The ABC’s of PSAT SAT ACT AP Exams MME

The ABC’s of PSAT SAT ACT AP Exams MME

Exam Information and Exam Information Resources • PHS Morning Announcements • Teachers • Counselors • PTSO Newsletter • Ms. Joyce Williams, Director, External Testing, PHS Career Center, 994-2116 • www.collegeboard.com (SAT) • www.act.org (ACT) • www.michigan.gov/mme (MME)

Testing Timeline • 9th - MEAP Social Studies • 10th - PLAN (pre ACT) • 11th - PSAT - October MME /ACT - March SAT - Spring AP exams - May

12th -ACT SAT I SAT II AP

PSAT PSAT/NMSQT Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

PSATWhat is the PSAT? • Co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) • PSAT/NMSQT measures verbal reasoning, critical reading, mathematics problem-solving, and writing skills. The PSAT/NMSQT includes five sections: • Two verbal sections • Two math sections • One writing skills section

PSATWho should take the PSAT? • The PSAT/NMSQT should be taken in your student’s junior year.

PSAT Why take the PSAT? • Help prepare for SAT Program tests • Forecast SAT scores • Opportunity to qualify to enter competitions for scholarships and participate in recognition programs such as: • National Merit Scholarship Program • National Hispanic Recognition Program • National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro Students • Telluride Association • Participate in the Student Search Service to get educational and financial information from colleges • Compare yourself with other students

PSAT Test Day • Test administered at Pioneer High School, • Plan to arrive at the testing center at 7:45 AM • Students should have: • Admission Ticket • No. 2 pencils with erasers • Approved calculator • Acceptable Identification which would include a school ID, driver’s license, or passport • Testing begins at 8:00 AM and ends about 11:30 AM. • The actual test requires 2 hours,10 minutes.

PSATTest Results • PSAT/NMSQT score reports are mailed to the High School at the end of November. • Each school decides how and when to distribute the scores to students. • At Pioneer, results are sent to PHS and distributed to students by the counselors. • Score reports are not mailed home.

Score Reports and Scoring SCORE REPORT • Scores reported on a scale from 20 to 80 • Three scores: Verbal, Mathematics, Writing • Raw scores are calculated as follows: • Questions answered correctly receive one point • Unanswered questions receive no points • A fraction of a point is subtracted for incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions. • Each incorrect answer to a student-produced response question receives no points • Selection Index - sum of Verbal, Mathematics, and Writing scores • Percentiles allow comparison to scores of other juniors. A student with a percentile of 53 has earned a score better than 53 out of every 100 juniors who took the test. • Score Report will show the correct answers and the student’s answers and the difficulty level of each question. • To convert to a comparable SAT I score, add a zero to the PSAT/NMSQT score (verbal and mathematics, only). For example, a PSAT/NMSQT score of 56 is similar to an SAT I score of 560.

PSATTest Preparation Available • PSAT/NMSQT Student Bulletin available when registering to take the PSAT • Tips and practice questions available at www.collegeboard.com

National Merit Scholarship Program • Enter the Merit Program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT in the junior year of high school. • NMSC will provide scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools in the fall of the student’s senior year • To qualify as a finalist: • Complete NMSC scholarship application • includes essay about contributions to school and community, personal characteristics, activities, plans, and goals • Take the SAT I and earn qualifying scores • Notify NMSC of plans to enroll in college • 8,000 National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 are awarded

National Merit Scholarship ProgramOther Scholarship Awards • Corporate-sponsored Merit and Special Scholarships Awards • Provided by corporate sponsors in the National Merit Scholarship Program • A list of corporate organizations that sponsor both Merit and Special Scholarships is given in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Bulletin. • College-sponsored Merit Scholarship Awards • Officials of a NMSC sponsored institution choose award recipients from among finalists who have applied for admission and have informed NMSC that the sponsor college is their first choice

SAT I Scholastic Assessment Test I Reasoning Tests

SAT I What is the SAT I? • National college admissions test • Considered a standard way of measuring a student’s ability to do college-level work • Assesses verbal and math reasoning abilities • Ten sections • Three critical reading sections • Three mathematical sections • Three writing sections including one 25 minute essay • One non-scored “equating” section which can be verbal or math. This section is used to try out new questions or set the scoring scale.

SAT IWho should take the SAT I? • SAT I scores may be required for admission to a college • Many students choose to take the SAT I in their junior year, particularly if they plan on applying for early admission to a college in the fall of their senior year. • If the SAT I scores are a college admission requirement, a student should plan on taking the test no later than December of his/her senior year.

