Standardized Testing

In October of your V Form year, you will take the Practice SAT (PSAT) and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Students in the IV Form may also take this test. You can use the PSAT to get a sense of what sections of the SAT Reasoning test need your closer attention within any test prep you plan to do. If you do unusually well on this test in comparison with other testers from your home state, you may become a candidate for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. You do not need to sign up for this test; we take care of all the paperwork.

The SAT Reasoning test is a general standardized test with two parts: critical reading and mathematics. You get a score out of 800 on each section. Typically, a student will take the SAT three times throughout your junior and senior years. Colleges will use your best critical reading score and math score, even if you earned them on different test days.

The best schedule is the one that works best for you! Many students, however, choose the following arrangement, taking tests in:

• December of your V Form year (to give yourself an initial sense of what the test is like);
• Either January or March of your V Form year; and
• October of your VI Form year.

This plan allows the student time to use May and June of the V Form year and November of the VI Form year to take SAT Subject Tests. To make a plan for tackling the SATs, consult with your parents and you college counselor. We can help you come up with the best testing schedule for you.

What you will need to register online:

• Credit card
• Social Security number (if you have one)
• SSD Eligibility Code (if you are eligible for extended time)
• School Code #: 080095
• First choice Test Center code: 08-122 (St. Andrew's School) (Note that St. Andrew's is not a test center for every date.)
• Second choice Test Center code: 08-120 (Middletown High School)
• Third choice Test Center code: 08-135 (Newark High School)
• Your mailing address, which should be your permanent home address

Registration tips:

• Set aside about half an hour to complete registration for the first time. Be sure to have the above necessary items handy.
• Visit www.collegeboard.com. Click on the test you'd like to register for, and create an account with the College Board website using your permanent home zipcode. There is no need to enter anything under step two of this section. On the next page, please use your permanent home address and your St. Andrew's email.
• On Part 1 of the Profile section, fill out those fields that say "required." We would recommend saying "no" to student search service, unless you want junk mail; choosing "I do not wish to respond" to the GPA qiuestion, and leaving class rank blank. The rest you may fill out as you wish.
• Steps two through five of Part 1, you can leave completely blank; just drag down to the bottom and press save and continue each time.
• In Part 2, select "Reasoning Test," "U.S.," and your grade. When asked for your high school, unless you are from Middletown, you will need to search for St. Andrew's to answer this question. Just search for city and state; the formatting for the name "St. Andrew's" means the search feature often won't find it if you search for it specifically. Unless you have one, answer no to "testing accommodations" and "fee waiver" (if you don't have one or the other, but think you should, talk with you college counselor).
• In Part 4, sign up for your preferred test centers. See above for codes for local test centers.
• In Part 5, don't send your scores anywhere—just save and continue.
• In Step 6, don't purchase anything, just save and continue.

When you have registered, check your email for confirmation from College Board. Please forward your confirmation email to Mrs. Poarch, the School Registrar, at cpoarch@standrews-de.org. It really helps us to know that you have registered!

SAT Subject Tests (called Achievement Tests in your parents' day) are one-hour standardized tests administered in 22 subject areas. Most colleges require applicants to have taken two SAT Subject Tests (a handful ask for three) in addition to the SAT Reasoning test. Some colleges require applicants to take specific SAT Subject Tests (often Math 2).

If you are able to take an SAT Subject Test in your III or IV Form year, and you think you will do well, go for it – this can give you some flexibility in your testing schedule as a V or VI Form student. Many students take two or three SAT Subject Tests in May and June of their V Form year, and then retake one to three tests in November of their VI Form year. If you are not sure about what to take, check out our recommendations, and discuss with your college counselor.

Here is an area where our personalized advice can really help, so come down to the College Counseling office and chat with us! We will generally utilize use the following guidelines in making our recommendations (“performed strongly” usually means high 80s). To learn more about the SAT Subject Tests, visit the College Board Web site, which provides explanations each subject test and mini-practice tests.

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th and 12th grade students. SAT Subject Test fee waivers are available for students in grades 9 through 12.

You’re eligible for fee waivers if you say “yes” to any of these items:

• You’re enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., Federal TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
• Your family receives public assistance.
• You live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or are homeless.
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan.

For more info on what SAT fee waivers cover and how you can apply for a waiver, visit the College Board website.

The ACT might be described as being a mix of the SAT Reasoning and Subject tests. Some students find that the ACT feels more 'real' than the SAT. The biggest differences between the SAT and the ACT are: the ACT has a science section, and youu cannot always “mix and match” your highest score on various portions of the ACT, the way you can with the SAT; typically, you send all the scores from your best single sitting. However, some colleges now combine ACT sub-scores from multiple administrations to create a highest possible composite or super-score for the ACT. Talk to your college counselor if you are interested in taking the ACT.

To register for the ACT, you will need:

• Desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection; mobile and tablet not recommended
• Credit card
• High school course details
• Headshot photo

To register for the ACT, visit the ACT website.

Upcoming testing dates are always available for review on our College Process Calendar.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language is, well, just that. If English is your second language, you should take the TOEFL in preparation for your college appplications—even if you already took the TOEFL when you applied to St. Andrew's. Your college counselor can help you make a plan for taking the TOEFL.

Non-standard testing allows students additional time to take the SAT or ACT. If you or your folks think you might need non-standard testing because of a learning difference, please talk with speak with the Director of College Counseling as soon as possible. Requesting non-standard testing from the College Board can take the better part of a year. Read more about testing accommodations on the College Board website.

Sure! You might want to think about focusing on score-optional colleges, even if you have strong scores. Most score optional colleges are small, and have chosen to emphasize getting to know students personally during the admissions process. If this college size and admission philosophy appeal to you, such schools might as well.

Here is a short list of completely score optional colleges and universities in which St. Andrew's students are usually interested. (There are some other colleges, such as Middlebury, Hamilton, and Connecticut College, that ask for some test scores, but allow flexibility in the tests you can ask them to consider.) To find a list of the more than 400 colleges that have flexible testing requirements, check out FairTest, an organization that works to reduce the role of standardized testing in college admissions.

The College Board and the ACT provide the following concordance tables.

English/Verbal

Math

Combined Score

Data source: the College Board, 1999.

First, you should go to sleep early the Thursday night before the test. You should put together an "test bag" of #2 pencils, a copy of your ticket, a watch, your calculator, water, fruit and Power Bars or other sustaining snacks. Be careful of overly sugary snacks—if you eat them early, you might crash before the end of the test. Watch for e-mails from your testing agency telling you exactly where you need to be on test day, and when.

We are here to help! The College Board is a large organization and is capable of error like any other large organization. If it appears that the College Board has made an error in any part of your testing process or scores, call them right away, and let us know as well. The College Board will usually only deal directly with you, but we can help you ask the right questions and guide you through the conversation. Questions about testing at St. Andrew's or about test day? Contact Mrs. Poarch via email to cpoarch@standrews-de.org; she is our Director of Testing and is a great resource.

Here is another area where our personalized advice can help. We offer an online test preparation course free to St. Andrew's students, accessible from Naviance. This hassle-free and effective method of preparation may be your route to great success! But you may also find that one-on-one tutoring, a traditional summertime test prep class, or working on your own with a book could be a better fit for you. Some pointers:

• Be wary of test prep guarantees.
• Practice makes perfect or if not perfect, then better! If your program gives you homework... (you can figure out the rest of this sentence).
• Full practice tests, even though they are inconvenient, are often the most effective form of practice.
• If you can find a way to approach standardized tests as interesting, valuable challenges in and of themselves, this mental state can help!