is consistent for hours, not just fast in bursts. A Zoom call quality check is a fair stand-in: if a 90-minute video meeting is reliable from the same room, the SSAT at Home should work too.
The minimum is 300 kbps of stable bandwidth. That is the speed needed to stream music or browse the web reliably, not full HD video. The bigger risk is jitter and packet loss — short dropouts that the proctor sees as a frozen webcam. Wired ethernet beats Wi-Fi when both are available; if Wi-Fi is the only option, sit close to the router and ask housemates to avoid heavy uploads during the test.
The SSAT at Home Chrome browser requirement is non-negotiable for the system check, the Equity Tech Kit request, and the final test launch from the My Tests page. Update Chrome to the latest stable version a few days before the test. On test day, you will install the PSI Bridge Secure Browser from a link inside Chrome — Bridge is a separate desktop app that locks the screen during testing.
VPNs are explicitly prohibited; turn off any always-on VPN before the system check and again before launch. Corporate, business, and many school networks have firewall rules that block PSI Bridge or screen-recording traffic. If the system check fails on a school or office network, run it again from your home Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot before assuming the laptop is at fault. Many families discover the workplace network is the problem and simply test from home instead.
The SSAT at Home webcam and microphone gear is the part students most often try to upgrade — and most often get wrong. The proctor needs to see, hear, and read the testing space, and the rules are tighter than for a normal video call.
An internal laptop webcam works fine, and many families find it the easiest path because it cannot accidentally point in the wrong direction. The webcam must be movable: during check-in the proctor will ask the student to perform a 360-degree room scan, which on a laptop means tilting and rotating the open laptop around the room. A fixed desktop webcam mounted to a monitor still passes if the monitor itself can be rotated; a wall-mounted security camera does not.
This is the rule that surprises the most students. Headphones, earbuds, AirPods, and headset speakers are all prohibited. The audio must come out of the computer's built-in speaker or a separate external speaker on the desk. The reason is partly proctor policy (the proctor wants to hear what the student hears) and partly anti-cheating: a covered ear cannot easily verify a quiet room.
An internal laptop microphone is normally fine. A standalone USB microphone on the desk is also acceptable. What is not acceptable is a microphone built into a headset, even if the headset is set aside and only the boom mic is in use — the system simply blocks anything labeled as a headset device. Test the microphone with a Chrome recording before test day so a muted system level is not the surprise that derails check-in.
The SSAT system check at syscheck.bridge.psiexams.com is the single most useful tool in this whole guide. Run it the day you register, run it again three to four days before the test, and run it on the exact computer and exact network the student plans to use. Skipping or moving it is the single most common reason families lose their fee.
| When | Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| At registration | Open syscheck.bridge.psiexams.com in Chrome and run a first system check | Confirms eligibility before you commit to a date |
| After scheduling | Request an Equity Tech Kit if your device fails the check | Kits ship in days, not hours — request early |
| 3-4 days before | Run the system check a second time on the same computer and network | You can still reschedule for free up to 72 hours out |
| Night before | Charge the laptop, plug it in, clear the desk, and confirm Chrome is updated | Removes day-of distractions and battery risk |
| 30 minutes before | Reboot, close all apps, install PSI Bridge Secure Browser from My Tests | Below this window the install can race past the 15-minute cancellation cliff |
| At start time | Launch the test from the My Tests page; proctor joins within 10-15 minutes | Launch button must be clicked within 15 minutes of start time |
Run it twice. The first run goes the day you register, before you commit to a specific date. The second run goes between three and four days before the test — far enough out that, if it fails, you can still reschedule for free under the 72-hour rule. Running it the night before is too late; running it the morning of leaves no recovery path.
The check verifies four things in sequence: a recent Chrome version, a working webcam, a working microphone, and outbound network access to PSI's servers. It does not test how stable the connection will be over a multi-hour exam, and it does not stress-test a hotspot. So a system check pass is necessary but not sufficient — the connection still has to hold up on test day.
Most failures fall into one of four buckets: Chrome is out of date, the microphone is muted at the OS level, the webcam permission is denied, or the network is blocked (school, office, or VPN). Update Chrome, unmute the OS audio settings, allow camera and microphone permissions for the syscheck site, and try again from home Wi-Fi. If the check still fails, call PSI Customer Care at 1-833-207-1288 — and do it while you are still inside the 72-hour free reschedule window.
Worked Example
A family registers for the SSAT at Home for an upcoming Saturday but realizes mid-week that the system check is throwing a microphone error on the student's laptop.
Use this list in the days leading up to the test. Every item ties back to a specific SSAT at Home requirement covered above — checking them off in order prevents almost every common day-of failure.
The PSI Bridge Secure Browser SSAT install is the choke point on test day. Almost everything that goes wrong inside the 30-minute pre-launch window happens here, and the 15-minute hard cutoff after start time leaves no margin for a slow recovery.
