Boulder Creek High School Pathways
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How will you become a productive,
responsible, and contributing citizen?

Who do you want to be?
Boulder Creek Mission Statement –
The Boulder Creek High School Community will provide a safe learning
environment with rigorous academic opportunities for all students to
graduate as productive, responsible, and contributing citizens.

What are the different type of tests?

What are the tests for?
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Which test should I be taking?

When is the best time for me to take the
test?
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How should I prepare?
 Activity 1
 Turn to your partner and discuss what
you know about the different tests.
 ASVAB
 PSAT
 Accuplacer
 ACT / Explore/Plan
 SAT/PSAT
 Aims

A nationally normed, multi-aptitude test

Developed by US Department of Defense
Compensation

Developed and designed to help students to
increase their level of self knowledge and how it
can be linked to civilian occupations and military.
 Video on ASVAB Program

The PSAT is 2 hours and 10 minutes long and
prepares you for the college entrance exams
you will take before you apply to college.
The PSAT will be given here on campus on
October 16, 2013 you must register at the
bookstore or online.
Reading, math reasoning, and writing skills that are important
for successful academic performance in college
Knowledge and skills developed through years of study in a wide
range of courses as well as through experiences outside the
classroom
Critical thinking—the ability to reason with facts and concepts,
rather than the ability to recall and recite them
The PSAT/NMSQT has five sections:
Two 25-minute critical reading sections
Two 25-minute math sections
One 30-minute writing skills section
 Not an admissions test
 It is a placement test that determines your
knowledge in math, reading and writing as
you prepare to enroll in
college-level courses
 It identifies your strengths and
weaknesses in your subject area
 It is an untimed, computer-based, adaptive test
to identify your skill levels.

Based on your responses, it will increase or
decrease in difficulty.

Can be taken twice to get the
best score.

Offered at BCHS

Offered at Maricopa Colleges in Testing
Center

Offered in Fall or Spring at BCHS if registered for
dual enrollment classes

Offered all Year long at Maricopa Colleges in
testing center
 Both are a National College Admissions
Examination
 Explore - 8th or 9th grade test to prepare for
ACT
 Plan – 10th grade test to prepare for ACT
 PSAT – 10th grade test to prepare for SAT
Includes 215 Multiple-Choice Questions that
takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
4 – Areas which consist of English – 75
questions, Mathematics – 60 questions, Reading
– 40 questions, and Science – 40 questions.
Based on the number of correct answers, not
penalized for guessing.
 Administered in US and internationally
 Administered on six test dates – September,
October, December, February, April and June
 Best to test in Junior year - scores are
received early to plan senior year.
Opportunity to retest.
 A multiple-choice test that is based on
what you are learning.
 It is not an aptitude or IQ test.
 It is directly related to what you have
learned in high school courses in English,
mathematics, reading and science.
 Results accepted by all four-year colleges
and universities in the US.
The harder you work at school and the more
challenging courses you take (AP/Dual), the more
prepared you are for the ACT test.
Free online practice tests
ACT online Prep – online test preparation developed
by ACT
Books available with practice tests.
 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete.
3 – Areas which consist of Reading, Writing and
Mathematics.
10 sections – a 25 min essay, six 25 minutes and
two 20 minute sections on mathematics, critical
reading and writing, and a 10 minute multiplechoice writing section
 A 25 minute unscored multiple-choice section on
mathematics, critical reading or writing to try new
questions for future test.
Tests how you think, solve problems and
communicate.
All multiple-choice questions are scored the
same: one point for correct answer and ¼ point
subtracted for a wrong answer. Nothing for
answer left blank.
Administered in US and internationally.
Administered during October, November,
December, January, March, May and June.
Best to test in Junior year - completed most
coursework, scores early to plan senior year,
and opportunity to retest
The harder you work at school and more
challenging courses you take (AP/Dual), the more
prepared you are for the ACT test.
Free online practice tests
SAT online course
Books available with practice tests.
Merit Scholarship for High Honors
(AIMS Scholarship)
Qualified students who graduate from
high school in 2013 and beyond will
receive a 25% in-state university base
tuition scholarship.
 Act

An achievement test – measures what was learned
in school

5 components – English, Mathematics, Reading,
Science and optional Writing portion

Score based only on the number of correct answers
and no penalty for guessing.
SAT
 an aptitude test to check for reasoning and
verbal abilities
 3 components – Critical Reading,
Mathematics and Writing
 Separate Subject Matter Tests
 Correction for guessing – means they take
off for wrong answers
Activity 2
1.
2.
3.
Discuss in small groups the pros and
cons of each test-record in your packet.
Which test will you take and why?
How will you prepare?

What are the different type of tests?

What are the tests for?

Which test should I be taking?

When is the best time for me to take the
test?

How should I prepare?
Please locate the reflection for today’s
session that can be found in your
packet and complete the following:
3 ideas from today
2 things you’ll use THIS YEAR
1 thing you want to examine
further
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ASVAB Career Exploration
(asvabprogram.com)
ACT (actstudent.org) and SAT
(sat.collegeboard.org/home)
Maricopa Community College
(my.maricopa.edu/checklist/newstudent/prepare-placement-tests)