The PSAT 8/9 establishes a baseline measurement of your college and career readiness as you enter high school. It also gives you a chance to preview the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10 and connect to AP courses.

For more information go to: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9

PSAT 8/9 administered each October to incoming freshmen is used for both placement and establishing benchmark scores.  In addition, freshmen take the PSAT 8/9 during April.

Components:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
   1. Reading Test
   2. Writing and Language Test
2. Math

Score Reporting:

• Total Score: Scale ranges from 240 to 1440.
• Section Score: Scale ranges from 120 to 720, and 6 to 36 on test and cross-test scores.

Important Information:

Focus on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success

Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact

Rights-only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores)

 

PSAT 8/9
Component	Time Allotted (min.)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	55	42
Writing and Language	30	40
Math	60	38
Total	145	120

As one of the assessments in the College Board’s SAT Suite of Assessments, the PSAT10 is designed to measure the skills and knowledge that current research shows are essential for college and career readiness and success. The PSAT 10 covers the same content areas as the PSAT/NMSQT®. Both the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 serve as a check-in on student progress to help pinpoint areas for development prior to the SAT. Sophomores take the PSAT 10 during the month of April.

For more information go to: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

Components:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
   1. Reading Test
   2. Writing and Language Test
2. Math 

Important Features:

Focus on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success

Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact

Rights-only scoring (no penalty for guessing)

Score Reporting:

Scores will be reported on a shared common score scale with the SAT: The scale ranges for the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 scores are 320–1520 for the total score, 160–760 for each of two section scores, and 8–38 for test scores.

 New PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10

Component	Time Allotted (min.)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	60	47
Writing and Language	35	44
Math	70	48
Total	165	139

The SAT is designed to assess the student’s academic readiness for college.   The SAT assesses student knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics.   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.

For more information please visit:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

For additional information regarding the SAT, including frequently asked questions click here.

The high schools offer an SAT prep course. Please contact your child’s student services department for more information.

Estimated time: 3 hours plus 50 minutes if taking the Essay.

Component	Time Allotted (minutes)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	65	52
Writing and Language	35	44
Math	80	58
Essay (optional)	50	1

Score Reporting

Overall Score range: 400 to 1600

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 200 to 800

Math: 200 to 800

Essay: 2 to 8 on each of three dimensions for Essay

Dynamic-Learning Maps-Alternate Assessment 

The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The DLM alternate assessment system will let students with significant cognitive disabilities show what they know in ways that traditional multiple-choice tests cannot. The system will use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction that are aligned to the common core standards. In this way, testing happens as part of instruction, which both informs teaching and benefits students. An end of the year assessment will be created for states that want to include a summative test in addition to the instructionally embedded system.

For more information, please visit the Illinois DLM website at:
http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/illinois.

Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners

The ACCESS assessment is given annually to English Learners (ELs) to monitor students’ progress in acquiring academic English. ISBE determined a student earning at least a 4.8 composite score is English proficient. ACCESS for ELs is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.  ACCESS for ELLs test items are written from the model performance indicators of WIDA’s five English Language Development (ELD) standards:

• Social & Instructional Language
• Language of Language Arts
• Language of Mathematics
• Language of Science
• Language of Social Studies

For more information, please visit:
https://wida.wisc.edu/assess/access#StudentPrep

Illinois Science Assessment

The Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) is an Illinois State Board of Education required comprehensive exam that includes life, physical, Earth and space sciences with engineering and technological design features embedded in the other science domains. The assessment is comprised of three test sessions each 45 minutes in length. 

All 11th-grade students will participate in the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). Students will complete the ISA online using their District-assigned iPads.  For additional information regarding ISA, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.  If you have further questions regarding the Illinois Science Assessment, please contact the Student Services Director or your child’s science teacher.

The WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency assessment given to incoming students in Grades 1–12 to assist educators with the identification of students as English learners (ELs). The purpose of this assessment is to identify student is need of additional English language support services.  The Illinois State Board of Education establishes the cut scores requiring additional language support. In May of 2017, ISBE released new EL proficiency criteria, a 4.8 Overall Composite score. A score below 4.8 indicates a student needs English language support.

All parts of the WIDA Screener Online are computer-delivered, with the exception of the Writing test.  To address concerns regarding the keyboarding skills of students, the writing portion of the online test is presented in paper/pencil format.  Students can choose whether they would like to type or hand write their responses.  WIDA Screener Online is scored online by certified raters using WIDA AMS.

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. The ACT with writing includes the four subject tests plus a 40 minute writing test.

English (75 questions, 45 minutes)
Mathematics (60 questions, 60 minutes)
Reading (40 questions, 35 minutes)
Science (40 questions, 35 minutes)
Writing (1 prompt, 40 minutes)

For more information, please visit:
http://www.actstudent.org/faq/

The SAT is designed to assess the student’s academic readiness for college.   The SAT assesses student knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics.   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.

For more information please visit:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

For additional information regarding the SAT, including frequently asked questions click here.

The high schools offer an SAT prep course. Please contact your child’s student services department for more information.

Estimated time: 3 hours plus 50 minutes if taking the Essay.

Component	Time Allotted (minutes)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	65	52
Writing and Language	35	44
Math	80	58
Essay (optional)	50	1

Score Reporting

Overall Score range: 400 to 1600

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 200 to 800

Math: 200 to 800

Essay: 2 to 8 on each of three dimensions for Essay

Enrollment in an advanced placement course gives students the opportunity to earn credit and advanced placement in college. All public Illinois universities and colleges must award college credit to students who earn at least a 3 on an AP exam. Currently, the College Board offers 37 different AP exams. Individual colleges and universities, not the College Board or the AP Program, grant course credit and placement.

