How can my child improve on the PSAT, SAT and ACT Exams? PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE Go to various test sites for study help and online practice sessions at no cost. College Board or ACT are excellent resources for test preparation. Contact the school counselor to sign up for the Preparing for the PSAT, SAT and Beyond or Preparing for the ACT course at your high school during scheduling time. Practice workbooks are also available at area bookstores. Many high schools offer study testing sessions during the evenings or weekends. AACPS College/Career Readiness      Guidepost 8 score well on a recognized standardized test (e.g. PSAT, SAT, ACT, Maryland Industry Certification) What is the PSAT? It is the practice test for the SAT Test.  Students in AACPS take the test in grades, 9, 10 and 11.  Students in the 11th grade have the opportunity to be a National Merit Scholar if he or she does well on their test.  National Merit Scholars have the potential to earn significant scholarship money for college. Students are given their score reports in January to review how they did on the test. Scores on the PSAT are also used as one way to identify students with potential for Advanced Placement.  What is the SAT and American College Testing Program (ACT)? They are both college admission exams.  The majority of colleges and universities expect students to complete at least one exam as a requirement for admission.  Check with each institution your child is interested in attending to review admissions requirements. What is the difference between the two tests? The SAT test is a critical thinking and problem solving exam. The ACT is a content-based test.  That means the test is curriculum-based.  The questions are directly related to what the students have learned in high school courses in English, reading, mathematics and science. Why are they important for your student to take? College admission officers use your child’s score as a predictor of how successful he or she will be the first year in college and as a means of comparing students from a variety of diverse educational backgrounds. How do I know if my student scored well on the exam? For the SAT Exam, the scores are calculated annually based on the most recent SAT scores of all students of a particular graduating class. For the Class of 2011 average scores were: Critical Reading  497 Mathematics  514 Writing  493 Composite  1500 For the ACT Exam, the scores are based on computing your correct answers on the four subtests into “scaled scores” that range from 1 to 36.  Next, they compute your composite score which is the average of your four test scores (English, math, reading and science), rounded to the nearest whole number.  It also ranges from 1-36. The average ACT scores for the Class of 2011 are the following: English 20.6 Science 20.9 math 21.1 reading 21.3 Composite 21.1 The ACT has identified the minimum score needed on each subtest to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher in the corresponding first year college course. Test       English Math Reading Science Benchmark Score 18 22 21 24 College Course English Composition Algebra Social Sciences/Humanities Biology To increase your child’s college readiness and success, consider having him or her take additional rigorous coursework before entering college. This will help prevent your child from taking noncredit remedial college coursework. Once I take the PSAT, SAT or ACT Exam how will I receive my scores? Scores will be mailed to the student in approximately 6 to 8 weeks or you can access them online if you have set up an account.  For more information about the exams go to www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org. What is Maryland Industry Certification or License? Numerous career programs offer the opportunity for students to earn industry recognized certification or a license upon completion of coursework. These certifications or licenses are specific to each program, and give students a ‘head start’ in the industry. Why is it important for my student to take an Industry Certified Exam? If a student has completed the career coursework and is prepared to pass an industry recognized certification exam, it is in the best interest of the student to sit for the exam. Earning industry recognized certification will provide additional opportunities, such as: Increased earning potential Increased employment opportunities Increased post-secondary options How do I know if my student scored well on his or her exam? Once my student takes his or her exam, how will I receive the scores? The administration, scoring, and reporting policies are different for each industry. However, the students will always be notified of their results by the agency responsible for conducting the examination.