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Standardized Testing

Standardizing testing for college admission is an issue that generates many

questions and anxiety. Colleges require standardized tests as a means to see

how students compare to other college-bound seniors in the country. Most

colleges that use test scores for admission purposes realize that different

students and groups of students have different testing profiles and will take

those into account. It is rare that a test score will make or break a student’s

chances, but instead it will be folded into the larger assessment of a student’s

academic ability and potential.

College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Code and ACT Code

Thayer Academy’s CEEB code is 220-425. This number is needed for all test

registrations and college applications. When you provide this number as

requested during test registration, your scores will be sent to Thayer Academy.

Testing Requirements

Keep track of the testing requirements at each college where you are applying.

It is also your responsibility to have test scores sent directly to colleges from

the testing service. This can be done when you are registering or at a later date

online or by phone.

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Most colleges require at least the ACT or the SAT, but some do not. For the

schools that require testing, most will take your best scores, even if it means

mixing different scores (i.e. SAT Critical Reading score from one test date and

the SAT Math score from another test date). Schools generally don’t have a

preference between the ACT and the SAT and will take either one. A smaller

number of schools (usually the most selective ones) require the SAT Subject

Tests.

Score Choice: Students taking the SAT and SAT Subject Tests have the option

of sending scores from select test dates (or select Subject Tests) while not

revealing others. Students cannot isolate specific sections from different SAT

dates. If students do not exercise this option, then all scores on the student’s

record will be sent to the college. It is important to note that some colleges are

not participating in Score Choice and will require that students submit all of

their test scores regardless. Most colleges will select a student’s best scores

from all of their score reports anyway and use those when making their

admission decisions. Students will need to refer to the specific policies of the

colleges on their list.

For a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests as a part of a

completed application, go to www.fairtest.org.

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SAT

The SAT assesses your reading, math, and writing skills. Each section of the

SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing sub-scores for multiple-

choice and the essay.

Critical Reading Section: The critical reading section, once called the verbal

section, includes long and short passages for reading comprehension as well as

sentence completions. There are two 25-minute reading sections and one 20-

minute section.

Mathematics Section: The math section covers number and operations; algebra

and functions; geometry; statistics, probability, and data analysis. There are

two 25-minute math sections and one 20 minute section.

Writing Section: The writing section includes both multiple-choice questions

and a direct writing measure in the form of an essay. The multiple-choice

questions section is 35 minutes and the student-written essay is 25 minutes.

The multiple-choice writing questions measure your ability to: Improve

sentences and paragraphs; identify errors (such as diction, grammar, sentence

construction, subject-verb agreement, proper word usage, and wordiness). The

short essay measures your ability to: Organize and express ideas clearly;

develop and support the main idea; use appropriate word choice and sentence

structure; develop a point of a view using reasoning and evidence. The essay is

scored by readers on a scale of 1 to 6 (6 is the highest score) based on the

overall quality of the essay and your demonstration of writing competence.

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NOTE: The 25-minute essay will always be the first section of the SAT, and the

10-minute multiple-choice writing section will always be the final section. The

remaining six 25-minute sections can appear in any order, as can the two 20-

minute sections.

For more detailed information on the SAT, go online to collegeboard.com.

Thayer’s suggested SAT testing schedule:

We encourage juniors to take the SAT at least once during the school year (January,

March, or May – the June test is usually the best time for SAT Subject Tests). Some

students prefer to take it twice before the summer. We also encourage students to

take it once in the fall of their senior year. Here are some things to consider when

deciding which spring date is best:

⋆ If a student is currently in Geometry, he or she may wish to wait until the March or May dates. Geometry is tested on the SAT, so the student will be more familiar with the subject matter by the spring test dates. ⋆ The May test usually falls around AP exams, so it can be an especially busy time for students in AP courses. ⋆The January and May dates are the only exam days that permit families to order the SAT Question-and-Answer Service (QAS). The QAS gives students a chance to review a copy of the SAT they took, a record of their answers, the correct answers, and scoring instructions. The service also includes information about the types of questions and the level of difficulty of each question.

