College Entrance Exams
College entrance exams generally are a critical element in the admission application process for the majority of four-year institutions throughout the country. These types of standardized tests give colleges a uniform method of evaluating students from all types of high schools around the country. Test scores are weighted differently in each college’s admissions decisions. Most colleges provide profiles containing information regarding ranges in test scores, GPA, class rank, etc. of their admitted applicants, and this information is usually located on their web site and/or in their printed admissions materials. This helps students to better understand the test score range in order to be admitted. Often it is recommended that students take an entrance exam more than once in order to improve his/her chances for a higher score.
Many schools, agencies, organizations and businesses have developed test preparation materials designed to help students improve their scores. Access programs may include test preparation as one of their program’s components. Other programs choose to partner with other local organizations to provide test prep or offer a low cost version. The two standard entrance exams are the ACT and the SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests. Details regarding each test are listed below. Students may take the test as often as they desire. The ACT is offered seven times per year and the SAT is offered seven times. Students usually test during their high school years, and the junior year is the first time for many students. Tests generally are repeated early in the senior year. Testing for admissions purposes must be completed by each college’s deadline. Fee waivers are available for these tests. Each test has specific guidelines, forms to be used for waivers.
For additional information, please contact:
ACT REGISTRATION (319) 337-1270
COLLEGE BOARD CUSTOMER SERVICE
(609) 771-7600
ACT – According to the ACT web site: “The ACT is America's most widely accepted college entrance exam. It assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
• The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
• The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.”
The Writing Test is a relatively recent addition to the ACT. ACT offers the following information about the option: “Because postsecondary institutions have varying needs, we offer the ACT Writing Test as an option.
• Postsecondary institutions are making their own decisions about whether to require the results from the ACT Writing Test for admissions and/or course placement purposes.
• Students will decide whether to take the Writing Test based on the requirements of the institutions they are considering.
Students are not required to take a test that they do not need to take, thus incurring unnecessary expense, and institutions have the freedom to require the tests that best meet their information needs.”
Therefore, as access advisors, it is very important that you help students understand the testing requirements for the colleges to which they are applying. Many colleges are requiring students to take the test so that they can begin to “norm the test results” with the goal of eventually folding the writing test into standard testing requirements. Most colleges requiring the test now have indicated that the writing test will not currently be used in the admissions decision. Students should register online.
It is critical that students register by stated deadlines as late registration fees are assessed. Students can register at
The ACT test consists of:
English Section 75 Questions 45 Minutes
Math Section 60 Questions 60 Minutes
Reading Section 40 Questions 35 Minutes
Science Section 40 Questions 35 Minutes
Writing Section Single Prompt 30 Minutes
The English, Math, Reading and Science Sections are scored on a 1-36 scale. The Writing Section is scored on a 2-12 scale. The current ACT composite is an average of the first four sections. Score results will be mailed to the student and to the high school if the CEEB code was entered on the registration form.
For students, a tremendous amount of information related to the test, test registration, test preparation, scores, test-taking tips and sample tests can be found at High school personnel, college personnel and parents will also find an enormous amount of information available at this site. Access advisors should thoroughly review the site to find information and free resources that you can utilize as you help your students prepare to register and take the ACT.
SAT – According to The College Board web site: “The SAT Reasoning Test™ is the most widely used and most rigorously researched college admissions test in history. Virtually every college in the United States accepts the SAT® as a measure of the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well students analyze and solve problems—skills learned in school that are needed in college. The test also provides an independent measure of a student’s college readiness that is standardized across all students, schools, and communities, providing a common and objective scale for comparison.”
The web site also contains the following information regarding the SAT:
Critical Reading
The critical reading section measures a student’s ability to identify genre, relationships among parts of a text, cause and effect, rhetorical devices, and comparative arguments. Questions assess such reading skills as identifying main and supporting ideas, determining the meaning of words, understanding authors’ purposes, and understanding the structure and function of sentences. Reading passages are taken from different fields, including natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and literary fiction. Sentence completion questions primarily measure reasoning and vocabulary.