The College Board recommends students should obtain a college’s AP policy in writing. You can usually find this information through the institution directly or by using the AP Credit Policy Info search at www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy.

For more information on AP exams, please visit:
https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/takingtheexam/about-exams

For specific course information, please visit College Board’s Website: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page

 

FURTHER AP INFORMATION

>  AP Course Resource

Students enrolled in AP courses will need to establish a College Board account.  Within the first week of the semester, AP teachers will provide their students with join codes; these join codes will enable students access to course-specific resources.  Teachers may elect to have students complete assignments through their College Board account. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/

>  AP Exam Registration Process

AP teachers and each school’s AP Coordinator will assist students with the AP exam registration process. 

1.  Exams are now ordered beginning October 21 through November 1
2.  Between November 15 and March 13, students can still order an AP exam but an additional late order fee of $40 per exam will apply per College Board
3.  If a student chooses to cancel an exam after November 15 or does not take an exam that was ordered for them, the student will be charged $40 per College Board for the exam and the student will be responsible for paying the additional fee.

AP Registration Check List

❏  Create College Board Account
❏  Register for Exam on College Board Website
❏  Pay for AP Exam on Total Registration

>  AP Exam Payment

Total Registration

In addition to registering for AP exams in their College Board account, students will login to Total Registration to complete the AP Exam registration process  

https://user.totalregistration.net/student/login.php

To cancel and AP exam, 

Please note, College Board will charge a $40 fee per each cancelled or unused exam.  This fee applies to all students.

>  AP Exam Day Information

Information for Students

Students should bring the following items:

1.  Student ID
2.  Pencil
3.  Black or Blue ink pen

Students are not permitted to have the following item in the exam room:

1.  Electronic equipment (phones, smartwatches, or wearable technology of any kind, laptops, tablet computers, Bluetooth devices, portable listening or recording devices—MP3 player, iPod®, etc.—cameras or photographic equipment, devices that can access the internet, separate timers of any type, and any other electronic or communication devices) are prohibited in the exam room and break area.
2.  Backpacks
3.  Food/Drinks
4.  Mechanical pencils

Arrival time:

1.  Students must be on time on the day of the AP Exam
2.  Students who arrive late will not be allowed to enter

**College Board will determine if they are allowed to make up an exam; students may need to pay an additional late testing fee

>  Getting your AP Exam Scores

1.  During Exam Time: Fill in information on your AP answer sheets carefully and consistently to prevent delays in score access — especially your name, date of birth, sex, mailing address, and email address.
2.  Use your College Board account to see your scores: https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores#m=signin-form&scores
It is best to provide the same information on both your College Board account and your AP answer sheet. You may already have an account — try signing in to confirm.

3.  Scores available in July

Make sure to remember the following required information to access your scores:

a.  Your College Board account username and password
b.  Your AP number (or student ID number if you provided it on your AP answer sheet)
c.  You will get an email in early July at the same address you put on your AP answer sheet, reminding you how and when to access your scores.

PSAT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. In addition, the PSAT is a great primer for the SAT. Students in tenth or eleventh grade can take this assessment during school in the month of October for a small fee.   If interested, please contact the student services department at your child’s school.

For more information, please visit:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10.

The Incoming Freshman Placement test will be administered in the fall. The PSAT 8/9 assessment is for placement in English, mathematics and science courses. For more information please click here and go to the Incoming Freshman Placement Testing section.

The PSAT 8/9 establishes a baseline measurement of your college and career readiness as you enter high school. It also gives you a chance to preview the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10 and connect to AP courses.

For more information go to: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9

PSAT 8/9 administered each October to incoming freshmen is used for both placement and establishing benchmark scores.  In addition, freshmen take the test during April.

Components:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
   1. Reading Test
   2. Writing and Language Test
2. Math

Score Reporting:

• Total Score: Scale ranges from 240 to 1440.
• Section Score: Scale ranges from 120 to 720, and 6 to 36 on test and cross-test scores.

Important Information:

Focus on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success

Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact

Rights-only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores)

 

PSAT 8/9
Component	Time Allotted (min.)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	55	42
Writing and Language	30	40
Math	60	38
Total	145	120

 

ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) is a powerful artificial intelligence based assessment instrument covering material from Basic Math through Precalculus. It will take approximately 90 minutes to complete the 30 question test. ALEKS is an untimed and individualized adaptive assessment designed to determine a student’s knowledge base in mathematics. Many college and universities use the ALEKS college mathematics placement test. The ALEKS assessment is an option for sophomores and juniors to complete to place into dual credit courses while in high school.

For more information visit:
https://www.aleks.com/

District Benchmark Assessments (DBA) are common assessments administered to all students across the district. Each course has a teacher created DBA aligned to course critical learning standards. The DBA results are used to guide instructional decisions to improve student learning in preparation for post-high school success.

The PSAT 8/9 establishes a baseline measurement of your college and career readiness as you enter high school. It also gives you a chance to preview the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10 and connect to AP courses.

For more information go to: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9

PSAT 8/9 administered each October to incoming freshmen is used for both placement and establishing benchmark scores.  In addition, freshmen take the PSAT 8/9 during April.

Components:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
   1. Reading Test
   2. Writing and Language Test
2. Math

Score Reporting:

• Total Score: Scale ranges from 240 to 1440.
• Section Score: Scale ranges from 120 to 720, and 6 to 36 on test and cross-test scores.

Important Information:

Focus on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success

Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact

Rights-only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores)

 

PSAT 8/9
Component	Time Allotted (min.)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading	55	42
Writing and Language	30	40
Math	60	38
Total	145	120