Standardized Testing
Standardized tests can be a necessary part of the college admissions process. Four year colleges often use standardized test scores to determine whether or not students are academically prepared to attend the college or university.
Many colleges use standardized test scores to make course placement decisions. Students may need to take remedial coursework at the college if their standardized test scores are not high enough. The military requires an alternative standardized test called the ASVAB.
Below is a breakdown of each standardized tests Wausau East students can take (required or optional) during high school.
Pre-ACT
This REQUIRED test is administered to 9 & 10 grade students during the spring. The Pre-ACT serves two purposes: 1) prepares students for the ACT exam and 2) assessment data gets reported to Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and is part of our school report card. The test is administered online and students use their chromebooks to take the assessment. There are five sections: English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing. The top score for each section is 460. Students will also receive a composite score, which is the average score across the five sections. Scores allow students and parents to get a good idea of whether or not the student is meeting grade level college readiness benchmarks. In general, students who receive scores of 428 or above in each of the sections are considered "College Ready." The Pre-ACT will also provide students with a good idea of what will be required of them when they take the ACT. Additionally, score reports provide feedback regarding student strengths and weaknesses, which can help them target their ACT preparation.
This OPTIONAL test is administered to 11th grade students during the fall . The PSAT is meant to be a practice test for the SAT exam. Students who are looking to attend colleges and universities that require or recommend the SAT for admissions should take the PSAT. The PSAT is a paper-pencil exam and is administered during the school day. The test takes approximately four hours and students are excused from any classes they miss while testing. There are two sections: Math and Reading/Writing. The top score for each section is 760. Students also receive a composite score, which is the sum of the two section scores. The top composite score is 1520. PSAT scores do not get shared with colleges and universities, but can be used to provide test takers with feedback about their strengths and weaknesses specifically in regards to their performance on the SAT, which is helpful for determining the best test preparation strategies.
The PSAT is also a National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). The National Merit Scholarship Program uses PSAT scores as a preliminary screener for the distribution of National Merit Scholarships. Students who earn a very high score on the PSAT may be invited to continue on in the scholarship competition. For more information, please see the National Merit Scholarship program's website for more information.
Students who would like to sign up for the PSAT should listen to daily announcements and should register and pay their fee to the East Business Office. Students should sign up early, as we only order a limited number of tests.
ALL eleventh graders at Wausau East are REQUIRED to take the ACT PLUS Writing in February of their junior year.
It is administered during the school day, and no classes are held. This ACT administration is free of charge. Assessment data from this specific test session gets reported to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and is part of our school report card. Counselors will help students register for the state-required ACT in their social studies class in the weeks prior to the ACT.
The ACT test is used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions about applicants. Colleges and universities have different ACT score thresholds for admittance. Scores are used by colleges to determine if an applicant is academically prepared to attend that specific college or university. The ACT is the most widely accepted college entrance examination and is typically taken by eleventh grade students at the end of their junior year and twelfth grade students at the beginning of their senior year.
This is a multiple-choice, paper-pencil test, which takes about four to five hours to complete. There are four required sections: Math, English, Science, and Reading. There is also an optional writing section, where test takers are required to write an essay on a given topic. Each section of the ACT (except for the writing section) is scored on a 1-36 scale. Test takers also receive a composite score, which is the average of their section scores. The top ACT score is a 36 and can be taken multiple times, with colleges accepting the highest score. Please see our list of preparation suggestions to help improve test scores.
The ACT is also administered on Saturday mornings throughout the school year and students can elect to take it on these dates. Students must register to take the Saturday ACT tests by creating an account online at www.actstudent.org. See ACT Saturday test dates and registration deadlines here.
Each time students take the ACT, they are allowed to select four colleges/universities that they would like their official ACT scores sent to at no charge. Some colleges and universities require OFFICIAL ACT scores, meaning that the scores MUST come directly from the testing company, rather than be reported by the student's high school. If a student applies to a school that requires official test scores but did not send a score report to the school, the student will need to log into his/her ACT account to send the scores at an additional cost. It is the student's responsibility to determine if the college requires official or unofficial test scores.
**DO I TAKE THE ACT PLUS WRITING OR NOT? The Writing section on the ACT is optional for Saturday test dates. Most schools do not require it, but some do. Writing scores are not included in ACT composite scores. Ask a counselor if you have questions!
This OPTIONAL test is used by many colleges and universities to make admissions decisions about applicants. Scores are said to help colleges determine if an applicant is academically prepared to attend that specific college or university. The SAT is very widely accepted, and is often the preferred test for many Ivy League schools as well as colleges and universities on the West Coast, East Coast, or in the South. It is the student's responsibility to determine if the SAT is preferred over the ACT--many students choose to take both tests. It is typically taken by eleventh grade students at the end of their junior year and twelfth grade students at the beginning of their senior year. This is a multiple-choice, paper-pencil test, which takes about four hours to complete. There are two required sections: Reading, Writing and Language, and Mathematics. There is also an optional essay. Each section of the SAT is scored on a 200-800 point scale. Students also receive a total score, which is the sum of the two section scores. The top total score on the SAT is a 1600. The SAT can be taken multiple times if the student does not earn a score they are satisfied with the first time around. Please see our list of preparation suggestions to help improve test scores.
Like the ACT, colleges and universities have different thresholds for admittance. GPA, class rank, and other factors will have an impact on admissions decisions as well. Visit the university website to get an idea of typical SAT scores of admitted students.
The SAT is administered on Saturday mornings throughout the school year. As mentioned, students may choose to take the SAT multiple times in attempt to earn their optimal score. Students can register for the SAT and see test dates at www.collegeboard.org.
Each time students take the SAT, they are allowed to select four colleges they would like their SAT scores sent to officially. Some colleges and universities require OFFICIAL SAT scores, meaning that the scores MUST come directly from the testing company, rather than be reported by the student's high school. If the student wanted to apply to a school that requires official test scores but did not initially choose to send a score report to the school, the student would need to log into his or her SAT account and send the test scores to the school at an additional cost. It is the student's responsibility to determine if the school of interest requires official or unofficial test scores.
SAT SUBJECT TESTS Competitive colleges and universities (i.e. Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, University of Chicago, etc.) require that students take SAT Subject Tests in addition to the SAT. Subject Tests are hour-long multiple choice tests that focus on a specific subject area. Students may take up to three Subject Tests during test administration. Subject Tests allow students to show colleges that they have skill or interest in a focused area of study and may be required for admittance into specific majors. It is the student's responsibility to determine if the college resquires the SAT Subject Tests.
This OPTIONAL test is used by the United States Military to determine qualification for entry into the Armed Forces. IT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL STUDENTS WHO plan to join any branch of the Armed Forces. The ASVAB is a multiple choice test and can be taken either electronically or paper-pencil. The ASVAB is typically taken by eleventh or twelfth grade students. Armed Services Personnel administer the test. There are 10 sections and the test takes about three hours to complete. Raw scores from each section are formulated into an AFQT (Armed Forces Qualifying Test) score that ranges from 1-99. Each service branch has a minimum score for enlistment. The ASVAB also helps the military determine what type of military occupational specialty a recruit is eligible for. Combinations of scores from the ten tests are used to determine qualification for specific occupations. Each of the five armed services has its own aptitude area scores and sets its own minimum composite scores for each military occupation. Military recruits may retake the ASVAB if they do not receive a satisfying score their first time.
Military personnel administer the ASVAB at Wausau East each December. The test is free and administered during the school day and students are excused from classest to take the test. Students can sign up for the ASVAB in the Career Center.