SAT IWhen is the SAT I given? • Administered on seven national test dates throughout the year: • October • November • December • January • March or April • May • June • Testing takes place on Saturday • Sunday testing is available for students whose religious faith prohibits testing on Saturday.

SAT IRegistration • Fee • Online registration is available and encouraged by the College Board • www.collegeboard.com • use major credit card for payment of fee • Fee waivers available • apply through counselor

SAT IRegistration • Registration deadline is approximately five weeks prior to the test date • Additional cost for late registration • Provisions for: • changing the test date • changing the test center • changing the test (SAT I/SAT II) • students with disabilities • Students can register to take the SAT I at any testing center.

SAT I Test Day • Most PHS students will take the SAT I at Pioneer • Students should plan to arrive between 7:45 and 8:00 AM • Test room numbers will be posted on a list at the clock tower entrance • Student should have: • Admission Ticket • Acceptable Identification which would include a school ID, driver’s license, or passport • No. 2 pencils with erasers • permitted calculator which is almost any four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator • Testing starts about 8:30 AM and will end about 12:45 PM. • Breaks are scheduled between tests.

SAT I Scoring • SAT I Scores • reported on a scale from 200 to 800 • Three scores: Verbal, Mathematics, and Writing • Raw scores are calculated as follows: • Questions answered correctly receive one point • Unanswered questions receive no points • A fraction of a point is subtracted for incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions. • No points are subtracted for incorrect answers to the SAT I math questions requiring student-produced responses • Score Range – reflects how a student’s score might vary if the test was taken a number of times, +/- 30 to 40 points • Percentile – compares score to other students’ scores who took the test the same day. Percentiles are given for the nation and the state. A 62% would mean that the student did better that 62% of the group.

Score Reports • Score Reports available about three weeks after the test • View scores online • Receive scores by e-mail • Scores available by telephone

SAT ISending Score Reports • When registering, you can request scores be sent to 4 colleges and/or scholarship programs. • Scores sent include the current and all previous SAT I scores • Score Choice gives the option to chose by date which score to send. • College Board recommends sending all scores as many colleges Super Score.

SAT ITest Preparation Available • Students can familiarize themselves with the SAT I format by taking the PSAT. • SAT Prep Center at www.collegeboard.com • List of publications and software for sale • Practice questions • Mini-SAT • SAT question of the day • Test taking tips

SAT II Scholastic Assessment Test II Subject Tests

SAT IIWhat is the SAT II? • Test in a specific subject • One hour, primarily multiple-choice • Some colleges recommend or require applicants to take 1 to 3 of these subject tests • Students should be aware of the college admission requirements

Biology Ecological/Molecular Chemistry Physics English Literature US History World History Mathematics Level IC Mathematics Level IIC French-reading German-reading Modern Hebrew-reading Italian-reading Latin-reading Spanish-reading Chinese-with listening French-with listening German-with listening Japanese-with listening Korean-with listening Spanish-with listening SAT IISubject Tests

SAT IIWhen is the SAT II given? • Registration for SAT II same as for SAT I • Given most dates that the SAT I is given • Some SAT II tests are not available on every testing date • “With listening” language tests are only offered in November at specified centers • Portable CD player with earphones required. • SAT II should be taken when content is fresh in the student’s mind, at the end of a recently completed course like chemistry and world history • SAT II tests can be retaken

SAT IIScoring and Score Reports • Scoring for SAT II is similar to scoring for SAT I • Scores sent to colleges and scholarship programs by designating them on the registration form • Scores can be released: • Online • By telephone request 1-800-SAT-SCORE

SAT IITest Preparation Available • Preparation books available in the Career Center. • SAT II Learning Center at www.collegeboard.com

ACT American College Testing Assessment

PLAN • What is PLAN? • PLAN is a comprehensive assessment program for 10th graders. • Designed to give students, parents and educators information that can be used to help students plan and prepare for their future academic and career success. • It covers the same content areas as the ACT.

PLAN • The experience of taking the PLAN helps students prepare for the ACT test. • A predicted ACT score is provided along with some career suggestions based on the profile completed by the student. • 10th graders took the PLAN this fall when the 11th graders take the PSAT.

