Any student who missed the October 14th PSAT date may have another opportunity to take the test in January. Typically, PSAT testing only happens once per year, however due to COVID-19, the College Board has scheduled a second date for PSAT testing which will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2021.  Any Option 1 student who would like to take the January PSAT should contact their school Guidance Office. Any Option 2 or Option 3 student who would like to take the January PSAT should contact the Virtual Academy at 723-0574. Requests to take the PSAT exam should be done no later than November 20, 2020.  There is a fee of $17 to take the PSAT. However, the fee will be waived for any sophomore or junior who hasn’t taken the PSAT before."  

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HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE SAT

Once you have chosen your SAT test date and test center, it’s relatively simple to register. You can register for the SAT online or by mail.

ONLINE SAT REGISTRATION

[ RELATED: How Long to Study for the SAT ]

• First, you have to sign up for a College Board account with your full, legal name and information shown on your photo ID.

• When registering, you can answer other questions about yourself that might help you find useful information about the colleges you are applying.

• You’ll need to upload a photo that meets the College Board requirements. The photo will be part of your Admission Ticket and will be checked against your photo ID on test day to ensure security. The photo requirements are as follows:

  • You’re the only one in the picture.

  • There’s a head-and-shoulders view, with the entire face, both eyes, and hair clearly visible; head coverings worn for religious purposes are allowed.

  • You’re in focus and easy to recognize.

  • There are no dark spots or shadows.

  • Black-and-white photos are acceptable.

KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE SAT ONLINE, YOU MIGHT ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

• If you’re using a fee waiver, you need to enter the identification number on your fee waiver card.

• If you’ve been approved by the College Board to test with accommodations, you need to enter the SSD number on your eligibility letter.

• If you’re home-schooled, you need to enter 970000 when asked for a high school code.

SAT MAIL (PAPER) REGISTRATION

If you meet any of the following criteria, you will need to register for the SAT by mail (paper registration):

• Requesting testing closer to home.

• Requesting Sunday testing for the first time.

• Paying by check or money order (payable to “The College Board”).

• Younger than 13 years old.

• Unable to upload a digital photo as part of the online registration process.

• Taking the test in Ghana.

• Registering through an SAT international representative.

You’ll need to ask your counselor for the Student Registration Booklet for the SAT if you are planning to register by mail. When you fill out the mail-in form, you’ll need a College Board code for your high school (or the home-school code, 970000) and your test center. You might also need codes for the colleges you want to send scores to, your intended college major, and your country. You can find the codes on the College Board Website or ask your school counselor for the code list.

If registering by mail, all of your materials must be postmarked by the deadlines.

WHEN SHOULD I START STUDYING FOR THE SAT?

You’ll want to choose a test date that gives you ample time to prepare. To make sure that you have enough time to review content, learn SAT-specific strategies, and get enough practice with the test, you should start studying a few months in advance. Most students spent 10 to 20 hours a week preparing for the SAT, but that amount can vary depending on your score goals.

You’ll want to consider your schedule in the months leading up to the test date when deciding when to take the test. Think ahead to the months preceding the test date you are eyeing. Will you be taking classes that have a lot of homework or require a lot of studying? What extracurricular activities will you be involved in? Will you have any additional personal or family commitments that may put a strain on your time? Are there any school breaks scheduled during those months when you might have extra time to prepare?

Be realistic and honest with yourself—you won’t want to cram. The best way to set yourself up for success on Test Day is to walk into that room feeling confident in your preparation.

How To Register For The ACT

You can register for the ACT online or by mail. The ACT recommends registering online because it is faster, you can immediately see if your preferred test center has space available, and you can print your admission ticket immediately after submitting payment.

Registering Online

To register online, you need to create an ACT Web Account, which you can do on the ACT website. Both U.S. and international students can register online.

Once you have created an account, you will be able to register for the ACT. During the registration process, you will be asked questions about your high school, your high school classes, your background, and your family, and your interests. In addition, you will also be asked for identifying information such as your name, address, phone number, email, and social security number. Upon completing this information, you can proceed to register for the ACT itself.

The registration process will ask you to select your preferred test date, select whether you will take the ACT (No Writing) or the ACT Plus Writing, and will apprise you of any applicable fees. You will also have the opportunity to order items such as ACT Test Information Release and official ACT test preparation materials. During the registration process, you will also be able to designate schools which you would like to receive your ACT test scores (although you do not have to select any schools if you prefer not to). You will choose where you’d like to take the ACT (but be sure to sign up early, since testing centers can fill up fast!), and then you will be asked to confirm all the information you have provided and then provide a method of payment (credit cards are the only payment method accepted when registering online).

Note: As per the ACT website, once you register for the ACT, your order cannot be cancelled and most fees are non-refundable. Students registering online will have the ability to print out their ACT score report from their ACT Web Account as soon as scores are available and the report is ready. If you are unable to test on Saturdays (the usual day the ACT is administered) due to religious beliefs, if you are homebound or confined, or if you need to receive testing accommodations due to a disability, you will have to complete additional documentation outside of your ACT Web Account in order to have the test administered to you.

Registering by Mail

Although mail registration is available for everyone, the ACT requires you to register by mail if you are under the age of 13, or if you cannot pay for your registration via credit card.

In order to register by mail, you need to request a registration packet from the ACT, which you can do here. A registration packet will then be mailed to you, and you will have to complete it and mail it back. Students requesting non-Saturday testing, accommodated testing, or who are homebound or confined will need to submit additional information.

What is the difference between the tests?

UNDERSTANDING PSAT SCORES

The ACT and SAT tests are optional tests related to the college application process. Most colleges and universites require submission of scores from one or more of these tests as part of the application and acceptance process.

The SAT is a product of the College Board and tests the subject matter learned by students in high school and how well they apply the knowledge; the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in college.The SAT is a globally-recognized college admissions test taken by most CSD students during their junior and senior year of high school.

SAT Subjects Tests are hour-long, content-based tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas where you excel.

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute writing test. ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. Visit http://www.act.org/.