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Standardized Testing As the subject matter of high school courses and grading standards vary widely, the Admissions Testing Service of the College Board has developed tests which provide a common standard against which all students may be compared. There are two types of tests that may be required for college admissions. They are the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Test, formerly referred to as the SAT II. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) The SAT lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes and measures the core reasoning abilities students need to do college-level work successfully. The SAT has a third section in addition to covering math and reading, the SAT has a section covering a set of skills that is critical to success in college and the workplace: writing. · The Writing Section: 60 minutes. Students write a short essay and answer multiple-choice questions that test how well they use standard written English. · The Critical reading Section: 70 minutes. Formerly called the Verbal Section, this section includes reading passages with related questions and sentence completions that test critical reading. · The Math Section: 70 minutes. This section consists of multiple-choice questions and student-generated responses. Problems cover concepts in arithmetic, geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II. Students are encouraged to use a graphing or scientific calculator. · Unscored Section: 26 minutes. This multiple-choice section does not count toward the score and is used to try out questions for future use. The SAT has three scores, each on a familiar scale of 200-800: critical reading, mathematics, and writing. The SAT writing score includes essay sub-score and a multiple-choice sub-score. For the writing section, the essay raw score counts @ 30% and the multiple-choice, @ 70%. SAT Subject Tests These tests are one-hour exams designed to measure knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge in specific subject disciplines. A student may select up to three tests on any one test date. The SAT Subject Test in Writing is no longer be administered because the SAT Reasoning Test will include a writing test. This change has led some colleges and universities to change their admission policies on SAT Subject Tests. Please visit www.collegeboard.com for a list of colleges’ SAT Subject Test requirements or recommendations. Like the SAT, scores range from 200-800. Tests are given in a wide range of math, science, social studies and world language areas. Colleges use SAT Subject Tests for admissions and placement purposes. As some colleges require these tests, it is important that the student fully research the requirements of the colleges of their choice. It is extremely important to be aware of the testing deadlines for registration as the cost increases significantly for late or walk-in registrations and the student cannot be assured that there will be room in their first choice testing site. The Another testing program which is frequently used for college admissions are those offered by the American College Testing Program, ACT. This testing system is separate from the College Entrance Examination Board which offers the SAT. It is primarily used by schools in the mid-west, west and south. Students applying to colleges in these geographical areas are advised to carefully research which testing program is required by the schools of their choice. The American College Test, ACT, is a battery of tests consisting of four exams in the academic areas of English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Social Studies Reasoning, and Natural Sciences Reading. Four separate scores, plus a composite score average of the tests, are given. The ACT offers an optional Writing Test that is taken only if a student intends to apply to a college/university that requires it. Students should visit www.actstudent.org to determine if any of the colleges that they are considering require a writing test. Dates for administration do not conflict with the College Board SAT exams. Some college will accept either the ACT or the SAT scores; others will specify which test is required. Students may obtain information about the ACT in the guidance office, or online at www.act.org. The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) Taking the PSAT/NMSQT is the best way to start practicing for the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT is typically taken by juniors and some sophomores before they take the SAT, and includes actual SAT questions to help them practice. It is administered in |
