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Taking
Standardized Exams |
Your nomination to the Ventures
Scholars Program was partially based on your standardized
test score. Similarly, many colleges and universities
will review your SAT or ACT scores as part of their
entrance requirements. Make sure you appropriately
prepare for these examinations. Do not wait until
a week before the examination. This site links
you to some Web sites that provide you with sample examinations
and helpful resources.
If you are
preparing to go to graduate or professional school,
take a moment to go to the undergraduate resource section
to learn about the standardized examinations you will
need to take to pursue your intended career.
PSAT/NMSQT
(Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying
Test). This test provides high school students with
an understanding of expectations of the SAT. The length
of the exam is two hours and is usually given in October.
Students who take this test can qualify for the Ventures
Scholars Program.
PSAT Structure
|
Section |
Time |
Number of Questions |
Scoring |
| Verbal |
25 min. |
approx. 26 |
|
| Verbal |
25 min. |
approx. 26 |
|
| Total Verbal |
|
52 |
20-80 |
| Math |
25 min. |
20 |
|
| Math |
25 min. |
20 |
|
| Total Math |
|
40 |
20-80 |
| Writing Skills |
30 min. |
39 |
20-80 |
| Total |
2 hrs. 10 min. |
131 |
60-240 |
SAT I
The official name is SAT I: Reasoning. The SAT is designed
to help measure a student's ability to handle college
level work. The seven sections of the test, comprised
of a variety of verbal and math questions, gauge students'
critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It's typically
taken in the junior or senior year but many students take
the SAT more than once since most colleges consider only
the highest score. The length of the exam is three hours.
|
Section |
Time |
Number of Questions |
Scoring |
| Verbal |
30 min. |
35-36 |
|
| Verbal |
30 min. |
30-31 |
|
| Verbal |
15 min. |
11-13 |
|
| Total Verbal |
|
78 |
200-800 |
| Math |
30 min. |
25 |
|
| Math |
15 min. |
10 |
|
| Total Math |
|
60 |
200-800 |
| Total |
3 hours |
138 |
400-1600 |
The New SAT I Examination
Click here
to learn about the College Board's new SAT test. Changes
go into effect in 2005.
Subject Tests
These tests, required by some colleges, gauge students'
mastery of specific academic subjects and the extent of
students' knowledge in a particular subject area. You
can choose among 22 tests in five areas. Some of the subject
areas include: Writing, Literature, American History and
Social Studies, World History, Math IC, Math IIC, Biology,
Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese Listening, French
Reading, French Listening, German Reading, German Listening,
Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese Listening, Korean Listening,
Latin, Spanish Reading, Spanish Listening, and English
Language Proficiency. Click
here for more information
SAT I and II Test Dates
| Test
Date |
Test |
Regular
Registration Deadline |
| October 9, 2004 |
SAT & Subject
Tests |
September 7,
2004 |
| Nobember 6, 2004 |
SAT & Subject
Tests (includes Language
Tests with Listening and ELPT™) |
October 1, 2004 |
| December 4, 2004 |
SAT & Subject
Tests |
October 29, 2004 |
| January 22, 2005 |
SAT & Subject
Tests (includes Language
Tests with Listening and ELPT™) |
December 20,
2004 |
| March 12, 2005
New SAT |
SAT only |
February 7, 2005 |
| May 7, 2005
New SAT |
SAT & Subject
Tests |
March 25, 2005 |
| June 4, 2005
New SAT |
SAT & Subject
Tests |
April 29, 2005 |
For more information about test dates, registration and
late registration, click
here.
ACT
Most colleges accept this test in lieu of the SAT I.
Many students take both SAT I and ACT in order to increase
their chances of getting a good score. The format of
the ACT consists of four subject areas: English, mathematics,
reading, and science reasoning. The length of the exam
is three hours.
ACT Structure
|
Section |
Time |
Number of Questions |
Scoring |
| English |
45 min. |
75 |
1-36 |
| Math |
60 min. |
60 |
1-36 |
| Reading |
35 min. |
40 |
1-36 |
| Science Reasoning |
35 min. |
40 |
1-36 |
ACT Test Dates
| Test
Date |
Regular
Registration Deadline |
| September 25,
2004
(available only in Arizona,
California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,
Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Texas, and Washington) |
August 20, 2004 |
| October 23, 2004 |
September 17,
2004 |
| December 11,
2004 |
November 5, 2004 |
| ACT Assessment
and ACT Assessment Plus Writing* |
| February 12,
2005
(No test centers scheduled in New York for February
test date.) |
January 7, 2005 |
| April 9, 2005 |
March 4, 2005 |
| June 11, 2005 |
May 6, 2005 |
*Starting in 2005, two test options are available.
For more information about test dates, the new writing
assessment, registration and late registration, click
here.
AP Exams
These exams are taken by motivated high school students
eager to get a head start on college. Students can earn
up to one year of college credit, while also fulfilling
high school course requirements. There are thirty-three
(33) AP courses offered in 9 subject areas, including
math, science, history, social science and foreign language.
Many times, AP courses give students a competitive edge
when applying to a competitive college. AP exams are administered
in May. Click here
for more information.
Web Sites to Obtain Additional Information
on Tests
Number2.com
Number2.com was created by university professors and
graduate students with years of experience in the area
of test preparation and provides some free testing services
for students interested in taking the SAT, ACT, and
GRE.
Free
SAT 1 Prep
Free SAT 1 Prep gives insightful test-taking strategies
for each section of the SAT and then gives you practice
problems to put the skills to use.
TakeSAT.com
This site contains several mini-tests for each section
of the SAT test. It notifies you which questions were
answered incorrectly, but does not give explanations
to those questions. It also gives a ten-week study plan
for the SAT.
Seldeen's
Vocab.SAT
This is a good Web site for testing your vocabulary.
It contains fifteen vocabulary quizzes, and after completion
of each quiz, you can have a study guide emailed to
you.
www.freevocabulary.com
This is another good vocabulary site. It contains a
long list of SAT words and their definitions. It can
be helpful for creating vocabulary flash cards.
The
Princeton Review
The
College Board
This is a wonderful site! It has an array of comprehensive
information. This site offers customized college, major,
and scholarship searches. It's also a great way to stay
up on important AP and SAT test dates. You can register
for the SAT on-line here. Check out their SAT question
of the day.
ACT,
Inc.
National
Merit Scholarship Corporation
TestU
Educational
Testing Service
|
