lexi Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I'm thinking about having my oldest do this for the first time. I have a few questions... I don't see a link to register on their website. Where do I register for this? If you've taken the test in he past, are there certain materials that you found helpful to prepare? Did you order any materials from their website? My oldest is 4th grade so she will only be taking the basic test. But I wanted to be able to study with her and help her prepare. Anything else I should know?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I'm thinking about having my son take the test too, listening along... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Ok I finally did figure out how to register. I guess I couldn't view that option from my phone. So now I've registered but I was trying to determine what I should order. And is shipping $15? Yuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 They apparently just changed it. Up until last year, you still had to print off a form and send it in with a check. You know, like it was 1990 or something. ;) I only know because someone asked a question the other week about registering and I realized it was now completely different. We took the elementary level one a few years ago. Because I felt like it wasn't clear from their information, I keep telling people taking it that the first section is very specific. It's not all of D'Aulaires (which is one of the prep books suggested) - it's only the first half. There are no questions about the hero stories at all, only the gods. Basically it's just: * Greek and Roman name equivalents * what each god is the god of (including minor gods and goddesses like Iris) * what each god's symbols are * what each god's origin story is (and any characters in that) * the origin of the world, the Titans, and the gods in general (those first pages in D'Aulaires) Until I saw the exam (and thank goodness I glanced at it a few days before giving it) I had my kids studying the whole of D'Aulaires. Of course, the later sections are specific... we haven't done those though. We were talking about maybe doing it again next year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 The packets are useful, but very worksheety. The most valuable sections are outlines of the specific chapters of D'Aulaires. Those are the only ones I send home-and the reason I do is that I have never had a kid who actually sat down and filled them out, using the book, who didn't medal. The thematic tests are much harder than the core and very, very detailed, which makes sense since they're designed for middle school (and the classical ones for high school). Make sure you are using exactly the version on the syllabus, because it can make a BIG difference. Again, the packets are useful in that they will focus in on the specifics on the test. I think the NME is a good "first test" because it IS so prep-able, yet is specific enough that if you just read and enjoy mythology, you probably will find a few you don't know (last year was the first year my DD didn't prep because she was so busy, and even though she'd gotten gold in past years, she actually missed one on the core). It's kind of like "Baby's first AP exam" ;) Be aware-other ACL exams are quite a bit different in feel. For example, there have been NO perfect scores on the last three years of the NCEE, even for high school seniors. That one is more "Baby's first exam with a heavy curve"-my DD medaled her first year with a score below 50% correct-but was in the top 25% of exam takers! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I think the NME is a good "first test" because it IS so prep-able, yet is specific enough that if you just read and enjoy mythology, you probably will find a few you don't know (last year was the first year my DD didn't prep because she was so busy, and even though she'd gotten gold in past years, she actually missed one on the core). It's kind of like "Baby's first AP exam" ;) This is EXACTLY how I described it too. Just like prepping for an AP exam... for 3rd and 4th graders. And a great standardized test experience too because you can prepare for it very specifically and then see the results of your preparation, which is very different from most of the standardized type tests that kids take in elementary school where the questions are purposefully wide reaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) 1 shipping fee per test, no matter how many booklets you get, so if you do the NME and the ELE, you'd pay shipping for each (since they come separately), but when I register for my 15 member classics club for the NME, I only pay one shipping fee. These are designed for schools, not homeschoolers, so the cost assumes bulk shipping for a whole school or grade level (and if you order a bundle, they ship media mail, while if you order just one, it comes regular mail. Edited November 20, 2015 by dmmetler 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I offer to order for anyone in our homeschool group & then ask for $1 extra per family to help with the $15 shipping. So far, that means I pay $10-$12 shipping instead of $15. :lol: Every little bit counts! I hope to be able to figure out the electronic ordering this year. My kids enjoy taking it. The most helpful thing is listening to d'Aulaire's book or reading it. To prep for later sections, we sit down with the older kids & read through the sections of the books that are on the syllabus that they send you (or that is on their website). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Thanks for the reminder. Last year I said I would do it this year and it had slipped my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I tried to order but couldn't get the credit card payment to open. Any one else have problems? I'm going to wait until Monday and then try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The registration deadline is January 15th. I'm bumping this in case anyone else has waited until the last minute. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I actually figured out how to do the online ordering & got this done before the deadline. Yeah me. Thanks for the reminder, Yucabird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I ordered in December and didn't receive anything at all. I had to call them to have it sent. She confirmed my order and sent the materials. When I went to log in later, my account wouldn't work and when I requested my password, it said my email was not registered, although I had ordered and she was able to get my email from the computer before. I'm not sure they're on top of everything, technically, so leave extra time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Anybody taken this one 'out of level?' As in, it starts for 3rd grade but how strict are they about this? Alex has been fascinated with Greek mythology for quite a while, and listens to d'Aulaires at bedtime. She can recite much of it by heart:) I think she would love to do the test! But she is technically Kindy this year. That is a pretty big gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 (edited) Anybody taken this one 'out of level?' As in, it starts for 3rd grade but how strict are they about this? Alex has been fascinated with Greek mythology for quite a while, and listens to d'Aulaires at bedtime. She can recite much of it by heart:) I think she would love to do the test! But she is technically Kindy this year. That is a pretty big gap. I'm not sure how much has changed since DS took this many years ago but he signed up for the up to 9th grade level questions as a 7+ year old and scored a silver (1 mistake). If she loves mythology I say go for it! :) Edited January 14, 2016 by quark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Anybody taken this one 'out of level?' As in, it starts for 3rd grade but how strict are they about this? Alex has been fascinated with Greek mythology for quite a while, and listens to d'Aulaires at bedtime. She can recite much of it by heart:) I think she would love to do the test! But she is technically Kindy this year. That is a pretty big gap. I haven't done it, but I don't think it's a problem. You decide her grade, right? Have her try the sample before you decide. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I don't think it is a problem to take it when you are younger. Just mark 3rd grade & go for it. I don't think they track kids grade-to-grade to make sure they don't mark 3rd grade forever. ;-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 (edited) I'm not sure how much has changed since DS took this many years ago but he signed up for the up to 9th grade level questions as a 7+ year old and scored a silver (1 mistake). If she loves mythology I say go for it! :) Awesome, I think she will do well. This is the kid who has Popsicle stick puppets of every Greek mythology character you can imagine and puts on elaborate shows for us:)She did the Memorial Press d'Aulaires book for fun last year. A perfect introduction to contests and exams... Edited January 14, 2016 by Kerileanne99 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I haven't done it, but I don't think it's a problem. You decide her grade, right? Have her try the sample before you decide. Awesome, thanks. I just had her quickly do it and suprisingly she answered only 2 (the African myths) incorrect. I was quite surprised as we haven't really done Native American or others. She informed me that she read the Native American stories when we visited the Native American museum in DC over Christmas😊 I guess I missed it! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Awesome, thanks. I just had her quickly do it and suprisingly she answered only 2 (the African myths) incorrect. I was quite surprised as we haven't really done Native American or others. She informed me that she read the Native American stories when we visited the Native American museum in DC over Christmas😊 I guess I missed it! :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquility7 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 The registration deadline is January 15th. I'm bumping this in case anyone else has waited until the last minute. :001_smile: Where did you see this? I couldn't even find where to register on their site... all I could see was where to order the exams... am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Where did you see this? I couldn't even find where to register on their site... all I could see was where to order the exams... am I missing something? I think ordering the materials is the same as registering. At least I hope it is, as that's all I've done. When I asked the woman whether the exam would come via email or snail mail, she told me snail mail so I think that's all you have to do. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I assume the same as idnib. This is from their site: "The deadline for applying for the exam is Jan. 15, 2016. The period during which the test may be administered is February 22 - March 4, 2016." I just ordered the exam I want (and didn't have to indicate the student name or grade), but maybe someone who has BTDT will chime in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I just called them because I ordered the test, but couldn't find evidence of it in an email or a bank statement and the guy looked everything up for me, confirmed that I had ordered and said it would be sent closer to test-taking time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I had two kindergarten siblings take it last year with older brothers and sisters because I'd had kids drop out and had extra tests. You can mark down to 1st grade on the card, but it's scored by the standards of whatever tests they take (so if you do the core, specialty, and a literary subtest, they're scored as a 9th grader). They do report numbers for grades, and there are usually a couple of less than 3rd graders taking it. They did have me list my kindergartners as 1st graders simply because the form had no category for kindergarten! The same is true for the other ACL and NJCL tests-my DD started taking the NCEE at age 8 (almost 9-the test dates for that one are right before her birthday) and they count her based on her years of high school Latin study. The ACL really takes the prize for being both homeschool friendly and accelerated kid friendly. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Oh, and if you have a younger one who loves mythology, but probably can't read the test and/or handle the bubble sheet, it is permissible to read it to them and/or scribe for them. ACL is also very, very friendly about accommodations, and leaves that in hands of the teachers, and considers kids taking a test above their grade level a reason for accommodating. Be aware that the tests are specific to the version. This is particularly true on the literary subtests, so if your child hasn't read that version, they're likely to miss a question or two. There is also usually a question that kids who are most aware of mythology from Percy Jackson are likely to get wrong hidden in the core. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Has anyone received the exam? (Mine has to be couriered from my PO box in the US, so I'll be under a bit of a time crunch.) I tried to e-mail via the ETC website, but it was kicked. I can phone but thought I'd check here first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I got mine yesterday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I got my test but never got the study guides I ordered and paid for, not impressed with their customer service, I guess I need to try and contact them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 The study guides are just pdf files. I got links to download them when I ordered, and the paper copy of the test in yesterday's mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Thanks, everyone! I'll give it another day or so before phoning. I also received a download link for the PDF files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I got our tests yesterday. It was the arrival that kicked a couple of kids in the rear end about studying. I have kids doing last minute cramming. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I didn't realize they were just PDFs. I emailed about it and never heard from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I didn't realize they were just PDFs. I emailed about it and never heard from them. I had the same problem, I never received an email with the links to the study guides. I called them a few weeks ago and they sent them. PM me if you want the email of the woman who sent them to me, that might be the fastest way to get them now. This thread reminded me to check the mail and it was there. I'm on the West coast. As for finishing up any studying, guess what we're doing on President's Day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dramorellis Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 We received ours yesterday! We have all been down with the flu for 3 weeks but at the very least he's been doing math and studying for the test daily. The study package was in a PDF and I missed it the first time too and didn't realize it until the link expired. I had to call but she sent it to me again right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Does the study guide (pdf link) come automatically with registration or is it an extra cost? My test came yesterday. I have emailed several questions to them, but not received any response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Does the study guide (pdf link) come automatically with registration or is it an extra cost? My test came yesterday. I have emailed several questions to them, but not received any response. It was supposed to come automatically upon registration, but some people, including me, didn't receive it automatically and they re-sent it manually when I called. There was no extra fee for the materials; they are included in the registration fee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 It was supposed to come automatically upon registration, but some people, including me, didn't receive it automatically and they re-sent it manually when I called. There was no extra fee for the materials; they are included in the registration fee. Thanks! They are in Eastern time, so the office is closed. I left a message. I will call back Tuesday if I don't get the pdf link by email before then. Not very good customer service. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanDiegoMom Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 It was supposed to come automatically upon registration, but some people, including me, didn't receive it automatically and they re-sent it manually when I called. There was no extra fee for the materials; they are included in the registration fee. Last year I had to pay extra for the study guide. Is it different this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Last year I had to pay extra for the study guide. Is it different this year? I paid for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I paid for it, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 You get the syllabus. That's not the same as the study guide (which is over 150 pages for the core, and not much shorter for the subtests). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Yep, I paid for the downloaded study guide. You buy them in units. The basic guide, the 'theme' units, etc... They are quite extensive, with things like word searches and activities to go with the reading:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Log into the account you created when you ordered the exam, you should see a link for your order history (left side of screen under User Menu). Click on it and then on the tab for downloads (middle of screen under User Profile). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I guess technically I also paid for the study guides, but I was considering that my "registration." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Log into the account you created when you ordered the exam, you should see a link for your order history (left side of screen under User Menu). Click on it and then on the tab for downloads (middle of screen under User Profile). Where is the login? I have searched the whole site and cannot figure out how to find my account page or order history. There is no log in bar that I can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Ok, I found it! I went to the ETC order form tab under the NME list on the left. I was still logged in from my original order! The downloads tab was in the middle after I got to my order history page. The documents are long, as dmmetler posted above, over 150 pp each. I think I will read through and print what works best for us later tonight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Ok, I found it! I went to the ETC order form tab under the NME list on the left. I was still logged in from my original order! The downloads tab was in the middle after I got to my order history page. The documents are long, as dmmetler posted above, over 150 pp each. I think I will read through and print what works best for us later tonight. I'm glad you found them. We printed the pages we wanted to write on and I didn't print any of the answers, just checked them from my screen to save paper. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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