Homeschooled or traditionally schooled, most high school students have one thing in common: their dislike of the college entrance exams. To strong test-takers, these may simply be an inevitable annoyance; to others, they seem to have the power to permanently define one’s higher education path and perhaps even a future career. While the reality is rarely so extreme, homeschooled students need to be aware of how to approach these tests, since college admissions staff often place more emphasis on tests and less on homeschool-generated transcripts.
However, even before COVID-19, the testing “climate” was beginning to change–with some colleges going to “test-optional” protocols and some pondering “test-blind” arrangements (not even looking at test scores). Out of sheer necessity, the pandemic accelerated these trends, and many of these policies may be here to stay, post-COVID. But for homeschoolers, it’s wise to have a perspective on college admissions testing that results in providing colleges with more information, not less.
The SAT® and ACT® exams are the major players in the college admissions testing arena. The PSAT/NMSQT® also comes into the game during the high school years. For information beyond the scope of this article, please contact Denise at contact@homeschoolroadmap.com to receive the full text of Chapter 19, “Sharpen Those #2 Pencils: SAT® and ACT® Exams…and the Rest of the Tests.” As a bonus, this link also includes Chapter 20, “Information, Please: A Tour of a Typical College Application.” Feel free to read this and share it with others as a “free sample” of my book. In addition to providing information about the components of each test, this chapter describes how to register for the tests, how the tests are scored, and most importantly, how to prepare for them. The chapter also reviews other testing programs such as AP®, CLEP®, and high school equivalency exams.
Please note that Chapter 19 was written and published before the domino-like changes in the SAT exam–and before COVID-19 accelerated the changes for testing requirements or recommendations for college admission, so always check your “favored” colleges and the College Board and ACT websites for the most up-to-date information on how to proceed for your student’s own individualized testing strategy.
For the SAT exam, the total achievable score is 1600, based on a score of 800 on each of the two main sections (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing). Evidence-Based Reading and Writing is further divided into a Reading section and a Writing/Language section. The previously offered 50-minute timed essay portion of the exam has been discontinued as of the June 2021 testing dates.
The Reading section contains passages representing content areas such as literature, humanities, history, science, U.S. “founding documents,” and career information. Some of the passages also contain charts, graphs, and tables. Students are asked to interpret, analyze, and use evidence to answer multiple-choice questions on these passages as well as on the data sources presented. Vocabulary is tested within the context of reading passages rather than as standalone multiple choice questions as was the case in former versions of the SAT. Additionally, the vocabulary words tested are words that are encountered in the “real world” rather than being obscure, esoteric words.
The Writing/Language section asks students to read a passage in which various grammar, punctuation, and usage errors have been embedded in some of the sentences, and then to perform an editing task. Logically sequencing sentences and paragraphs, interpreting information from graphs and tables, and editing a portion of the passage to make it consistent with graph information comprise several tasks in this section.
The Math section of the SAT includes algebra, problem solving and data analysis, advanced math (involving more complex equations and functions), and college- and career-relevant geometry and trigonometry. On some portions of the SAT, calculators are permitted; other portions are calculator-free. Additionally, most of the problems are multiple choice with four answers to choose from, but several are “grid-ins” where students must supply answers.
SAT SUBJECT TESTSTM
Up until 2021, the College Board offered SAT Subject Tests: one-hour tests offered in approximately twenty subjects such as English, mathematics, world languages, science, and history. Some colleges required them for admission, while others simply recommended that students take them to strengthen the overall application.
In January 2021, the College Board discontinued these tests, and while this change definitely lightens the student’s load in the area of test preparation, it also removes one of the ways by which homeschooled students could validate some of their coursework. For instance, Subject Tests were often used to help homeschooled students clear requirements for specific subject areas on their applications to certain universities.
In the absence of Subject Tests, homeschoolers may consider AP courses and exams, community college courses, other college-level courses, or possibly even CLEP® exams, though these are typically used for gaining college credit by “testing out of” a course rather than for validating high school credit.
THE PSAT/NMSQT® EXAM
The PSAT/NMSQT, administered each October, is an optional test that can be taken by high school sophomores or juniors to prepare for the actual SAT exam. Officially, the test is called the Preliminary SAT/National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test when it is taken during the junior year. The College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation cosponsor the test to provide practice for the SAT exam and to establish eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship program.
Like the SAT exam, the PSAT/NMSQT measures reading, math, and writing/language skills (however, there is no essay). Students who take the test can discover where their strengths and weaknesses lie as they continue to prepare for the SAT exam. The NMSQT exam is only one of many tools for preparing for the SAT exam, since a student can also take practice SAT exams at home before tackling the real exam. The most pertinent feature of this exam for high-achieving students is its role as the qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship. Only the junior year (eleventh grade) scores will qualify the student for the program.
The total achievable score for the PSAT/NMSQT is 1520, based on a maximum of 760 in each of the two sections, Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The PSAT/NMSQT scoring is structured to roughly predict the student’s SAT score. Since the SAT is more difficult, the PSAT/NMSQT scoring has a maximum of 1520 rather than the SAT’s top score of 1600. Theoretically, then, a score of 1400 on the PSAT/NMSQT approximates a score of 1400 on the SAT if the SAT had been taken that day. Presumably, by the time a student actually takes the SAT, he or she will score even higher, since several months of additional learning will have taken place. Additionally, the PSAT/NMSQT score report includes a “Selection Index,” used as a qualification for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Cutoffs for Semifinalist status vary by state. For full information, check out both the College Board website and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website.
THE ACT® TEST
The ACT test, offered by ACT, Inc., is another widely used college entrance exam. ACT tests contain multiple-choice sections covering English, mathematics, reading, and science.
In the English section, students are asked to recognize errors in grammar and usage and to choose answer responses that provide the clearest and most correct sentences. Some questions also involve understanding the main idea of a passage and assessing whether the author has made his or her idea clear.
The mathematics section presents questions in pre-algebra, elementary and intermediate algebra, coordinate, plane, and three-dimensional geometry, and trigonometry. All questions are multiple choice, and a calculator may be used on all questions.
The ACT reading section asks students to read four passages in various genres (fiction, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences) and to answer questions relating to main ideas, vocabulary in context, details about the text, and inferences drawn from the material.
Unlike the SAT exam, the ACT includes a separate science component. In this section, students are asked to use reasoning skills to interpret the results of experiments described in the form of text, charts, and graphs, and also to project or predict further experimental results by examining the charts and graphs. One section asks students to answer questions based on “conflicting viewpoints” (two or more scientists’ hypotheses on a given concept or situation).
Finally, an optional 40-minute timed writing test measures students’ essay writing skills by raising a controversial issue, providing brief statements illustrating three perspectives on the issue, and asking the student to choose a position and defend it with logical reasoning.
Scores are provided on the exam as a whole (composite) and also on each of the four skill sections and the optional writing section. Test scores for the four multiple-choice sections range from 1 to 36, and for the optional essay section, scores range from 2 to 12.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACT AND SAT EXAMS
While both the SAT and ACT exams are widely used for college admission, a few differences set them apart. As previously noted, the ACT includes a science section testing scientific critical thinking, while the SAT does not. In lieu of this separate science section, several groups of questions in the reading and the writing/language sections of the SAT (and, of course, in the math section) include charts, graphs, and tables, and some reading passages deal with scientific topics, so the differences between the two exams are not as marked as one might think.
The ACT is now the only college entrance exam that offers a timed essay component. This essay is optional but should be taken if a particular college requires it (few actually require it; a spectrum of colleges recommend it). Early on, a student will probably not know which colleges he or she will apply to, so it is wise to plan on taking this optional essay section. The 40-minute ACT essay will appeal to those skilled at analyzing a complex topic and arguing for one perspective while acknowledging other valid perspectives on the issue.
The mathematics section of the SAT includes a data analysis component, while the ACT does not. As a result, the SAT is heavier on algebra and data analysis and lighter on geometry and trigonometry when compared with the ACT. For the ACT, math questions require memorization of certain common formulas, while the SAT provides these formulas at the beginning of the section. The SAT has “calculator” and “no-calculator” sections, while the ACT allows calculator use on all math questions. The SAT asks a number of questions known as “grid-ins” which require a student to fill in an answer; the ACT math section is 100% multiple choice.
After investing sufficient study and practice, your student might consider trying a full practice test for both exams, since some students score significantly higher on one compared to the other. Results of this practice test will guide the decision of which test to focus on.
SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT—the alphabet soup of standardized tests can appear shrouded in stress-producing mystery. By visiting the websites of these test makers early and often, college bound students can become familiar with what they will be up against during the last half of high school. From there, they can gather useful information that will translate to a fruitful season of test preparation.
The following trademarks are held by their respective organizations. None of these organizations were involved in the production of, nor do they endorse, this article.
College Board®, SAT®, SAT Subject TestsTM, AP®, and CLEP® are registered trademarks of the College Board.
PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit® Scholarship Corporation.
ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.
Denise has developed a comprehensive guide to help homeschooling families design and implement a rigorous college prep program. Homeschooled & Headed for College discusses academics, electives, testing, and documentation, and she walks families through all aspects of the college selection and application process. Denise’s research and recommendations will save families precious time.
