College Entrance Exams

The term "college entrance exam" for undergraduates in the United States refers to the SAT or ACT.

• "The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.

  Taking the SAT is the first step in finding the right college for you — the place where you can further develop your skills and pursue your passions. But SAT scores are just one of many factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions. High school grades are also very important. In fact, the combination of high school grades and SAT scores is the best predictor of your academic success in college." - From the www.collegeboard.org

• Go to the College Board website and register for the SAT test.
• Follow this link to compare the specifications of the Current SAT Test to the future Redesigned SAT Test.
• Please note, for certain scholarship opportunities Juniors may want to consider taking the SAT one or more times in the spring of their Junior year.
• The ACT, originally an abbreviation of American College Testing) is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test. The ACT has historically consisted of four tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. In February 2005, an optional Writing test was added to the ACT, mirroring changes to the SAT that took place later in March of the same year. All four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the ACT, but different institutions place different emphases on standardized tests such as the ACT, compared to other factors of evaluation such as class rank, G.P.A., and extracurricular activities. The main four tests are scored individually on a scale of 1-36, and a Composite score is provided which is the whole number average of the four scores.
• Go to the ACT website and register for the ACT test.
• Please note, for certain scholarship opportunities Juniors may want to consider taking the ACT one or more times in the spring of their Junior year.