Saxon math placement test accuracy

[Night Elf]

How accurate is the placement test in recommending a Saxon level?

[Chris in VA]

I think it's pretty accurate, if you've never used Saxon before. They say it will place your child too high if he/she has done Saxon before and uses it.

 

Have you given the test yet and are wondering about the placement?

[Sue G in PA]

If done correctly (meaning no help from parents, etc.) then I think it is fairly accurate. My ds12 just took the middle grade Placement Test and placed into 8/7 which is where I figured he would be. When my dd13 took it when we first started hsing, it was also accurate.

[Night Elf]

Dd12 is about to take the test. I looked over the questions and I'm predicting she'll place into 8/7. She has been using MUS but is having a tough time with the pre-Algebra course. She's 18 lessons into 30 lessons total and I just don't feel good about letting her continue. She is quite frustrated with negative numbers, especially in the equation types that have multiple operations. She understands PEMDAS but the negative signs throw her every time. I've tried to help her for a month now. It's just time to change to something else.

 

In past years, she didn't do well with Singapore Math or Life of Fred. She tried Teaching Textbooks but the placement test put her in a level that was too high.

 

I have so much going on right now. Truthfully, we just paid a large amount for my return to college this summer semester and the idea of buying another expensive math program just hurts. I'm not even sure if I can get Saxon inexpensively but I don't know what else to pick. I feel like a little kid because I want to say, I don't wanna, I don't wanna buy more curriculum right now. But I can't stand the sad tears when those math problems are on the table in front of her. :(

[Chris in VA]

You will get tons of opinions on Saxon here, but I for one LOVE it. The explanations are very clear to me. I feel like I'm re-learning fractions right now (we just started 7/6), with greater retention than I've ever had. To me, negative numbers and fractions are the hardest part of my own math experience, and where my math skills started to break down. Algebra totally confused me b/c I wasn't solid on those two concepts.

 

Just one little piece of advice--do Saxon as written. Trust the program, iow. Do the little box at the beginning of the lesson, do all the problems, even if you think it's overkill--just DO the program. Give it time--then

STAND BACK AND GASP IN AWE AT YOUR DD's NEWFOUND SKILL WITH MATH!

 

rofl! Just kidding. Hope it works for ya.

[Night Elf]

Just one little piece of advice--do Saxon as written. Trust the program, iow. Do the little box at the beginning of the lesson, do all the problems, even if you think it's overkill--just DO the program.

 

Deal. Now to see what she places in. This test is 100 problems long! well, the last 20 may be difficult, but still that leaves 80. I wonder what she'll think of that? :tongue_smilie:

[TracyR]

You can get Saxon inexpensively if you go to the used boards here, on Ebay or Homeschool Classifieds.

I went with the earlier ( 2nd editions) and you can find it pretty inexpensive if you do it that way.

 

I find the placement test pretty accurate. My second daughter placed in 5/4 and my 12 year old has seem to place in 6/5 ( not sure if it was lack of trying on her part or what because I thought she'd maybe place in at least 8/7). But that's where I'm going to start her and we'll see.

 

 

Dd12 is about to take the test. I looked over the questions and I'm predicting she'll place into 8/7. She has been using MUS but is having a tough time with the pre-Algebra course. She's 18 lessons into 30 lessons total and I just don't feel good about letting her continue. She is quite frustrated with negative numbers, especially in the equation types that have multiple operations. She understands PEMDAS but the negative signs throw her every time. I've tried to help her for a month now. It's just time to change to something else.

 

In past years, she didn't do well with Singapore Math or Life of Fred. She tried Teaching Textbooks but the placement test put her in a level that was too high.

 

I have so much going on right now. Truthfully, we just paid a large amount for my return to college this summer semester and the idea of buying another expensive math program just hurts. I'm not even sure if I can get Saxon inexpensively but I don't know what else to pick. I feel like a little kid because I want to say, I don't wanna, I don't wanna buy more curriculum right now. But I can't stand the sad tears when those math problems are on the table in front of her. :(

[TracyR]

Deal. Now to see what she places in. This test is 100 problems long! well, the last 20 may be difficult, but still that leaves 80. I wonder what she'll think of that? :tongue_smilie:

 

Just break the test up if you have to. Don't do it all in one day if she will balk at it. You may not get a true result if she gets tired of doing the math.

[Homeschooling6]

Here is an interview with Art Reed (he new John Saxon) with regards to Saxon math. It's interesting and he does mention that you do need to do all the problems and not skip around.

[EKS]

It is fairly accurate. However, my older son placed one question away from Math 3, so I got Math 2. It was way too easy and I should have gone with 3. So when my younger son did the same thing, we went with Math 3 and it was an appropriate placement.

 

I don't know anything about placement in the upper levels though.

[dani3boys]

My oldest son took the test at the end of 4th grade coming out of ps. The test said he should move into 8/7, but I put him in 7/6 because I didn't want to push him too far ahead. He might have done okay in 8/7, but I'll never know. He just finished Algebra I this week as a 7th grader, and did very well with it. I would also stress doing all of the work, and not skipping anything. It has been a very good program for all three of my boys even though they all learn differently.

[nukeswife]

I agree that it's pretty accurate. My son who used Saxon back in 2nd and has used TT for a while now (and it has lost it's charm for him, he wants more interaction with me so I'll actually teach the lessons out of the saxon student book) took the placement test and placed into 7/6 which is right where I thought he should be (he will be 11 in a couple weeks and starting 6th grade this fall) The test is pretty long and I just broke it up, there are 20 questions for each level tested, so I had him spread it over 2 days, he did the first 30 questions yesterday and did questions 31-60 today and that's where he hit the "I don't know any of this wall." So we stopped the test there and looking at it had he kept going he wouldn't have gotten enough to "Place" any higher anyway so no sense in having him fight through the rest of the test for maybe another few problems he would have known how to do.

 

Keep an eye on the swap boards here. I was able to pick up a complete 7/6 and 8/7 for $40 total.