Open the My Tests page in Chrome 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Reboot the computer first, close every other application, and disable any auto-update tools that might launch in the background. From My Tests, click the link to download the PSI Bridge Secure Browser; the install completes in a couple of minutes if Chrome and the OS are current. If you have an older PSI app already installed (from a prior test or another exam program), open the Applications folder on Mac or Programs on Windows and delete it before installing the new version.
On macOS, PSI Bridge needs explicit screen recording permission. After the first launch you will see a dialog reading "PSI Bridge Secure Browser would like to record this computer's screen and audio." Click Open System Settings, navigate to Privacy and Security, choose Screen Recording, and toggle the slider next to PSI Bridge Secure Browser to ON. Quit Bridge and relaunch it once — the permission only takes effect on a fresh start. Windows users skip this step entirely.
The single hardest deadline in this whole process: if PSI Bridge has not detected a launch attempt within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the appointment is cancelled. Not delayed — cancelled. That is why the install starts 30 minutes early. Click Launch from the My Tests page as soon as Bridge is ready and let the proctor join you in real time; the proctor typically arrives 10 to 15 minutes after start time and will walk through identity verification, the room scan, and break instructions before the timer begins.
Worked Example
A student on a MacBook Air opens the My Tests page 25 minutes before launch, downloads PSI Bridge, and immediately gets a "Screen Recording Permission Required" dialog.
If the home computer is a Chromebook, an iPad, or simply too old to pass the system check, the Enrollment Management Association will ship a free laptop and mobile hotspot called an Equity Tech Kit. There is no fee waiver requirement; any family without compatible equipment can request one. This is the part of the SSAT at Home setup that most families miss.
Anyone whose existing computer fails the system check or who lacks reliable home internet can request a kit. Fee-waiver families and full-paying families are both eligible. The only catch is geographic: the included hotspot works in most but not all locations, so very rural areas may need to confirm coverage before relying on the kit alone.
The kit ships with a laptop pre-configured to run PSI Bridge plus a 4G hotspot for internet access. EMA covers the cost of the hardware, the shipping out, and the prepaid return. Families do not pay anything beyond the standard SSAT at Home registration fee. The kit must be returned within two business days of the exam — late returns can incur a charge.
Request the kit before scheduling the test, not after. Register for the SSAT but pause before picking a date. If you have a fee waiver code, include it on the request form; if not, you will need the SSAT Candidate Eligibility code from your account. EMA confirms by email when the kit is processed and again with shipment tracking a few days before the test. For hardware issues with the kit, the dedicated support line is 1-267-554-7087 (ShockIT Support), not the regular PSI numbers.
Even with a clean system check and a fully charged laptop, things break. The good news: PSI and EMA staff three different support lines for the SSAT at Home, and rescheduling is free if you act before the math section starts. Knowing which number to dial when is the difference between a free retry and a forfeited fee.
| Issue Type | Phone Number | When to Call |
|---|---|---|
| System check or secure browser install (pre-test) | 1-833-207-1288 (PSI Customer Care) | Days before the test, when the system check fails |
| Login, launch, or browser issue (test day) | 1-833-310-6425 (PSI Help Desk) | Test day, especially the 30-minute install window |
| Equity Tech Kit hardware or hotspot | 1-267-554-7087 (ShockIT Support) | Anytime the loaner laptop or hotspot misbehaves |
| General SSAT/registration questions | 1-609-683-4440 (EMA SSAT) | Non-technical questions about your appointment |
Pick the tech problem you are seeing and the lookup returns the right phone number to call.
PSI Customer Care (1-833-207-1288) is the right number when the test has not started yet — system check failures, install issues a day or two before, account questions tied to PSI's side of the platform. PSI Help Desk (1-833-310-6425) is the test-day number; call it the moment something breaks during the 30-minute install window or during the exam itself. ShockIT Support (1-267-554-7087) is only for Equity Tech Kit hardware. The EMA SSAT line (1-609-683-4440) handles registration and policy questions but cannot fix technical problems.
If a tech problem stops the test before the student reaches the first quantitative (math) section, EMA will email rescheduling instructions by noon ET the next business day at no additional cost. If the disconnect happens at or after the start of the math section, the at-home retry option is gone — the only paths forward are switching to a Prometric center appointment or a paper SSAT, both of which require a new registration.
If two consecutive at-home attempts fail for the same reason — an unstable router, a borderline laptop, a network the school refuses to whitelist — stop trying to fix the at-home setup. The Prometric center option costs $242 for the 2025-2026 testing year (slightly less than the $258 at-home fee), provides the computer for you, and has none of the personal-network risk. Paper SSAT at $172 is the cheapest fallback if a center is available locally. Each format counts toward different annual limits: one SSAT at Home, two Prometric tests, and up to seven combined paper Standard and Flex tests per year.