SAT & ACT Information

SAT Suite of Assessments

Standardized tests can help students understand more about themselves, suggest where they need possible extra assistance, provide an idea on how they compare to others across the nation, and even supply possible career options. Regardless of the examination, to best help the student, each should be taken seriously.

Fall Testing

D303 is sponsoring a Fall PSAT 8/9 for the Freshman Class on 10/11/23. This will be an online exam and students will need to bring their Chromebooks. Click here for details about the Freshman PSAT Day.

D303 is sponsoring a Fall PSAT/NMSQT for the Sophomore Class on 10/11/23. This will be an online exam and students will need to bring their Chromebooks. Click here for details about the Sophomore PSAT Day

The Juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT exam on 10/11/23. The PSAT/NMSQT exam is a preliminary SAT that also opens the door to consideration for National Merit scholarships. This will be an online exam and students will need to bring their Chromebooks. Click here for details about the Junior PSAT/NMSQT Day

Spring Testing

The state-required SAT with Essay for Juniors will be offered on April 10, 2024 during the school day. Sophomores will take the PSAT 10 and Freshmen will take the PSAT 9 exam on April 10th as well. The makeup PSAT 10 will be April 23, 2024. The makeup SAT date is April 24, 2024. The makeup PSAT 9 exam will be April 25, 2024.

We will be providing more SAT-related information during the school year. We encourage students to explore the free resources and practice testing through Khan Academy. Khan offers 8 official full-length SAT practice tests, plus study and testing tips. Research shows students who prepare for the SAT using Official SAT Practice see substantial improvement in their scores. Twenty hours of Official SAT Practice is associated with an average 115-point increase from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT, nearly double the average gain compared to students who don't use Official SAT Practice. All students should set up an account at www.khanacademy.org for free personalized test prep!

Copies of student/parent emails for the Spring Testing below:

College Board Student Search Service

The College Board Student Search Service allows students to connect with a wide range of opportunities to better understand what they want to do after high school. When students join Student Search, they can receive information from colleges and scholarship programs on majors, campus life, and ways to make college more affordable. See the linked flyer for more information.

Important Tip: If you are creating an account or updating an existing account, be sure to use a personal email address instead of your school email address to prevent issues with future access to your account.

How to Interpret Your PSAT Scores

Video Directions: How to Access Your PSAT Scores/Create a College Board Account

Written Directions: How to Access Your PSAT Scores

Video: Understanding Your PSAT Score Report

Video: Link Your College Board & Khan Academy Accounts

Student PPT: PSAT Score Reports/ Linking Khan & College Board Accounts

Staff Video: Put Your PSAT Scores to Work

Parent Tutorial: Understanding 2022-23 PSAT Results

Additional information about PSAT scores can be obtained from www.collegeboard.org.

Digital PSAT/sat begins in 2023-2024

What's Changing?

Beginning in the 2023–2024 school year for U.S. students, the SAT and PSAT will be taken on a computer in a fully digital format.
The test will be adaptive, meaning that students will see different later test sections based on how they perform on the first section.
The test will be shorter and take about 2 hours instead of 3 hours to complete.

What's NOT Changing?

The SAT will still test the same topics and be scored on the same scale out of 1600.
The digital SAT will still be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present—not at home.

Alongside the major change to a digital test, some question types will have format changes. The reading passages will be much shorter—one paragraph with one question each, instead of a longer passage with several questions. College Board has also said that word problems in the math section will become more concise.

Timeline

Spring 2023: the digital SAT begins for international centers only.
Fall 2023: the digital PSAT (all formats including the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 8/9, and PSAT 10) begins worldwide.
Spring 2024: the digital SAT launches for U.S. students, including for SAT School Day administrations.

Please visit College Board's digital SAT Test page for more information and the most recent updates.

National test Dates for the SAT 2023-2024

Test Date -Paper SAT Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline

8/26/23 7/28/23 8/15/23

10/7/23 9/7/23 9/26/23

11/4/23 10/5/23 10/24/23

12/2/23 11/2/23 11/21/23

Test Date -Digital SAT Registration Deadline Cancellation Deadline

3/9/24 2/23/24 2/27/24

5/4/24 4/19/24 4/23/24

6/1/24 5/17/24 5/21/24

The SAT will transition to digital for U.S. test centers starting in March 2024. Visit sat.org/digital for more information.

Test dates may change. Check sat.org for updates.

The cost of the SAT exam is $60. The change test center fee is $25. The late registration fee is $30. Students may register online at the SAT website.

High School Code-143795

SAT Test Center Code-14555

Note: Sunday administrations of the SAT exam usually occur the day after each Saturday test date for students who cannot test on Saturday due to religious observance.

National test Dates for the ACT 2023-2024

Test Date Registration Deadline Late registration Deadline

9/9/23 8/4/23 8/18/23

10/28/23 9/22/23 10/6/23

12/9/23 11/3/23 11/17/23

2/10/24 1/5/24 1/19/24

4/13/24 3/8/24 3/22/24

6/8/24 5/3/24 5/17/24

7/13/24 6/7/24 6/21/24

*STCE will host the ACT on the dates highlighted in bold font above.

The cost of the ACT exam is $68. For those who want to take the ACT with the optional Writing test, the cost is $93. The test option change fee is $25. The late registration fee is $36. Students may register online at the ACT website.

High School Code-143795

ACT Test Center Code-189960

SAT vs. ACT

Do Colleges/Universities Have a Preference Between SAT or ACT?

No, colleges/universities do not have a preference between these two tests anymore. All colleges/universities treat these tests equally in terms of admission.

Should My Student Take the SAT or ACT?

In Illinois, all juniors must take the SAT for a graduation requirement. This test is offered during the school day usually in April. Some students may score better on the ACT than on the SAT. It is a good idea to take both (even if they are just practice tests), to determine if the ACT highlights a student’s abilities better.

What is the Difference Between the SAT and ACT?

The SAT has two sections, Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math Section, and an optional Essay test. The Math section is broken into two parts, calculator, and non-calculator. They also have open-ended questions for Math. The two section scores are added together to provide the total (out of 1600 total). There is no longer a penalty for guessing, and compared to the ACT, students have more time per question overall. The reading level of the SAT tends to be higher.
The ACT has four sections, English, Reading, Math, and Science, and an optional Writing test. The four subsection scores are averaged together for students to receive a composite score (out of 36). Students can use their calculator throughout the whole math section and all answers are multiple choice. Students tend to have less time per question than on the SAT, but the reading level tends to be not as high.

Do Illinois Colleges and Universities Only Take the SAT?

No! Both scores are considered equally for admission and scholarship consideration.

Should We Utilize Sending the Free Score Reports When Signing Up for an ACT or SAT?

This is a personal decision. We encourage students to take advantage of the four free scores ACT and SAT provide when registering for the exam, and consider sending them to colleges/universities where they are more certain of admission (though colleges will consider the highest overall score that is sent to them). College Board does allow students to send the free scores within nine days of taking the SAT (before students receive the scores, but it allows the student to see how the test felt). Some colleges/universities require students to send all of their test scores, so sending them ahead of time can save families money.
If students qualify for a test fee waiver, College Board allows for unlimited SAT score fee waivers and ACT allows for 20 score fee waivers (after students receive their scores).

How Does Khan Academy Work With SAT?

Khan Academy provides, free, customized, test prep for students. Students are able to connect their College Board account, with a Khan Academy account. Khan Academy will then take their current scores and provide support in areas that are needed. Use this link for SAT tips and strategies:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/new-sat-tips-planning