SAT, ACT and AP Testing
SAT
PSAT/NMSQT®
The PSAT/NMSQT® is great practice for the SAT Test and juniors who take the test may qualify to enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation programs. The PSAT is two hours and ten minutes long and measures critical reading, math reasoning, and writing skills. The PSAT does not focus on information one can memorize, but measures reasoning skills that have developed over time.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses PSAT Selection Index scores (the sum of the critical reading, math, and writing skills scores) as an initial screen of program entrants and to designate groups of students to receive recognition. Each year some 1.3 million high school students enter the competition, 50,000 are recognized for their academic potential, and 9,700 win Merit Scholarship® awards or Special Scholarships for college undergraduate study. The NMSC program is for high school juniors.
The PSAT is administered to sophomores and juniors in October at Presentation High School. The PSAT is two hours, 45 minutes long.
SAT Test
For college admission, students need to take either the SAT or ACT. The SAT is a reasoning test, meaning that it measures how well students analyze and solve problems – skills learned in high school that are needed in college. It allows students to demonstrate to colleges not only the specific subject material that they’ve learned in school, but also their ability to think critically.
The SAT Test consists of three sections: critical reading, math, and writing. The exam is three hours and forty-five minutes long. It is recommended that juniors begin taking the SAT Reasoning Test in the second semester.
The SAT Test is administered seven times a year on Saturday mornings. Currently, Presentation High School is not a testing site. Go to www.collegeboard.com to locate a testing site near you.
SAT Subject Tests
Subject tests are designed to measure students’ knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, as well as their ability to apply that knowledge. Students take the Subject Tests to demonstrate to colleges their mastery of specific subjects like English, history, mathematics, science, and language. The tests are independent of any particular textbook or method of instruction. The tests’ content evolves to reflect current trends in high school curricula, but the types of questions change little from year to year.
All of the tests call for one hour of testing time, and all consist entirely of multiple-choice questions. Approximately 160 of the nation’s 4,168 colleges and universities require one or more of these tests for admission or placement.
The SAT Subject Tests are administered six times a year on Saturday mornings. Currently, Presentation High School is not a testing site. Exams are not offered during the summer months. Go to www.collegeboard.com to locate a testing site near you.
ACT
ACT
For college admissions, students need to take either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT.
The ACT Assessment consists of tests in four curricular areas including: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. Each of these tests contains multiple-choice questions that offer either four or five answer choices from which students are to choose the correct, or best, answer. The ACT measures the knowledge, understanding, and skills that students have acquired throughout their education.
The ACT is three hours long and is administered six times a year. Currently, Presentation High School is not a testing site. Go to www.actstudent.org to locate a testing site near you.
AP
AP Exams
Students who have mastered challenging course material may gain college credit for their efforts by taking the AP exams. A student who earns a grade of 3 or better (on a scale of 1 to 5) on an AP exam is generally considered qualified to receive credit for the equivalent course at one of the 2800 colleges and universities that give credit for AP exams. The entering college student who has been given AP recognition can take advanced courses; earn credit toward undergraduate work or her major, or better able to pursue double majors.
AP exams are administered at Presentation High School during the first two weeks of May. Registration materials are available to students in the month of February and must be turned in no later than the established deadline in March.