With so many young people trying to get tested and into schools this month, I thought I would test your knowledge on the entrance exams. See how well you score. 1. What was the highest possible total scoring on the SAT I college entrance exam before 2005? 800; 1600; 36; 100.
2. True or False: In order to get a perfect score every question on the SAT I must be answered correctly.
3. Why was the reporting of some October 2001 PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores delayed? Many New York City area students did poorly because of psychological trauma; Widespread cheating was suspected among Latinos in Los Angeles; The Educational Testing Service had an office in the World Trade Center; Some answer sheets were quarantined in New Jersey post offices for anthrax testing.
4. What is NOT a reason to take the PSAT? To possibly qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist; To receive literature from colleges and universities; For practice before taking the SAT; To get college credit for work done in high school.
5. Why was a writing section added to the PSAT? Because literacy among high school students has declined in the last 20 years; To give girls a better chance for qualifying as National Merit Semifinalists; To replace the Verbal section; A longer test meant more revenue for the Educational Testing Service.
6. True or False: There is a national cut-off score on the PSAT to determine which students are named National Merit Semifinalists.
7. What is the highest possible score on the ACT? 36; 100; 800; 1600.
8. Which section was most recently added to the ACT? English; Writing; Science Reasoning; Reading.
9. True or False: The average score on an SAT II Subject test is 500.
10. What change was made to the SAT I in March 2005? A Writing section was added; A Spanish version was made available; Top score was changed to 3600; It is no longer a timed test.
ANSWERS
1. The SAT I consisted of two portions, verbal and math. The highest possible score on each section was 800. 2. False. With the current method of scoring, the SAT allows a student to miss a small number of questions and still receive a ‘perfect’ score. 3. Some answer sheets were quarantined in New Jersey post offices for anthrax testing. 4. To get college credit for work done in high school. AP exams are offered by the Educational Testing Service in many subject areas, and many universities give credit for strong performance on them. The PSAT is a general scholastic aptitude test, and scores are not reported to colleges. 5. To give girls a better chance for qualifying as National Merit Semifinalists. Traditionally, boys received a disproportionately high percentage of National Merit Semifinalist designations because they tend to score higher than girls in the math section of the PSAT. Girls tend to be stronger in writing than boys. A test with a verbal, written, and math section was created to give girls a better chance of becoming National Merit Semifinalists. 6. False. Roughly half percent of 1 percent of the juniors in each state are named National Merit Semifinalists based on their scores on the PSAT. The cutoff score is different for each state each year. 7. 36. The ACT focuses more on mastery of high school course content than the SAT. The ACT is usually taken by students in the Midwest. The SAT is the test of choice for students in the northeast, east and west coasts. 8. Writing. The four sections of the ACT are English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. 9. False. The average score for SAT II subject tests varies from subject to subject; however, the average score for the standard SAT I test still hovers around 500 for both the math and verbal sections. 10. A writing section was added. The former SAT Verbal Exam became the SAT Critical Reading Exam. This test no longer includes analogies. Instead, short reading sections were added to existing long reading passages. A new section called the SAT Writing Exam was added. This section contains multiple choice grammar questions as well as a written essay. The SAT Math Exam was expanded to cover three years of high school math. Instead of just covering concepts from Geometry and Algebra I, the new SAT Math Exam contains concepts from Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II.