School Counselors Test Preparation

Decide which test is right for you. This depends on a number of factors including your post-secondary plans (i.e. 4-year, 2-year, technical college, or the military) and high school coursework. Some institutions may not require an entrance or placement test so it is important to check with the institution you plan to attend. The chart below provides an overview to guide you in selecting the admissions or placement test that is right for you.

	SAT	ACT	ACCUPLACER	ASVAB
Description	College entrance exam that measures what students learn in high school and what they need to succeed in college.	College entrance exam that measures a high school student's readiness for college.	Computer adaptive assessment used to evaluate a student's skills in three areas.	Aptitude test most often used for entrance to the military.
Content	Reading, Writing and Language, Math, Essay (Optional)	English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, Essay (Optional)	Placement and diagnostic assessments in Reading, Writing, Mathematics	Measures aptitudes in four domains: Verbal, Math, Science and Technical, Spatial
Content Specifics	5 reading Passages No specific science section, however charts and data interpretation are included. Includes Arithmetic, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Trigonometry and Data Analysis Essay section tests your comprehension of a source text. The essay is optional but may be required by some colleges.	4 reading passages Tests critical thinking not specific science knowledge Includes Arithmetic, Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Trigonometry Essay section tests how well you evaluate and analyze complex issues. The essay is optional but may be required by some colleges.	Reading: information and ideas, rhetoric, synthesis, vocabulary Writing: expression of ideas and standard English conventions Math: whole number operations, fractions, decimals, percent, number comparisons and equivalents Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics: rational numbers, ratios and proportional relationships, exponents, algebraic expressions, linear equations, linear applications and graphs, probability sets, descriptive statistics, geometry concepts	Verbal: Word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, Math: arithmetic reasoning, mathematics knowledge Science and Technical: general science, electronics information, auto information, shop information, mechanical comprehension Spatial: assembling objects
Approx. Length	3 hours (w/out essay) 3 hours, 50 minutes (w/essay)	2 hours, 55 minutes (w/out essay) 3 hours, 40 minutes (w/essay)	Untimed	2 hours, 29 minutes (paper and pencil) 2 hours, 34 minutes (computer)
Scoring	Total score: 400-1600 Section scores: 10-40 Writing test: 2-8 No penalty for guessing Scores available online	Total score: 1-36 Score for each section: 1-36 Writing test: 2-12 No penalty for guessing Scores available online	Contact the admission office at the college you are interested in for additional information.	Scores are reported as percentiles between 1-99
When to test*	Spring of Junior Year	Spring of Junior Year		Contact the branch of service you are interested in for additional information.
Cost	$49.50 w/out essay $64.50 w/essay	$50.50 w/out essay $67 w/essay	Contact the admission office at the college you are interested in for additional information.	Contact the branch of service you are interested in for additional information.

*The decision to test should be made based on the student's level of readiness which should be based on course rigor, completion of coursework, and maturity among other factors.

How should I prepare for an admission or placement test? Taking rigorous coursework is key to preparing for any of the test above. This would include Honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses. However, it is very important to work to the best of your ability in any course you are enrolled. Several free test prep resources are available and it is a good idea to set aside 15-30 minutes each day to use these resources. Below are just a few of the resources available.

https://www.khanacademy.org/sat (FREE)

https://academy.act.org/ (FREE)

https://www.march2success.com/main/courses (FREE)

https://www.princetonreview.com/ (Fees involved)

https://www.kaptest.com/sat (Fees involved)

https://www.kaptest.com/act (Fees involved)