Question Types/Content/# of Questions/Time
Question types:
Passage-based reading 48
Two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section
Sentence completions 19 – Total 67
Content:
Extended Reasoning 42–50
Literal Comprehension 4–6
Vocabulary in Context 12–16
Critical Reading Score: 200–800 70 minutes total
Math
The math section measures a student’s mastery of mathematical concepts and reasoning skills. It includes topics typically covered in three years of collegepreparatory math, such as exponential growth, absolute value, functional notation, linear functions, manipulations with exponents, and properties of tangent lines. Students are asked to apply concepts they have learned to solve unfamiliar problems in flexible ways, often with real-world applications.
Question Types/Content/# of Questions/Time
Question types:
Standard Multiple Choice 44
Two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section
Student-Produced Responses 10 – Total 54
Content:
Number and Operations 11–13
Algebra and Functions 19–21
Geometry and Measurement 14–16
Data Analysis, Statistics,
and Probability 6–7
Math Score: 200–800 70 minutes total
Writing
The writing section measures a student’s mastery of developing and expressing ideas effectively. The essay, which is always the first question on the SAT, measures a student’s skill in developing and expressing a point of view on an issue. The multiple-choice questions assess the ability to use language in a clear, consistent manner and to improve a piece of writing through revision and editing. Questions ask students to recognize sentence errors, to choose the best version of a piece of writing, and to improve paragraphs.
Question Types/Content/# of Questions/Time
Question types:
Essay 1 25 minutes
Multiple Choice 49/35 minutes (one 25-minute,
and one 10-minute section) – Total 50
Content:
Improving Sentences 25
Identifying Sentence Errors 18
Improving Paragraphs 6
Writing Score: 200–800 60 minutes total
Essay Subscore 2–12
Multiple Choice Subscore 20–80
For students, a tremendous amount of information related to the test, test registration, test preparation, scores, test taking tips, sample tests, etc. can be found at High school personnel, college personnel and parents will also find an enormous amount of information at this site. Access advisors should thoroughly review the site to find information and free resources that you can utilize as you help your students prepare to register and take the SAT. The standard price of the test for 2006-07 is $41.50.
SAT Subject Tests
The College Board also offers SAT Subject Tests. The information below is available at “The SAT Subject Tests™ (formerly SAT II: Subject Tests) are designed to measure students’ knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, as well as their ability to apply that knowledge. The tests are independent of any particular textbook or method of instruction, and many colleges use them for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection. The SAT Reasoning Test is administered seven times in a school year in the United States, beginning in October, and six times a year internationally. All Subject Tests except languages and World History are given six times a year (all dates below except April 1). Language Tests with Listening are given only in November. Visit collegeboard.com or review the registration booklets for more information about specific Subject Tests.”
The standard price for the 2006-07 year is $18 for the registration fee and $8.00 for each area test. Language tests with listening must add $19. Additional detailed information regarding Subject Tests is available at
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
What Is the TOEFL Test?
The following information from the TOEFL web site ( provides an overview of the test. The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.
Why Take the TOEFL Test?
Most people take the TOEFL test as a prerequisite for admission into colleges and universities where English is used or required. In addition, many government, licensing, and certification agencies and exchange and scholarship programs use TOEFL scores to evaluate the English proficiency of people for whom English is not their native language.
Who Should Take the TOEFL Test?
Nonnative English speakers at the 11th-grade level or above should take the TOEFL test to provide evidence of their English proficiency before beginning academic work. The test content is considered too difficult for students below 11th grade. Many institutions report that they frequently do not require TOEFL test scores of certain kinds of international applicants. These include:
• nonnative speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from postsecondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)
• nonnative speakers who have successfully completed at least a two-year course of study in which English was the language of instruction
• transfer students from institutions in the United States or Canada whose academic course work was favorably evaluated in relation to its demands and duration.
• nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years
• nonnative speakers who have successfully pursued academic work at schools where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country for a specified period, generally two years.
Students should contact their prospective institutions directly concerning their specific admission requirements.