It's April or May and you're a junior in high school. While it's easy to be thinking ahead to summer and all the fun you're going to have, you also need to be thinking about which admissions tests to take before the end of the school year. Here is a list:
What Are The Tests That Need To Be Taken?
AP TESTS
High schools all over the country offer one or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses that have been developed by the College Board. By taking these courses, students demonstrate that they can handle college level classes. In many cases, they can earn college credit for the courses and/or advanced standing in courses for academic departments in U.S. colleges.
EITHER THE SAT OR ACT
The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a multiple choice and writing test offered by the College Board/Education Test Service. It is comprised of three sections: Critical Reading, Math and Writing each scored for a possible 200 to 800 points and highest combined score of 2400 for all three tests.
The ACT is divided into four multiple choice tests, including English, Reading, Math and Science. An optional writing test is also offered. Total test scores range from 1 to 36.
Colleges accept equally either the SAT or ACT with Writing.
SUBJECTS TESTS
Formerly known at SAT II and Achievement tests, these are 21 hour long multiple choice tests on content areas such as English, History and Social Studies, Math, Science and Languages.
A few colleges require three Subject Tests, quite a few recommend or require two Subject Tests, but many other colleges don't recommend or require any.
When Should The Tests Be Taken?
AP Tests
AP tests are offered only in May. Ask your AP teachers about how to register for them.
Here is a link to the AP website:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
SAT or ACT Tests
College Board offers SAT tests in May and June.
Here is where to register for the SAT:
http://sat.collegeboard.com/registerskwcidTC%7C7002%7Csat%20quizzes%7C%7CS%7C%7C4527082034
ACT offers ACT tests in April and June.
Here is where to register for the ACT:
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/index.html
Subject Tests
College Board offers Subject Tests in May and June, but you cannot take the SAT and Subject Tests in the same day.
Here is where to register for Subject Tests:
http://sat.collegeboard.com/registerskwcidTC%7C7002%7Csat%20quizzes%7C%7CS%7C%7C4527082034
IMPORTANT!
No admission tests are offered in the summer.
To save yourself a lot of hassle in the fall, it's much better to take all of the admissions tests by the end of your junior year.
Should you not be able to complete your testing junior year, the first ACT test is offered in September by ACT and the first SAT or Subject Tests are offered in October.
Copyright (c) 2010 Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz