Michelle My Bell Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 My oldest daughter has done well and is starting college next year but I would like to have more knowledge and more of a plan for my other children. With oldest daughter, I only had her take the Stanford Achievement test in 8th grade and after a lot of prep she took the ACT once in 11th and once in 12th grade. Now I know there are other tests out there that serve different purposes but I am uneducated about them. So what kind of testing do you do starting in 7th grade and what purpose do they serve? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 In grades 7-9 I had my son take the ITBS/ITED to satisfy the homeschool assessment requirement in our state. In 10th he took the PLAN (the PSAT for the ACT) because it was offered at his school, and in 11th he took the PSAT for the same reason. Now that we're homeschooling again, I'll have him take the ACT at least annually (he'll take another two years to graduate) to comply with the law as well as for college admissions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I'm thinking SAT in 7th for CTY, ACT in 8th for CTY, PSAT in 10th & 11th (only the latter counts for National Merit scholarships), then SAT & ACT in 11th and possibly re-take in 12th if a better score is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Older kids (private school): 7th SAT (talent competition) 10th and 11th PSAT 11th SAT (both kids; ds was "one and done") 11th PLAN (dd; not offered at ds's school) 12th SAT (second time for dd) Dd (if homeschooled for high school) 7th SAT 10th and 11th PSAT 11th SAT Other testing (PLAN, ACT) will be done if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nscribe Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 With the changes coming for the Common Core adjustments, I am not sure we would do the same path. Dd is currently a 9th grader, she may or may not face a revised ACT/SAT prior to graduation. If she were younger, it would be very hard to decide a certain plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 We are required to do a portfolio review or nationally standardized exam each year so we do a standardized test each year from 7th on to meet our homeschooling requirements. We start with the ACT because it tends to be more straight forward, allows one to skip the writing portion and doesn't penalize for wrong answers 7th - ACT (practice) 8th - ACT dual enrollment purposes 9th - SAT (practice) current plans as eldest is only in 9th grade - 10th -SAT scholarship purposes 11th - PSAT (for NMS only) and ACT scholarship purposes 12th - GRE Why not? + ACT/SAT only if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 So what kind of testing do you do starting in 7th grade and what purpose do they serve? Thanks so much! Wow, that's a tough question (which tests to do when and how many times), because it SO revolves around what your student's future plans are! IMO, the main ones to consider would be: 1. an SAT or ACT (for college admissions) 2. and then possible AP, IB, or SAT II (if shooting for top tier or more selective schools) 3. optional: CLEP (if wanting to earn college credit through tests). There are pros and cons to all the tests. Check out the many linked threads in the "pinned post" for BTDT experiences and pros/cons of each: Outsourcing, Online Classes, Tutors, Dual Enrollment, AP, SATII, CLEP -- links to past threads here! Below are most typical test types, and most widely accepted or required tests you may want to look at. (I have to say, prior to this thread, I had not even heard of the MAT, and had not heard of a high school student taking the GRE. I'm sure there are great times to use those tests, but, JMO, it's hard to go wrong with the most widely used and accepted tests. JMO!) BEST of luck in charting a course for your student's testing journey! ;) Warmest regards, Lori D. Standardized Tests - grades 3-8 (some people do these up into high school) - CAT (California Achievement Test) - SAT-10 (Stanford Achievement Test series, 10th edition) - ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) - or, your state may have a specific test: see list by state here - practice in test-taking - sometimes required in some areas - allows you to pinpoint weak areas - some tests allow you to administer at home; some may be administered through a homeschool group, or at a local school SAT (SAT Reasoning) - typically: grades 11 and/or 12; can be taken earlier for practice - important to take either this or the ACT = score used toward college admission - verification of "mommy grades" - high score helps earn scholarship $$ - some people take the test several times to improve scores; some colleges accept the either highest overall score, or take the test score for each section and create a highest score from multiple tests - many colleges track how many times the student tests - sign up/pay online ACT - typically: grades 11 and/or 12; can be taken earlier for practice - important to take either this or the SAT = score used toward college admission - verification of "mommy grades" - high score helps earn scholarship $$ - sign up/pay online - usually about 8 (one per month) during the school year, scheduled on Saturdays at a few select locatons SAT II (or, SAT Subject Test) - grades 9-12 = typically taken soon after the student completes the course material for that Subject Test - scores prove proficiency in specific school subjects - some colleges require 2-5 SAT II scores for admission - verification of "mommy grades" - sign up/pay online IB (International Baccalaureate) - culmination of a 4-5 year program of rigor - useful for college admissions, esp. overseas universities PSAT (Preliminary SAT) - grade 11 (year the score qualifies for possible National Merit Scholarship $$) - can be taken in grades 9 or 10 for practice - shorter version of the SAT meant as practice for taking the SAT - a top score in 11th grade can earn the student National Merit Scholarship $$ - sign up/pay directly with a local high school for your student to take it with the high school's students - scheduled for the middle of October each year PLAN (Preliminary ACT test) - grade 10 - prep for taking the ACT (considered the equivalent of the SAT's PSAT prep) - EXPLORE - grade 8 or 9 - tests for academic strength/weakness and career assessment - precursor to the ACT AP (Advanced Placement) - grades 11-12, or soon after the student completes the AP course - test taken upon completion of AP course, showing work at honors/college level - useful to show high level of working for college admissions - can count for college credit (depending on the score and the college) CLEP (College Level Examination Program) - grades 11-12, or when the student has studied the material for that test and feels confident of passing - "test out of" college classes -- take the course, score high enough, receive college credit - sign up and take the CLEP at a university/college which offers the tests desired DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Test) and ECE (Excelsior College Examinations) - similar to CLEP, but specifically for those entering the military ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) - academics and skill assessment required for entry in the military - taken as a senior or post-high school graduation Career Exploration assessments/surveys - shows academic areas of strength or weakness, - California Career Zone (interest profiler); the website with resources - Kuder Career Assessment - ASVAB Career Exploration (NOT to be confused with the ASVAB for military entrance - grades 11-12, or anytime in high school or post high school - more for fun, interest, and to explore what a student's interests are and careers that match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahW Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 12th - GRE Why not? + ACT/SAT only if needed I don't know about the GRE. I've taken the GRE (more than once) and I think it is exhausting for what you get out of it, and the scores don't "keep" for long. If you want an End-of-All-Courses exam I think the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) would be less exhausting (time-wise) and more comprehensive. Though I have no idea what kind of score report they spit out for you. I never took the MAT. But a friend gave us a random box of books, and in it was an old MAT prep book from Kaplan. I paged through it and my very first thought was "if you've been schooled in WTM from day 1 this test would be a piece of cake!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I don't know about the GRE. I've taken the GRE (more than once) and I think it is exhausting for what you get out of it, and the scores don't "keep" for long. If you want an End-of-All-Courses exam I think the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) would be less exhausting (time-wise) and more comprehensive. Though I have no idea what kind of score report they spit out for you. I never took the MAT. But a friend gave us a random box of books, and in it was an old MAT prep book from Kaplan. I paged through it and my very first thought was "if you've been schooled in WTM from day 1 this test would be a piece of cake!" We want to do the GRE simply because they will need it for graduate school anyway. My first two will both be done with most/all of their Gen Ed requirements by the time they graduate high school. We were thinking that as neither of my older two girls plan to take any additional math classes, every subsequent year that goes by will likely require more math study time when they need to take the GRE. The summer following senior year (May - July) is a good study time for them as well, as they are not allowed to take any dual enrollment classes that summer. The GRE isn't necessary for them at that time, so if it seems to be too much, they can just skip it. But they will be within 1-3 years of graduate school (if they choose to continue straight into graduate studies) so the scores should keep long enough. My thought was just to get that last high stakes math exam out of the way as soon as possible. However, my eldest is ever the guinea pig, and I am very open to other opinions on this matter. It is always helpful to hear BTDT advise when trying to make these decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahW Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 We want to do the GRE simply because they will need it for graduate school anyway. My first two will both be done with most/all of their Gen Ed requirements by the time they graduate high school. We were thinking that as neither of my older two girls plan to take any additional math classes, every subsequent year that goes by will likely require more math study time when they need to take the GRE. The summer following senior year (May - July) is a good study time for them as well, as they are not allowed to take any dual enrollment classes that summer. The GRE isn't necessary for them at that time, so if it seems to be too much, they can just skip it. But they will be within 1-3 years of graduate school (if they choose to continue straight into graduate studies) so the scores should keep long enough. My thought was just to get that last high stakes math exam out of the way as soon as possible. However, my eldest is ever the guinea pig, and I am very open to other opinions on this matter. It is always helpful to hear BTDT advise when trying to make these decisions. If they are sure they would probably go to Grad school I understand doing a "dry run" and I totally understand wanting to do the Math "fresh" because the Math portion is, imo, a complete PITA. The GRE is like a SAT on uppers, so I understand why it is "the" test for Graduate school. But I find it eccentric for what it is. And, for what it's worth, I didn't find that taking it multiple times helped, it may have just confused me more the second time around (it's CAT, so the format will change every time you take it). So much of it is just analogies and critical thinking (for the math portion a lot of the problem solving involves "flipping" the equations) so it's not really content based. Though knowing higher-level math symbols/vocab/grammar definitely helps, it's more a higher level abstract thinking test, if that makes sense. If the student has already done the "college-level" critical thinking which involves moving non-obvious abstract concepts into different applications, then yes, it's worthwhile to do. But I put "college-level" in quotes because I think it is possible for teens to do this, but most "regular" high school students are still in the mode to run the equation and spit out the right answer, and that won't help at all on the GRE. It's been a few years since I took it last, so I can't give specifics. But if you pick up a practice book and read their "tricks" on how to solve some of the math problems I think you'll see what I'm saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 DD did: SAT in 7th ACT in 10th PSAT in 11th (when it counts) SAT+ACT retake in 11th Two SAT2 tests in 10th. Two SAT2 tests and one retake in 11th. Then hopefully done. Purpose of the 7th grade SAT: none. Just "because" and to see if she qualifies for Duke TIP. Purpose of PSAT: qualify for national Merit Scholarship. Purpose of all others: for college application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 PS -- As for specifically what testing WE did: grades = 5-8 test = ITBS purpose = to see where any weak spots were; to practice test-taking tips and skills grade = 11 test = PSAT purpose = potential National Merit Scholarship $$ (we were far off that mark; additional practice by taking it in grade 10 would not have improved the score by the huge jump needed to get into the 99%, which was scholarship range) grades = 11-12 tests = one each: SAT and ACT purpose = college admissions; scholarship potential (one DS got a scholarship last year, and another one this year!) grade = 12 test = several career assessments purpose = help DSs figure out what they might want to do for a career/chose a degree program No CLEP tests (But each DS took dual enrollment during their senior year, which counted for their high school foreign language AND for college credit. It also triggered for one DS what he is pursuing.) No AP or SAT II tests (But neither DS expressed the least interest in a STEM field or a selective/top tier university, so not needed here.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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