Standardized Testing

Standardized tests are only ONE of many factors which colleges use in making admission decisions. Since grading systems and course content often vary from high school to high school, standardized testing provides a reasonably accurate comparison of student performance on a nationwide basis. Since students in Maine and Texas take the same standardized tests, these scores provide a somewhat comparable measure of achievement and/or ability between students across the nation. 

 

SAT Score-Reporting Policy:   This policy gives students the ability to send the SAT scores that they feel best represent their abilities to colleges and universities, at no additional cost. A student can send one, multiple, or all test scores to a college on a single score report. They will be able to send SAT scores by sitting (the test date) and scores from individual SAT Subject Tests.   Colleges continue to set their own policies regarding which scores they want students to send and which scores they will review. Source: College Board 

 

It is critical that you obtain accurate and up-to-date information about the standardized test requirements from the institutions that interest you.   Most colleges/universities require the SAT or the ACT and more selective colleges may require several Subject Tests (achievement-based tests) in addition to the SAT.   A detailed description of these two standardized tests is listed below.

It is our recommendation that each student register to take an SATand an ACT test administration in the spring of junior year. Students may also wish to reserve the June College Board testing date to register for Subject Tests, if this is an appropriate test taking strategy. Please speak with your counselor about creating an individualized standardized testing portfolio.   We also recommend that students consider repeating these tests once during the autumn of their senior year. Please speak with your counselor to develop an appropriate testing strategy for you.

 

 SAT - SCHOLASTIC ASSESSMENT TEST (www.Collegeboard.com)

The SAT is a three-hour and forty-five minute test. The SAT measures critical reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning abilities and skills that you have developed over time. Much like the PSAT, the multiple-choice critical reading section tests your ability to identify genre, relationships among parts of a text, cause and effect, rhetorical devices, and comparative arguments. The multiple-choice and free-response math sections test your ability to solve problems involving arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The essay portion of writing section tests your ability to develop and support a position on a topic. Additionally, the multiple-choice portion of the writing section tests your ability to recognize errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs within a writing context. Test takers receive one score for each section of the test, each reporting on a scale of 200 to 800 with the national average at about 500 for each score. The total score range for the SAT is between 600 and 2400. Please be aware that colleges will have the ability to access and review students’ essays.

 

SUBJECT TESTS  (otherwise know as SAT II Subject Tests or Achievement Tests)

Subject Tests are diagnostic measures of actual knowledge acquired in specific areas of study. They are given in a number of different subjects mainly consist of multiple-choice questions (some language tests have a listening component). You may take up to three Subject Tests on a given test date and a fee is charged for each test taken. Each test is one hour in length and the scores range from 200 to 800. In general, students do not take a Subject Test until they have nearly completed study in a subject area. Speak with your subject teacher for his or her recommendations on preparing for Subject Tests.

 

 

The ACT is generally a three hour standardized test but is somewhat different than the SAT. It is designed to measure academic achievement in the areas of English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning. The ACT tests contain a large proportion of analytical problem-solving exercises and are based on the major areas of instruction in American high schools. The ACT provides sub-scores for each test and also provides a general composite score on a scale of 1 to 36, with an average composite score of approximately 20. ACT scores are accepted in the place of SAT scores at many colleges throughout the United States. In addition, some colleges that request Subject Tests will substitute ACT scores in place of Subject Tests. Never assume that colleges will accept scores: always find out exactly which scores each college requires and how they will use those scores (for admission purposes or for placement into courses during your first year at college).    Although the ACT Writing Test is an optional test section, many institutions are requiring it. Again, we encourage you to consult each college individually to ask about the institution’s admission requirements for standardized testing.