Standardized Testing
In the College Admissions Game, one of the most asked questions is "When should I take my standardized tests?" The following is devoted to answering that query. Some issues to bear in mind:
- Students may take tests up to, and including, December of their senior year and be fine for college admissions (the only consistent exception is that those students who wish to apply Early Decision or Early Action need to be done by October).
- The ACT is the sister test to the SAT I. These two tests are virtually interchangeable in the world of admissions. In brief, students who test much better in English than they do in Math are better served by the ACT. (Students should register for the "ACT Plus Writing".)
- The SAT II Subject Tests are three times as important as is the SAT I in UC admissions and seem to be increasing in important for everyone else. They tend to be a better predictor of college success and graduate potential.
- SAT II exams are subject based tests and should therefore be taken in June or as close to the end of the course as possible. You may take any subject test you wish, but math and science are sometimes required for engineering students. If students cannot decide, we recommend the English Lit exam.
- Most colleges do not care how many times you take the exams. They are looking for reasons to accept you. They usually take the best single scores for verbal or math sections. Only the UC system takes the best combined score at one sitting. The U.S. Naval Academy averages up to five scores.
- Other than for the PSAT, students are responsible for their own test registration. The College Center is happy to assist students who seek help, and offers boarding students the option of charging test fees to their student accounts.
- Students whose native language is not English should take the TOEFL. Because of Stevenson's distance from TOEFL test sites, we encourage students to take this test at home during the summer between junior and senior year.
Find out more about the SAT.
Find out more about the ACT.
FRESHMAN YEAR
Relax and get the lay of the land. The only test that you might take at the end of your freshman year is an SAT II subject test in Biology or Math IC (if you have completed the geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II sequence).
SOPHOMORE YEAR
October: Stevenson students are required to take the PSAT (and are automatically registered by the school.)
May: Any appropriate AP exams
June: SAT II subject tests (Math IC if you have completed the geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II sequence)
SUMMER BETWEEN 1Oth & 11th GRADE
For those students who decide to prepare for their SAT exams, this is the best spot for that effort. Since grades are considerably more important than test scores, we advise students to move SAT preparation out of the school year and into the summer slot, thus reducing the pressure on the kids during the junior year. Remember, the SAT I is not a curriculum based test.
JUNIOR YEAR
October: Take your first SAT I exam only if you prepared during the recently concluded summer. Stevenson juniors are required to take the PSAT (and are automatically registered by the school.) This is exam is used to qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students who took US History during the summer should take the SAT subject test in US History
March/April: Take the SAT I. For many students this will be their first crack at the exam, and it is a necessary tool to begin appropriate college counseling.
May: Take the appropriate AP exams now or in June according to your personal plans.
June: SAT II subject tests (Math IC if you have completed the geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II sequence; Math IIC if you have successfully negotiated pre calculus or Calculus. June of the junior year is also when you should take your U.S. History SAT II exam (unless you took US History during the prior summer.)
SENIOR YEAR
October: Take either the SAT I or the SAT II. The choice depends upon where you want to go to college (clearly SAT II tests are more important for UC schools and should take precedence, but for just about all of the other colleges, the SAT I is more important), and your test results from your junior year. Focus on the weakest test results.
November: Take the bank of tests that you didn't take in October (please note that this assumes you will be applying to colleges that require both the SAT I and the SAT II exams; if this does not apply to you, then you will not be taking any test in November)
December: Save this test date to clear up any test results that are still unsatisfactory.