Questions go from easy to hard in most sections Non multiple-choice questions included

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1 Many different exams are offered throughout the year. Some are offered here at Westmont Hilltop, others are offered off site like the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Some of the exams are practice for college placement exams, qualifiers for scholarships, college entrance exams or for college credit. This section will discuss some of the tests that students will encounter during their high school career. All students who are college bound must take a college placement exam. Each Institution will list on its web-sites and in its catalogs which national tests are required for admission. The primary options are the Scholastic Aptitude Test () and the American College Testing Program (ACT). College bound students should also investigate whether the II Subject tests from College Board are a requirement for admission to their colleges of interest. The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (P/NMSQT) is co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The P/NMSQT is offered once per year at Westmont Hilltop High School, in Mid-October. Sophomores and juniors are encouraged to take the P exam to help them gauge their verbal and math abilities. It is taken for practice and gives an early indication of where a student ranks nationally. It is not generally used by colleges for admission purposes, and scores are not listed on the WHHS transcript. Students must pay for the P in the guidance office by a date announced to all students early in the school year. Scores of the P are also used to select outstanding high school juniors for National Merit Scholarships. Juniors who wish to participate in the scholarship competition conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) must meet eligibility requirements established by the NMSC. Requirements include taking the October P as a junior and taking the by December of the senior year. NMSC is the sole administrator of the Merit Scholarship Program which is open to all high school students who meet published requirements. Over 55,000 students nationwide are identified and recognized by NMSC for the test performance. From participants who advance in the competition, over 5,000 win scholarships that have a total value of more than $16 million. Typically all colleges will accept either the ACT or as a college entrance exam. The popularity among institutions for each exam varies by geographic location. The tends to be the primary exam for colleges in the eastern half of the United States and West Coast, while the ACT is more popular in the middle third of the country. Students should take the ACT and/or starting in the spring of their

2 junior year. Tests may be repeated to improve a score, and the counselors recommend that a specific test be taken at least two times between the spring of the junior year and the fall of the senior year. Registration can be done two ways: 1) On-line which is the quickest and easiest way to register, admission is granted immediately and tickets can be produced at the time of registration. As a bonus, students who register on-line can access their grades on-line, several weeks before the scores are sent home; 2) Registration materials are also available in the guidance office, which requires the materials and fees be mailed directly to the testing services. Included on these forms should be the Westmont Hilltop code number Students will receive test admission tickets prior to the exam date. Keep your test registration booklet because they contain college codes which will be used to report your scores at a later date. We receive many questions about the and the ACT in the guidance office. Some of the most common include What is the difference between the and the ACT? Which should I take, or should I take both? and How do the scores compare? While most colleges across the country accept scores from either test, the and ACT are significantly different, and in many ways, they measure different skills. Below is a listing of the differences between each of the exams. Aptitude exam - measures a student s projected aptitude or ability for learning in higher education Questions go from easy to hard in most sections Non multiple-choice questions included Guessing penalty Math accounts for 50% of your score Math covers Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 Writing Section is required Vocabulary emphasized No English grammar No Science section All your scores reported to colleges ACT Achievement exam - measures a student s knowledge and understanding of various high school subjects Easy and hard questions mixed within sections Entirely multiple choice No guessing penalty Math accounts for 25% of your score Math covers Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Trigonometry Writing Section is optional Vocabulary less important English grammar tested Includes a Science Reasoning section Report scores only from the test dates you choose

3 ACT (verbal+math) (with writing) * Data received from Collegeboard.com

4 Each of the College Board s Subject tests measures your knowledge in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge. The tests fall into five general subject areas: 1. English - Literature 2. Foreign Languages French, German, Modern Hebrew, Latin, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, ELPT (English Language Proficiency Test) 3. History and Social Studies U.S. History, World History 4. Mathematics Mathematics Level I-C, Mathematics Level II-C (Calculator) 5. Science Biology, Chemistry, Physics The Subject tests are one hour, primarily multiple-choice tests in specific subjects. They measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge. Some colleges require one or more of these tests for admission or placement purposes. Some require various combinations of tests; others permit students to choose. Check the requirements of the colleges you are considering before deciding which tests to take. Many colleges will not require you to take the Subject tests. Other colleges require them to be taken by a certain date. If the Subject tests are used for admission purposes, they are combined with your high school record, results of the or ACT, teacher recommendations and other background information to provide a reliable measure of your academic achievement. If the tests are used for placement purposes, new students are placed in appropriate college level courses. Some advisors use the scores in guidance discussions with incoming students to help select courses. When Should You Take the Subject Test? You ll probably do best on the Subject tests if you take them soon after completing courses in the subjects being tested, while the material is still fresh in your mind. If you decide to take Subject test in a subject you haven t studied recently, you should plan to review the material thoroughly before taking the test. This review should consist of a careful, methodical study of the course content over several weeks. Last-minute cramming is not likely to be of much use. Depending on the date by which colleges need your Subject scores, it may be possible to take the Subject test near the time of the Advanced Placement exam in that subject. To decide when to take the Subject test, find out the requirements of the college to which you may apply. Colleges that use the Subject results as a part of their admissions process often require that you take the tests no later than December or January of your senior year. If a college uses the Subject results only to help with placement decisions, you might be able to take the tests as late as May or June of your senior year.

5 The Westmont Hilltop guidance office has paid a licensing fee to Collegeboard, which allows all Westmont Hilltop High School students free access (normally $69.95 per student for four months), to the online Prep course offered at collegeboard.com. The Official Online Course features interactive lessons, auto essay scoring, and much more. It's personalized, comprehensive, easy to use, and available anytime and anywhere. Students have access to 6 practice tests and 600+ questions, all of which follow proprietary specifications, detailed personalized feedback on all practice tests and quizzes, 18 interactive lessons, which cover the math, critical reading and writing sections, as well as the P/NMSQT. The lessons feature interactive activities and multimedia content to create an engaging learning environment. Explanations of answers to all questions on the online course and to all 8 practice tests in The Official Study Guide are available for purchase at collegeboard.com. Auto essay scoring provides immediate, computer-generated scores for all essay prompts in the online course. See your counselor for an access code and directions for registration. Additional Prep materials can be found on the Recommended Links section of the Guidance web-page.