Most colleges and universities require that you take certain tests before you apply for admission. The specific test will normally be listed in the information bulletin published by each school. The two standardized tests used primarily for admission to college are the SAT * and the American College Testing Assessment (ACT). In this section we will discuss both the SAT and the ACT as well as preliminary standardized tests and other tests for specific purposes.
Test scores are especially important if a college does not have experience with
particular high school. The director of admissions at North Carolina State University described them as “ a consistent piece of information to add to the overall evaluation ” . Since the U.S. has no national educational standards, it is a quick way to compare applicants from thousands of different high schools.
Standardized tests are administered by independent testing organizations including the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and the American College Testing Program in Iowa City, Iowa.
It is necessary to register with a testing organization for a test date and location and pay a fee to take the test required by the schools to which you apply. The testing organization will score your test and send the results to the colleges or universities you have indicated.
It is important to plan ahead. It can take many months from the time you request the testing information, register, take the test and ultimately have the test scores arrive at the university admissions office. It is necessary that your scores arrive at the university at approximately the same time as your application for admission. You must have taken the test at least two months before you need the official test scores available.
There are many advantages to taking the SAT and/or the ACT in the spring of your junior year in high school. You will have time before your senior year to take
prep course or tutorial or study more on your own if you are not satisfied with your scores and want to retake the test in the autumn of your senior year. You will also be better able to plan your senior year.
You will start receiving information from colleges and universities before your senior year. If you don ’ t know where you will go to school and therefore do not know which tests are required for admission, you should consider taking both the ACT and SAT.
PSAT/NMSQT * and PLAN
Although colleges usually require only the SAT or the ACT for admission, there are earlier tests that are also important. Those tests are the PSAT/NMSQT and the preliminary test for the ACT (PLAN). The PSAT/NMSQT is co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). As the name implies, the test is required to enter the NMSC scholarship competitions, but it also gives valuable practice for the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT is administered by high schools once a year in October, with scores usually available to your principal just after Thanksgiving. You should talk to your counselor about registration. The PSAT/NMSQT is usually given to high school juniors, but many sophomores take the test for practice. A little more than two hours long, the test has three sections that measure critical reading, math problem solving and writing skills and allows you to compare yourself with other college-bound students across the nation. It serves as a good predictor of your SAT scores and gives you an idea of whether or not you need to better prepare for the SAT. Virtually all the techniques and strategies required for this test apply to the SAT as well.
If you plan to take the ACT you should consider the PLAN, a preliminary form of the American College Test (ACT). It is a test based on the curriculum areas English, Mathematics, Social Science, Reading Skills, and Scientific Reasoning and is set up much like the ACT. It is offered in high schools between October and December.
SAT *
The SAT I is the college entrance examination of choice in East and West Coast schools. A three-hour test, the SAT has two sections: Verbal and Mathematics. The verbal section tests your reading skills and your vocabulary. It determines whether you understand what you read and if you are able to make valid conclusions. This section also determines if your vocabulary is strong enough be able to read college texts. The questions on the SAT I include sentence completion questions, analogy questions, and critical reading questions. The quantitative section of the SAT I tests your ability to use the arithmetic, geometry and algebra you have learned to reason logically. The difficulty of the questions lies not in the level of math used but in your ability to use reason to reach solution. The highest possible score on each section is 800 with a median score 500 on each section. It is a good idea to take the SAT more than once. Try to take it initially during your junior year if not before. Note: The SAT is being revised. The new SAT will be administered for the first time in 2005. Students graduating in 2006 will be able to take the new PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 2004 and the new SAT in the spring of 2005.
ACT
Another standardized test used for college admission is the ACT. It is very popular in the Midwest but is gaining acceptance elsewhere. In fact, most colleges and universities in the U.S., including the Ivy League Schools, accept it. The test lasts two hours and 55 minutes and contains four sections that measure academic achievement in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. It usually taken during the spring semester of your junior year in high school. The ACT is related directly to what you have learned in high school. By measuring the knowledge and skills needed in college, the test shows colleges and universities that you have the potential to become a successful college student. The ACT includes a unique interest inventory section that provides valuable information help plan your education and your career. It also includes a comprehensive student profile section.
Advanced Placement Program * (AP * )
The College Entrance Examination Board (known as the College Board) sponsors the Advanced Placement Program. It allows you to earn college credit while you are still in high school. The exams are offered in more than 30 subjects in high schools throughout the country. Many colleges and universities will award college credit or advanced placement for subjects in which you receive a passing score on an AP exam.
Many high schools offer AP courses that you can take during your junior and senior years. It is not necessary to take AP courses but highly recommended if you want to take AP exams. High scores on AP exams demonstrate mastery of college-level material and are looked on very favorably by college admissions officers. Many of the nation's most competitive students have AP courses and exams on their transcripts.
SAT * II
The SAT II tests are achievement tests for specific subject areas that are taken for college-level course work completed during high school.
CLEP *
College Level Examination Program * (CLEP) exams are also a product of the College Board. They are a series of subject matter tests that allow you to get college credit for knowledge you have gained through independent study or through life experiences. They are administered throughout the year by college guidance counseling offices.
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
If English is not your native language, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language in addition to the SAT and/or ACT.