STANDARDIZED TESTS
THETFORD ACADEMY SCHOOL CODE:
460-450
LOCAL TEST CENTER CODES:
Hanover
High School
30-160
Hartford
High School
46-210
Lebanon
High School
30-175
Woodstock
Union High School 46-200
Most colleges
require at least one of the standardized tests. These tests are one of the
indications of a studentÕs ability to succeed in college academic work. Many students will feel the test
results do not reflect their true abilities, but colleges still insist that
these tests are necessary as a leveler because there is such a wide range of
high school courses and difficulty levels. To keep this in perspective, remember
that the high school courses and grades on your transcript are still the most
important credential a student has to offer, not the standardized tests.
To prepare, we
recommend that juniors take the PSAT at TA in October, the TA SAT Preparation
Course February-April, and then the SAT in May or June at one of the area high
schools. Seniors usually retake the SAT or try the ACT in the fall. Students
taking SAT II subject tests can take them in either junior or senior year, but
not on the same day as the SAT I.
Taking multiple tests and sending those test results to many colleges can become expensive. If you would like to consider requesting fee waivers, please talk to your counselor.
PSAT- PRELIMINARY SAT
This is a practice test for the SAT I Reasoning Test. Juniors take it in October at TA (Registration $12). It is a two-hour critical reading, math and writing multiple-choice test. TA counselors distribute practice PSAT materials to all juniors in September. The results of the PSAT are not reported to any colleges. In December, students receive score reports and their question booklet so they can focus on areas they need to improve for the spring SAT.
NMSQT-NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST
This is the same as the PSAT. The results are used to select
semi-finalists for the National Merit Scholarships and National Achievement
Scholarships.
SAT
This is a four
hour critical reading, math, and writing test. It is offered seven times during
the academic year. Juniors usually take their first SAT in May or June, and
then often repeat the test in the fall of senior year. Test scores usually
improve each time, but plateau after three. If SAT scores do not seem
consistent with a studentÕs abilities, we recommend taking the ACT because it
is a different kind of test and may highlight different strengths.
The first two sections of the SAT I are multiple choice, and the writing portion is composing an essay. This writing portion was added to comprise the ÒNew SATÓ in March of 2005. Colleges can view the essay to view how students actually write. The New SAT is scored on a 2400-point scale instead of the previous1600 point scale. See chart on p. 21 below for score comparisons.
ACT-AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM
This is a four-part test aimed at assessing a studentÕs knowledge of English, mathematics, reading, and science. Many colleges accept either the ACT or the SAT or a combination of the ACT and SAT Subject Tests. See chart below for a comparison of SAT and ACT components. The test centers for the ACT are not as accessible for TA students as test centers for the SAT. The closest ACT test centers are often Barre/Montpelier or Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH. (a half hour drive south from TA).
SAT II – SUBJECT TESTS
The most
selective colleges will require at least one and up to three subject tests in
addition to the SAT or ACT. Some colleges will specify which subject tests they
require. These tests are offered in 16 subjects six times per academic
year. Each SAT II test lasts an
hour, and it is possible to take three in one day, although that is a very
tiring day! It is not possible to combine SAT I and SAT II tests on the same
day.
It is optimal to take the SAT II right after completing a relevant high school course, so if you are taking courses in your junior year which apply to the Subject Tests, try to take those Subject Tests in June of junior year. (That would mean taking the SAT I in May that spring.)
TOEFL-TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
If English is not your primary language, colleges may ask you to take the TOEFL to assess your ability to comprehend college work. TOEFL tests are administered at Lebanon College in Lebanon, NH.
SENDING TEST SCORES TO COLLEGES
It is your
responsibility to ensure that scores are sent to each college on your list.
Many colleges require score reports sent directly from the Educational Testing
Service-ETS (SAT) and the ACT
Clearinghouse, but some will accept the scores we list on your TA
transcript. The registration forms
for these tests allow you to request scores to be sent to 6 colleges for free,
and you pay for each additional college you request. If you have taken the SATs more than once, when you request
SAT I and SAT II scores, ETS sends all your test scores (ie., it is not possible to select
which scores are sent). Colleges will automatically use your highest scores.
