8th Grade Explore Test Test Date Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Visit their website at Visit their website at

What is the Explore Test? EXPLORE includes four multiple-choice tests: Your skills in these subjects will make a big difference—in school and, eventually, in your career. Once you know what each test covers, your EXPLORE test results can show you where you're strengths and weaknesses. Subject Number of Questions How Long It Takes English4030 minutes Math3030 minutes Reading3030 minutes Science2830 minutes

The English Test The EXPLORE English Test measures your understanding of standard written English— punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence structure (Usage/Mechanics)—and your understanding of the use of strategy, organization, and style in writing (Rhetorical Skills).

The Math Test The EXPLORE Math Test measures your mathematical reasoning. The test focuses on your ability to reason in math rather than on how well you have memorized formulas or can do involved computations..

The Reading Test The EXPLORE Reading Test measures your ability to understand written material from different school subjects. The skills measured include referring to details in the passage, drawing conclusions, and making comparisons and generalizations.

The Science Test The EXPLORE Science Test measures your scientific reasoning skills and your ability to understand scientific information and draw conclusions from it. Materials for this test are drawn from the life sciences, Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), and physical sciences. The test emphasizes your scientific reasoning skills rather than how well you can recall scientific facts, or your skills in mathematics or in reading.

How do EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT Align together? EXPLORE is the first part of a testing system that goes on to include PLAN and the ACT. Typically, students take EXPLORE in the 8th or 9th grade, PLAN as 10th graders, and the ACT as juniors or seniors. All three test you in English, math, reading, and science. However, the material tested in each program gets more difficult. This is why the top scores are different.

8 It’s Your Future: Using Your EXPLORE Results Student Guide to EXPLORE

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10 Your Scores

11 USING YOUR REPORT PACKAGE Student Level – EXPLORE and PLAN Item Response

12 What Does Your Score Mean?

13 Your Career Possibilities

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15 Keys to Good Educational and Career Planning Take challenging college prep courses in high school. Explore the many career options available to you and think about how your career choices will affect your future. Set career goals and develop an educational plan to achieve them.

Common Questions 1.How many questions are on the test? Answer:English 40 Math 30 Reading 30 Science 28 2.How much time do I have? Answer: 30 minutes for each section THIS IS A TIMED TEST 3.Should I guess? Answer: There is no penalty for guessing. Be sure to answer every question. If you leave a question blank, it will be marked incorrect.

Tips for doing your best on the EXPLORE test 1.Get plenty of sleep the night before. 2.Follow directions exactly. 3.EXPLORE is a timed test so pace yourself. Don’t spend too much time on any one question. 4.Not sure of the answer? First rule out every wrong answer you can. Then, pick the best answer from those left. 5.If you finish early, go back and review your work.

Want to learn more about EXPLORE? Check out some EXPLORE test sample questions at www. explorestudent.org

Percent of Students At or Above Benchmark ACT has identified benchmark scores that indicate whether or not a student is developing the foundation for the skills needed by the time they finish high school. Students who score at or above the benchmark scores are likely on track to do well in entry-level college courses for the given subject.