ACTWhat is the ACT? • National college admissions examination • Measures knowledge, understanding, and skills acquired throughout student’s education • Tests cover four skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning, and optional Writing (beginning 2005) • 215 multiple choice questions • Students who achieve a qualifying score on the ACT and demonstrate financial need are eligible to apply to the Michigan Competitive Scholarship Program.

Who should take the ACT? • ACT is now part of the Michigan Merit Examination all Juniors will take the ACT in the Spring and the state pays for ACT taken as part of the MME • Students are free to register and pay for any of the national test dates.

ACTWhen is the ACT given? • Administered on six national test dates: • September • October • December • February • April • June • Testing takes place on a Saturday • Sunday and Monday testing is available for students whose religious faith prohibits testing on Saturday.

ACTTest Locations • Ann Arbor test sites include: • Pioneer High School • Huron High School • Washtenaw Community College • Concordia University • Skyline High School

ACTRegistration • Fee • Online Registration is available and encouraged • www.act.org • use major credit card for payment of fee • certain circumstances where online registration cannot be used • Fee waivers are available • must register using packet • see a counselor and complete a form

ACT Registration • Registration deadline is approximately five weeks prior to the test date • Additional cost for late registration • Provisions for: • changing the test date • missing the test • changing the test center • students with disabilities • Students can register to take the ACT at any testing center.

ACT Test Day • Most PHS students will take the ACT at Pioneer • Plan to arrive at 8:00 AM • Test room numbers will be posted on a list at the clock tower entrance • Student should have: • Admission Ticket • Acceptable Identification which would include a school ID, driver’s license, or passport • No. 2 pencils with erasers • permitted calculator for the math test (more restrictions than the SAT – see www.act.org) • Actual testing time is 3 hours and 25 minutes • Testing starts about 8:30 AM and ends about 12:30 PM • Breaks are scheduled between tests.

Scoring and Score Reports • Scores are mailed four to seven weeks after the test date. • View scores online for $8.00 fee • Scores reported for each of the four tests (English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning) • Scores reported on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 36 (highest) • To determine scores on each of the four tests, the number of questions answered correctly is counted. • Points are not deducted for incorrect answers • These raw scores are converted to scale scores. • The composite score is an average of the four test scores rounded to the nearest whole number. • If the ACT is taken more than once, a separate record is maintained for each test date.

ACTSending Score Reports • When registering, you can request scores be sent to colleges and scholarship programs. • For a fee, additional score reports to colleges and/or scholarship programs may be sent by • Online ASR Request Form • Download ASR Request Form • Telephone Express Service • Request a form by mail • Submit a letter of request to ACT

ACTTest Preparation Available • “Preparing for the ACT Assessment” • booklet available at the career center, includes test-taking tips and a complete practice test • ACT Preparation Workshops offered through Ann Arbor Community Education and Recreation • On the Web Site (www.act.org) • Sample questions • Resources listed online include software and books

SAT vs. ACT

AP Advanced Placement Courses Advanced Placement Exams

AP Courses • Advanced Placement Courses give students a chance to try college level work in specific subjects while in high school. • Courses offered by Pioneer High School which would prepare students for AP examinations include: • AP English (preparation for English Literature AP Exam) • AC English (preparation for English Language AP Exam) • BC Calculus • AB & BC Calculus (preparation for Calculus (AB)(BC) AP Exam) • AP U.S. History • AP Biology • AP Chemistry • AP Physics • AP American Government and Politics • AP Computer Science • AP Statistics • AP Latin • AP Spanish • AP French • AP German • Humanities (preparation for AP Exams in Art History, English Literature, World History )

AP ExamsWhat are AP Exams? • AP Exams test a student’s ability to perform at a college level. • Exams contain either an essay or problem-solving section and a section of multiple-choice questions. The modern language exams also have a speaking component. • “Qualifying” scores on Advanced Placement Exams may entitle a student to credit or advanced placement at college.

Art History (PHS: Humanities) Biology Calculus AB Calculus BC Chemistry Chinese Language * Computer Science A * Computer Science B * Economics * English Language English Literature Environmental Science * European History (PHS: Humanities) French Language German Language Government and Politics (Comparative) (U.S.) Human Geography * Japanese Language * Latin (Vergil) * Music Theory * Physics (C) Psychology * Spanish Language Statistics Studio Art* U.S. History World History * * not offered at PHS AP ExamsExcept where designated, PHS offers courses designed to prepare the student for the AP Exam

The ABC’s of PSAT SAT ACT AP Exams MME