⋆ Div. I athletic prospects should take their first SAT in the fall of senior year.

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SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests are one hour tests in a single academic subject. You can take

up to three subject tests in one sitting. The SAT Subject Tests are offered

during the same testing dates and times as the SAT. You cannot take both the

SAT and Subject Tests on the same day. You must register for two different

testing days. Tests are offered in the following subjects:

English Literature

U.S. History

World History

Mathematics Level 1

Mathematics Level 2

Biology E/M

Chemistry

Physics

Chinese with listening

French

French with listening

German

German with listening

Spanish

Spanish with listening

Modern Hebrew

Italian

Latin

Japanese with listening

Korean with listening

When possible, take tests that are offered near the completion of the

appropriate courses.

Only a small number of colleges require Subject Tests. A college may require a

subject test in a specific area. This is often the case if you are applying for a

specialized program. Make sure you check the requirements for each of the

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colleges on your list and make your testing plans accordingly. If a college

doesn’t require SAT Subject Tests, your scores won’t count against you, though

strong scores may give your academic profile a boost. Your SAT Subject Test

scores are sent on the same report as your SAT.

Thayer’s suggested SAT Subject Test schedule:

The best time to take SAT Subject Tests is in June, the conclusion of the

academic year. At that time, students are taking final exams and all of the

course material is fresh in their minds. Students taking AP Exams in May could

opt to take the corresponding SAT Subject Test in May.

SAT Registration and Test Date for SAT and SAT Subject Test

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Deadline*

January 22, 2011 December 23, 2010 Jan. 7, 2010

March 12, 2011 February 11, 2011 Feb. 25, 2011

May 7, 2011 April 8, 2011 April 22, 2011

June 4, 2011 May 6, 2011 May 20, 2011

**October 2011 ** **

**November 2011 ** **

**December 2011 ** **

*The late deadline requires an additional fee and chances of reserving your top choice of testing

site are reduced.

**Not determined at the time this document was created. Check www.collegeboard.com for the

most up to date schedule.

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ACT (American College Testing Program)

This is a testing program used mostly by colleges in the South and Midwest, but

accepted at most colleges in the country in place of the SAT. It is a battery of

multiple-choice tests that covers four areas: English, math, reading, and

science. There is also an optional writing section that assesses your ability to

plan and write a short essay (Thayer students should always register for the

essay section). The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36, and students receive a

composite score as well as sub-scores for each subject.

In the past few years, more students have taken the ACT. In some cases, the

material on the ACT may be more suitable to a student’s knowledge and style

of learning than the SAT is. For those students who are struggling with the SAT

or feeling that the SAT scores do not reflect their ability or success in high

school classes, the ACT may be a good alternative. We have seen, however,

that students who walk into the ACT without becoming accustomed to it in

advance will rarely score significantly better than on the SAT. If students want

to explore the option of the ACT, it is recommended that they prepare for it as

they would the SAT, at the very least reviewing the material and taking several

practice tests.

For more detailed information on the ACT Assessment test, go to www.act.org.

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The ACT test dates for 2011:

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Deadline*

February 12, 2011 January 7, 2011 January 21, 2011

April 9, 2011 March 4, 2011 March 18, 2011

June 11, 2011 May 6, 2011 May 20, 2011

September 10, 2011 ** **

October 22, 2011 ** **

December 10, 2011 ** **

* The late deadline requires an additional fee and chances of reserving your top choice in testing site are

reduced.

**Not determined at the time this document was created. Check www.act.org for the most up to date

schedule.

Advanced Placement Testing

The Advanced Placement program enables students to challenge themselves

with college-level work and, perhaps, achieve advanced standing when they

enroll in college. The A.P. examinations are administered in early May. Scores

range from one to five, and each college has its own criteria for granting credit,

typically a score of three of better.

