College Testing

Students planning to attend a 4-year university after high school graduation should be prepared to take college entrance exams while in high school. Here is a quick look at some college admissions testing, the recommendations for testing and websites.

AZVA's School Code for College Admissions Exams: 030607

The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) is offered in 3 different versions.

PSAT 8/9 - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9

Taken by 8th or 9th graders, only available at a local brick & mortar high school, schools schedule their own fall or spring testing dates within a given window. Exam cost is $13 but schools may have additional fees for testing. Students should contact a local school early if they are interested in registering for this exam.

PSAT 10 - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

Taken by 10th graders, only available at a local brick & mortar high school, schools schedule their own testing date in the spring within a given window. Exam cost is $17 but schools may have additional fees for testing. Students should contact a local school early if they are interested in registering for this exam.

PSAT/NMSQT - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

Taken by 10th and/or 11th graders, must be taken in 11th grade in order to be considered for National Merit Scholarships, only available at a local brick & mortar high school, specific annual test dates in October available on the CollegeBoard website. Exam cost is $17 but schools may have additional fees for testing. Students should contact a local school early (no later than September 1st) if they are interested in registering for this exam.

The Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT) and ACT are both college entrance examinations. Students should check with the college/universities they plan to apply to see if one or both of the tests are accepted or required for admission.

All college bound Juniors should plan to take one (if not both) of these exams in the Spring semester of 11th grade. This will allow students to get their test results back in time to include in college applications and provide them time to re-take it, if desired, during the fall of 12th grade. Download the attached chart below that compares/contrasts the ACT and SAT.

Visit the SAT or ACT websites directly to find upcoming test dates, register online and find test prep resources.