POST SECONDARY ENTRANCE & PLACEMENT EXAMS
ACT - The ACT is a national college admission and placement examination. The ACT Assessment contains four curriculum-based tests that measure academic achievement in the areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. The ACT is an achievement-based, curriculum-referenced exam designed to measure high school students’ general educational development. ACT results are accepted by virtually all colleges and universities in the United States; in fact, the ACT is accepted and preferred by more private colleges and public universities than any other entrance exam. In addition, the ACT college entrance exam includes an interest inventory that provides valuable information for career and educational planning and a student profile section that provides a comprehensive picture of a student’s work in high school and his or her future plans.
Scores for each section of the ACT are averaged to create a composite score. A perfect score on the ACT Assessment is 36.
The writing portion of the ACT is recommended. Some colleges and universities require the writing portion of the ACT. Students should contact the college or university they plan to attend to determine college admission exam requirements. More information is available at the ACT Assessment website at www.act.org .
SAT – Updated in March 2016, the new SAT includes sections on evidence based reading/writing, mathematics, and an optional essay section.
The SAT helps colleges make admissions and placement decisions. Scores on each section range from 200-800 points, with 1600 being a perfect score on the New SAT. The optional writing score is now reported separately.
The SAT reasoning and subject area tests consist of more than 20 subject tests, or achievement tests designed to measure subject-area knowledge. Some colleges and universities require one or more portions of the SAT II subject area tests. Students should contact the college or university they plan to attend to determine college admission exam requirements. More information on the SAT is available at the College Board website at www.collegeboard.com.
PSAT- The best preparation for college entrance exams, and for college, is to take challenging courses with a strong academic curriculum. Students should write and read often and should look up and learn words they do not know. Students should stretch their thinking by reading a wide variety of challenging writing – fiction, nonfiction, news articles, and informational magazines. The more a student reads the better prepared he or she will be for college and for the world of work.
Students are encouraged to study and prepare to achieve high scores on college entrance exams. Students may take practice college entrance tests on their own time and score these at home. There are many college entrance exam practice opportunities available on-line. Students may visit the ACT website at www.act.org and the College Board website at www.collegeboard.com for more information on college entrance exam practice opportunities on-line. Additionally, students with disabilities requesting accommodations should contact their school counselor at least six weeks prior to registration.
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT/NMSQT) provides students with opportunities to take practice college entrance exams during the high school day. Freshmen and juniors may take the PSAT at a nominal cost. The state of Georgia pays for all sophomores to take the PSAT in October/November.
Results from the PSAT and PLAN should be used by students, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, and other school personnel to help the student identify areas of needed improvement, to make decisions about course selections such as Advanced Placement courses, to determine which college entrance exams to take in the future, and to identify possible college choices. Bainbridge High School personnel conducts useful test taking and score interpretation programs in conjunction with the annual administration of the PSAT.
ACCUPLACER – ACCUPLACER is an integrated system of computer-adaptive assessments designed to evaluate students’ skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. For over 30 years, ACCUPLACER has been used successfully to assess student preparedness for introductory credit-bearing college courses. ACCUPLACER delivers immediate and precise results, offering both placement and diagnostic tests, to support intervention and help answer the challenges of accurate placement and remediation.
The ACCUPLACER is offered monthly at BHS, with sign-up handled in the guidance office. Alternatively, students may take the test any day at the Bainbridge State College Assessment Center.
ASVAB- The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple-aptitude battery, consisting of ten short individual tests that measure verbal, math, and academic ability. The ASVAB provides good indicators of how well students have developed academic and occupational abilities. Scores on the ASVAB can qualify students for certain jobs and training in the Armed Forces, but taking the ASVAB does not commit the student to service in the military.
The ASVAB measures aptitudes that are related to success in different careers and provides students with an opportunity to explore career options. The ASVAB is offered on a voluntary basis for all eleventh grade students. Students can contact their guidance office for dates when the ASVAB will be offered at their high school.