For most colleges, A.P. scores do not factor into an admission decision.

However, colleges acknowledge that A.P. certified courses are typically very

rigorous, and you will get credit for challenging yourself. Thayer reports scores

of 4 or higher on your transcript.

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If you have taken A.P. exams or expect to take them at the end of your senior

year, you should plan to have your scores sent to the college you will attend. In

May, when you make a deposit to the college of your choice, you can contact

the College Board to forward your A.P. scores to that college to see if you

qualify for college credit or placement in a higher-level course. You are not

required to send A.P. scores to your college of choice if you do not wish to.

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language

The TOEFL is designed for students for whom English is not a native language;

it is used to determine the student’s facility with English. The test is four hours

long and uses a multiple-choice format in three sections: listening,

comprehension, and vocabulary. There are two formats: Internet-based and

paper-based testing. Students who have resided in the United States for longer

than five years should probably not take the test. Colleges do take a student’s

bilingual background into consideration during admission deliberation. If you

have questions about whether the TOEFL makes sense for you, speak with your

college counselor as well as the admission offices at the schools where you

hope to apply.

For more detailed information on the TOEFL, go to www.ets.org/toefl.

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SAT versus ACT

SAT ACT

Emphasizes critical thinking and analytical skills with some content (high school math and standard written English)

Emphasizes content knowledge with some critical and analytical skills in reading, math, and science.

10 shorter sections (10-35 minutes each) for a total testing time of 225 minutes. Sections include Critical Reading, Math, and Writing.

4 longer sections for a total testing time of 175 minutes. Sections include English, Math, Reading, and Science.

Essay is required. Essay is optional (it adds 30 minutes to the total testing time).

Math is 1/3 of your overall score and tests numbers and operations, algebra and functions, geometry and measurement, data analysis, statistics and probability.

Math is ¼ of overall score and tests prealgebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, co-ordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry.

Some non-multiple choice questions

Multiple choice questions only

Guessing penalty

No guessing penalty

Scores on each section range from 200-800.

Scores on each section range from 1-36. All four sections are averaged together to reach a composite score.

Colleges may require up to two SAT Subject Tests if you submit the SAT with your application.

Most colleges will not require SAT Subject Tests when you submit the ACT with your application.

Offered 7 times per year. Offered 6 times per year.

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Test Preparation

We cannot discuss testing without being aware of the variety of test preparation

programs for all the different tests. Some students do take test preparation

courses or work with tutors and find them helpful. SAT scores generally go up,

tutored or not, 20 to 30 points with each repeat test. However, studies have

shown that the average score increase after a preparation program generally

does not exceed 50 points, and sometimes students even show declines. The

math score responds more readily to specific tutoring than the reading score

because the reading score is more a measure of acquired language background

and reading completed over a long period of time. If you plan to take a test

preparation course, it should be with a tutor or program that understands and

adjusts to your learning style and academic level. To be effective, the student

must invest a good deal of time and effort, which can create additional stress

by taking away from course work, application preparation, and extracurricular

activities. Remember that college admission officers see classroom

performance as much more important than a test score from one Saturday

morning.

Thayer does not endorse any test preparation tutors or services, although we

do provide facilities for a Summit SAT course in the winter/spring. However, if

you are interested in pursuing a particular tutor or class, the college counseling

section on the Thayer website lists some of the most common choices. In

addition, we recommend that you check out the College Board website which

offers an inexpensive on-line program to prepare students for the SAT. It

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allows students to work at their own pace, logging in and out when they please.

Most importantly, this program includes several practice tests which will be

most closely aligned with the actual SAT.

Remember that standardized tests do not pretend to measure motivation,

creativity, kindness, decency, sense of humor, and other human qualities that

colleges take into account when considering applicants. These qualities will

have more of an impact than 50 points on the SAT.