August 29, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 13 If it has been awhile since you were in high school, you might be wondering about the slew of standardized tests that students take throughout their high school careers. “Most parents know about the SAT and ACT, but there are several other exams that your teen may encounter throughout high school,” said Heather Carroll of the Ridgewood Huntington Learning Center. Carroll offers parents this quick summary to help them get familiar: SAT: The Scholastic Aptitude Test is the most widely used standardized college admissions test, which colleges across the country use to evaluate students for admission. Nearly every college in the U.S. uses this test as an objective measure of a student’s readiness for college-level classes. The SAT has three sections: math, critical reading, and writing. The math section has questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability. Critical reading includes reading passages and sentence completions. The writing section has a mandatory essay, which is useful if applying to colleges that require a writing assessment for admission, and tests grammar and usage. SAT Subject Tests: These content-based exams are required or recommended by some colleges for admission. Some colleges give credit for introductory classes based on students’ SAT Subject Test scores, while others use these scores to advise students about course selection. The idea behind the SAT Subject Tests is that students can improve their credentials for admission into college and differentiate themselves in the college admissions process by demonstrating their strengths. There are 20 SAT Subject Tests across history, math, science, English, and foreign languages. Standardized exams you should know about PSAT/NMSQT: Students typically take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test their sophomore or junior year. The PSAT tests the same math and language arts skills as the SAT and uses the same question types, but it is a shorter exam. Although PSAT scores have no impact on college admissions, the PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry into the National Merit Scholarship Program (when taken as a junior). This program awards 8,300 scholarships each year. Advanced Placement Exams: While the SAT Subject Tests are high school level exams, AP Exams assess students’ college-level knowledge. Students generally take AP courses in high school prior to taking AP exams. These subject-specific tests allow students to satisfy graduation requirements faster by earning college credit for certain AP scores or placing into higher level classes their freshman year, saving them thousands of dollars in college tuition. There are 34 AP Exams. ACT: The ACT (an acronym for American College Testing) is a national college admissions exam that tests students’ knowledge of their high school curriculum. It is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. It is scored based on the number of correct answers, so unlike the SAT, students are not penalized for guessing. The ACT has four sections: English, math, reading, and science. English covers punctuation, grammar, usage, sentence structure, organization, style, and strategy. The writing test is optional. The math section tests pre-algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate and plane geometry, and trigonometry. The reading section tests comprehension and includes social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction, and humanities reading selections. The science section covers biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science knowledge. PLAN: The PLAN is an achievement test for tenth grade students that is based on high school curriculum. This exam assesses students’ English, math, reading, and science skills and knowledge and overall college readiness. While colleges do not look at PLAN scores, the PLAN is a pre-ACT that not only shows students’ academic strengths and weaknesses, but also assesses students’ progress toward their career and educational goals based on career exploration questions asked. EXPLORE: Also run by the ACT, the EXPLORE is another curriculum-based test that may be taken in eighth or ninth grade. This exam helps students prepare for high school classes and explore higher education possibilities, giving students an early sense of how ready they will be for high school and college. The EXPLORE also helps students identify possible career interests. CLEP: College Level Examination Preparation exams test mastery of college-level material acquired through school, independent study, or extracurricular activity. Students of any age can take a CLEP and earn college credits for certain test scores, saving them tuition and helping them graduate faster. The 33 CLEP exams are offered in five subject areas; exam schedules vary, so search the College Board CLEP website for a testing location near you. CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester college classes, and 2,900 colleges and universities accept CLEP credits. Founded in 1977, Huntington is a pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry. Huntington offers tutoring in reading, phonics, math, study skills, and advanced math and science tutoring that ranges from algebra through calculus and general science through physics. Huntington also prepares students for state and standardized entrance exams. For details about the Ridgewood Huntington Learning Center, contact Sena Salloum at 201-261-8400 Ext. 515.