COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS SAT, ACT, PSAT, PLAN & MORE Johnna Cheek Christina Sawyer

College Entrance Tests Use at Community Colleges

College Entrance Tests: One piece of the puzzle ACT/SAT Scores Rigor/Grades Extracurricular Activities Rank, essay, recommendations, etc.

College Entrance Tests  Minimum Admissions Requirements  SAT or ACT required with application to any UNC System School  Beginning with Fall 2013, UNC System Schools will have a requirement of an 800 (R+M) on the SAT or 17 on the ACT (  Test Optional Schools (WFU, Guilford, etc.) – Interview, writing samples instead

SAT or ACT?  Most all colleges accept EITHER or BOTH tests  Majority of schools use the HIGHEST test scores, regardless of when taken  Specific ACT/SAT policies can be found at college websites or on and

SAT vs. ACT SAT  Designed to measure thinking and problem-solving ability  Stronger emphasis on vocabulary  Algebra & Geom – some free response questions  Divided into 9 smaller sections (3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing)  140 questions  Essay first  3 hours, 45 minutes  Scoring - Penalty for wrong answers  ACT  Questions more straightforward; more like a “school” test  More focus on grammar, punctuation, and syntax  Includes some Trig.  Includes Science (tests reading and reasoning skills)  Divided into big “chunks” – English, Math, Reading, & Science  215 questions  Essay last  3 hours, 25 minutes 

Scoring SAT Critical Reading – Mathematics – Writing – National Averages Critical Reading – 497 (NC 493) Mathematics – 514 (NC 508) Writing – 489 (NC 469) CR+M top score 1600 (average ~1000) CR+M+W top score 2400 (average ~1500) ACT English – 1-36 Mathematics – 1-36 Reading – 1-36 Science – 1-36 Composite – 1-36 (average of 4 scores rounded) National Averages English 20.6 (NC 21.2) Math 21.1 (NC 22.4) Reading 21.3 (NC 22.2) Science 20.9 (21.4) Composite 21.1 (21.9) (NC only 18% graduates tested)

Concordance Tables

SOURCE:

Same information, different format (averages and middle 50% range)  Plan  To College  Explore Post-Secondary Schools  Search for School  Admissions Tab

NC’s College & Career Promise  Beginning this year, all Juniors will take the ACT in March FREE OF CHARGE ($49.50 value)  Beginning this year, all SOPHOMORES took the PLAN during December

Recommendations  Take PLAN as sophomore  Take PSAT as sophomore and junior  Take ACT and SAT as junior (SAT after Alg 2)  Take best of two as senior (or both)

How to Prepare  Use PSAT/PLAN results     CapEd  Sylvan  Princeton Review  Plus MANY more… 

Questions? Grade-level Groups  10 th Graders & Parents – Auditorium  PLAN & PSAT Scores  11 th Graders & Parents – Library  PSAT Scores  ACT/SAT Recommendations