Below is a concise guide to testing for each year of high school, along with some basic advice for each test.

9th Grade

Midterms and Finals

• These tests offer students’ first taste of high-stakes testing in high school.
• When preparing for these exams, it is important to establish good study habits that will carry throughout high school.
• Remember that grades are the most important factor in college admissions, so these tests are important! Final grades also impact course selection in future high school years.

PSAT9 or PreACT9

• Some schools offer a preliminary practice version of the SAT or ACT to their 9th graders. These are not common, but do exist.
• Students should treat these purely as practice tests—there is no benefit to preparing for them specifically.
• To see how your student stacks up against their peers at this stage, pay more attention to percentiles than scores. Remember, preliminary scores like these are made to be beaten!

AP/IB Exams

• AP Exams are only relevant for 9th graders who are enrolled in an AP course, and IB Exams are only relevant for 9th graders who are enrolled in an IB course.
• IB Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–7, with 7 being a perfect score.
• AP Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–5, with 3 being the minimum passing score and 5 being a perfect score.
• They can also provide a benefit in the admissions process by adding context to students’ grades.
• If your student is taking AP Exams in 2021, and for more in-depth information about the role of AP Exams in college admissions, then read our blog post on this year’s exam formats.

10th Grade

Midterms and Finals

• Remember that grades are the most important factor in college admissions, so these tests are important every year!
• Final grades also impact course selection in future high school years.

PSAT or PreACT

• Some schools offer a preliminary practice version of the SAT or ACT to their 10th graders.
• Students should treat these purely as practice tests—there is no benefit to preparing for them specifically. Only the 11th-grade PSAT will qualify students to apply for the National Merit Scholarship.
• If your student takes the PSAT, then they should take a diagnostic test of the ACT to determine whether they should focus on the SAT or ACT junior year. If your student takes the PreACT, then they should take a diagnostic SAT for the same reason. If your school does not offer one, then contact us for a diagnostic SAT or ACT.

AP/IB Exams

• AP Exams are only relevant for 10th graders who are enrolled in an AP course, and IB Exams are only relevant for 10th graders who are enrolled in an IB course.
• IB Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–7, with 7 being a perfect score.
• AP Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–5, with 3 being the minimum passing score and 5 being a perfect score.
• They can also provide a benefit in the admissions process by adding context to students’ grades.
• If your student is taking AP Exams in 2021, and for more in-depth information about the role of AP Exams in college admissions, then read our blog post on this year’s exam formats.

SAT or ACT

• All students should make a plan by the end of sophomore year for when they will take the SAT or ACT. For most students, that means planning to test in 11th grade.
• If they do not have the opportunity to take the PSAT or PreACT, then students should take a diagnostic SAT/ACT.
• It can sometimes make sense for athletic recruits or very high-scoring students to take their first test at the end of 10th grade instead of waiting for 11th.

11th Grade

SAT or ACT

• Students who finish Algebra 2 and Geometry in 10th grade should aim to take their first official test at the beginning of junior year—preparing over the summer.
• Students taking Algebra 2 or Geometry in 11th grade should plan to prepare for and take their first official test in the spring.
• Students will have the opportunity to retest over the summer or in 12th grade if needed.

Midterms and Finals

• Remember that grades are the most important factor in college admissions, so these tests are important every year!
• Final grades can also impact course selection for senior year.

PSAT

• 11th graders will take the PSAT in October in most years.
• Students can qualify to apply for the National Merit Scholarship by scoring in roughly the top 1%. Most students should treat this purely as a practice test.
• The PreACT is typically not offered in 11th grade.
• If your student takes the PSAT, then they should take a diagnostic test of the ACT to determine whether they should focus on the SAT or ACT, if they did not do so in 10th grade.

AP/IB Exams

• AP Exams are only relevant for 11th graders who are enrolled in an AP course, and IB Exams are only relevant for 11th graders who are enrolled in an IB course.
• IB Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–7, with 7 being a perfect score.
• AP Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–5, with 3 being the minimum passing score and 5 being a perfect score.
• They can also provide a benefit in the admissions process by adding context to students’ grades.
• If your student is taking AP Exams in 2021, and for more in-depth information about the role of AP Exams in college admissions, then read our blog post on this year’s exam formats.

State Standardized Testing

• Most states require some kind of standardized testing for their juniors. It does not count toward college admissions in any way, but is often part of a graduation requirement.

12th Grade

SAT or ACT (Final Chance)

• For students applying for Early Action or Early Decision deadlines at most colleges, the final chance to take the SAT is in October, and the final chance to take the ACT is in September.
• For students applying for regular deadlines, the final test date available is in December for both the SAT and ACT.

AP/IB Exams

• AP Exams are only relevant for 12th graders who are enrolled in an AP course, and IB Exams are only relevant for 12th graders who are enrolled in an IB course.
• IB Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–7, with 7 being a perfect score.
• AP Exams can provide college credit and are scored on a scale of 1–5, with 3 being the minimum passing score and 5 being a perfect score.
• By May of senior year, students will know where they will go to college and should look up their school’s AP credit policy to determine whether or not to take AP Exams. If your student is taking AP Exams in 2021, then read our blog post on this year’s exam formats.

Midterms and Finals

• Final grades will be sent to colleges, so students should make an effort to finish the year strong.