Testing Season

The 2024 testing season is soon approaching and it’s never too early for protégés and mentors to start preparing together! Our protégés may encounter a few different types of tests: PARCC, SATs, PSATs, or ACTs, just to name a few.

Tests such as the SAT and the ACT help colleges and institutions assess the math and English knowledge of their prospective students, and although many schools are test-optional, sending in your scores can give your application a boost! Below are some tips to help get protégés ready:

PARCC

PARCC: The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness and College and Careers develops tests that assess students' readiness for higher education. The test is based on the Common Core State Standards and the length of the test varies depending on the subject (Math or English) and grade of the students (3rd through 8th; taking Algebra I/II, Geometry, and English I/II).

- Info from the DCPS website

The PARCC is administered by the school to students at the end of the year in spring.

SAT and PSAT

SAT: The Scholastic Assessment Test is a 3-hour test that assesses a student's college readiness by looking at their skills in Algebra and English (reading and writing). It is administered by The College Board and although the test can technically be taken starting in 9th grade, most take the test in 11th and 12th grade. The test is scored out of 1600; each section is worth 800 points and can be taken as many times as needed. Test scores are then sent to prospective colleges or universities of the student, which the institutions may factor in in their decision to accept the student

- More SAT info
- If your school does not offer the SAT, you can take it at a local testing site. You can register at this link

PSAT: This is simply a practice version of the SAT taken by 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th graders and can only be taken once a year. It is the same length as the SAT and is used as an indicator to predict how well you will do on the official SAT. A main difference between this test and the SAT is that it is scored out of 1520.

- More info on the PSAT here
- If your school does not offer the PSAT, you can take it at a local testing site. More information on how to register is at this link

The testing window for both the PSAT and SAT for the upcoming year is March 12th to April 26th, 2024

ACT

ACT: The American College Test is a standardized test used to test college readiness, and, much like the SAT, is normally taken in 11th and 12th grade. There are four multiple choice sections, comprising 215 questions about English, Math, Reading and Science, along with an 40 minute optional essay section. The test (without the essay section) is 2 hours and 55 minutes and students are able to take the test up to 12 times.

- More info on the ACT here
- If your school does not offer the ACT, you can take it at a local testing site. More information on how to register at this link

The upcoming testing dates for the ACT for the 2024 year are Feb 10th, Apr 13th, June 8th, and July 13th.

Mindfulness and Stress Management

Mindfulness & Stress management🌱:

For test day, make sure to wake up on time and have a healthy breakfast
Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before
Review your questions at the end of the test to make sure everything was answered to the best of your ability
Trust yourself! Don’t doubt your ability to take the test and do it well!
More tips

For more tips for managing stress, head over to our Mental Health and Emotional Wellness page on the Mentoring Road Map.

Remember: You’ve got this! While the testing season is important, it is not the end of the world. Just try your best, and the rest will follow!

Study and Test Taking Tips

Study Tips for Testing💡:

Familiarize yourself with the test format - the amount of questions and time given, along with the content

Take practice tests and assess your results

- Taking the SAT? Take some practice tests here
- Taking the ACT? Do some practice questions here
- Taking the PARCC? Work on some practice tests here

Focus on problem areas - if your results aren’t to your liking for a specific area, take a break from your better subjects and focus on those instead

Use online or book materials to supplement more practice and test strategies
- Other SAT resources
- More ACT material
- PARCC prep

Remember: Mentors are a great resource! - Here’s an idea: set up a study session with your mentor, modeled like you’re actually taking the test.

- Mentors can take on the role of proctor, while protégés would take on the role of test taker - Here are some proctor essentials for mentors
- This mock test session helps with time management as well as test anxiety - doing a run of the test makes it less stressful for the actual exam!

During the Test✏️:

- Start with questions you know - finish those the fastest and use your extra time to do the harder questions
- Pay attention to the time - locate a clock in the room and ensure that you have sufficient time to answer the questions, don’t get stuck on one question for too long
- Use educated guessing when unsure - if you aren’t completely confident with an answer, use make an educated guess using the process of elimination (get rid of the answers you know are wrong)
Watch this video for more tips!

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