To request
SAT I and SAT II score reports
call 1-800-SAT-SCORE. This is a push button request method, so have ready your
social security number, test date and registration number from your entry
ticket, the code numbers of the colleges where you want the scores sent, and a
credit card. You can also request scores on the web at www.collegeboard.com; have all the above
information and your credit card ready.
To request ACT score reports: 319-377-1320. The web address for requesting ACT scores is www.act.org. Have ready all the information listed in the above paragraph.
STANDARDIZED TESTING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Testing
accommodations are available for some students with documented disabilities who
use accommodations routinely in their high school classes. Some of the test
accommodations include extended time, large type, and cassettes. When students
take the test with accommodations, the score report indicates the test was
taken with Ònonstandard administrationÓ. See your counselor or the Director of
Special Education, Joan Scruggs, if you are interested in requesting
accommodations.
Test Dates and Related Deadlines for SAT 2007-2008
|
Test Dates |
Test |
Registration |
Deadlines* |
|
|
U.S Regular |
U.S Late |
|||
|
Oct. 6, 2007 |
SAT & Subject Tests |
Sept. 10, 2007 |
Sept.
14, 2007 |
|
|
Nov. 3, 2007 |
SAT & Subject Tests —includes Language Tests with Listening |
Oct.2, |
Oct. 11, 2005 |
|
|
Dec. 1, 2007 |
SAT & Subject Tests |
Oct. 30, 2007 |
Nov. 8, 2007 |
|
|
Jan.
26, 2008 |
SAT & Subject Tests |
Dec.
26, 2007 |
Jan.
4, 2008 |
|
|
Mar.
1, 2008 |
SAT only |
Jan.29, 2008 |
Feb.7, 2008 |
|
|
May 3, 2008 |
SAT & Subject Tests |
Apr. 1, 2008 |
Apr.
10, 2008 |
|
|
Jun. 7, 2006 |
SAT & Subject Tests |
May 6, 2008 |
May
15, 2008 |
|
* U.S.
dates are postmark dates
The Language Tests with Listening are offered in November
only.
|
Chart: Former SAT vs. New SAT |
||
|
Quick Score Comparison |
On the former SAT you scored |
On the new SAT your
comparable score is |
|
|
1600 |
2400 |
Test Dates and Related Deadlines for ACT 2007-2008
Note: The optional
Writing Test is available for all 2007–2008 test dates.
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
SAT |
ACT |
|
When is it |
March 2005 |
February 2005 |
|
changing? |
|
|
|
What are the |
Paragraph length critical reading |
Addition of an "optional" essay |
|
changes? |
passages, an essay, and more challenging |
|
|
|
math. No more analogies or quantitative |
|
|
|
comparisons. |
|
|
When is it |
Seven times per year |
Six times per year |
|
administered? |
|
|
|
Test structure |
Ten Section exam: |
Four Section exam: |
|
|
Three Critical Reading, Three Math, |
English, Math, Reading, and Science |
|
|
Three writing and one Experimental. The |
Reasoning. An Experimental section is added |
|
|
Experimental section is masked to look |
to tests on certain dates only and is clearly |
|
|
like a regular section. |
experimental. |
|
Test Content |
Math: Up to 9th grade Geometry and |
Math: Up to Trigonometry |
|
|
Algebra II |
Science Section included |
|
|
No Science section. |
Reading: four passages, one each Prose Fiction, |
|
|
Reading: Sentence completions, short |
Social Science, Humanities and Natural Science |
|
|
and long critical reading passages, |
English: Stresses Grammar |
|
|
reading comprehension. |
A test of time management and studiousness. |
|
|
Stresses Vocabulary. More questions |
|
|
|
testing grammar, usage, and word choice |
|
|
|
A Test of strategy and testing skills. |
|
|
Is there a |
Yes |
No |
|
penalty for |
|
|
|
wrong answers? |
|
|
|
How the test is |
200-800 per section, added together for |
1-36 for each subject, averaged for a |
|
scored |
a combined score. |
composite score. A 36 is the |