ACT Testing - Kewaskum School District

ACT Testing

ACT and SAT Tests

Why take the ACT or SAT?
Preparing for the ACT or SAT
2011-2012 Registration and Test Dates for the ACT
Differences Between the ACT and SAT

Why Take The ACT or SAT?

Most four-year colleges, and the University of Wisconsin System institutions, use the results of standardized tests in the evaluation of freshmen applicants for admission.

When applying to UW-System institutions, new freshmen must submit the results of the ACT or the SAT I. The ACT is preferred, however, students will not be advantaged in the admission process by taking one test rather than the other. This requirement may be waived for older and/or nontraditional applicants.

Generally, it is the recommendation of Kewaskum High School Counselors that Wisconsin Technical College bound Juniors also take the ACT.

It is recommended that the ACT or SAT I be taken in the spring of the junior year in high school and have the official results sent to the institution(s) of interest.

Preparing

Be sure to be well prepared for the ACT, SAT and college admission process by taking challenging academic courses in high school.

Utilize the free ACT and SAT test prep programs on the KnowHow2Go Wisconsin Web site.
Taken in the fall of students' sophomore year, the PLAN Test serves as a great practice test for the ACT.

The PSAT is a shorter version of the SAT.

Information on the PLAN and PSAT Tests at Kewaskum High School

Registering and Test Dates

Register for the ACT at www.actstudent.org. See your Kewaskum High School Guidance Counselor for paper registration materials and any questions.

ACT Test Dates 2011-2012
Test Date	Regular Registration Postmark Deadline (regular fee)	Late Registration Period (regular fee plus late fee)
September 10, 2011	August 12	August 13-26
October 22, 2011	September 16, 2011	September 17-30
December 10, 2011	November 4, 2011	November 5-18, 2011
February 11, 2012	January 13, 2012	January 14-20, 2012
April 14, 2012	March 9, 2012	March 10-23, 2012
June 9, 2012	May 4, 2012	May 5-18, 2012

Differences Between The ACT and SAT (see comparative table)

- The ACT is given 6 times per year. The SAT is given 7 times per year.
- The ACT measures what a student learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test that examines reasoning and verbal skills.
- The ACT has four components (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) and an optional Writing Test (the writing test is required for admission to UW-Madison). The SAT has three components: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test.
- The ACT has no penalty for guessing. The SAT does take points off for wrong answers.
- ACT sends score reports from one test date and lets students select the test date that they want sent. The College Board sends all SAT scores from all test dates.

ACT & SAT Comparison

Area	ACT	SAT
Average Scores	Wisconsin 22.3 / Nation 21.1 (2009) The above average is based on possible score of 36 (does not include optional Writing section). Writing scores are reported separately.	Wisconsin 1784 / Nation 1509 (2009) The above average is based on possible score of 2400 and includes the Writing section.
Cost of Exam	$33 or $48 for ACT PLUS Writing	$47.00 for all three sections
Score Reporting	Student selects which set of scores to report	All scores are reported
Times offered each year	Six, generally in September, October, December, February, April, and June	Seven, generally in October, November, December, January, March, May, and June
	Schools do not offer testing at each of these times. Please check with your school counselor for local testing dates.
Mathematics	60-question, 60-minute test Measures mathematical skills most students have learned in courses taken by the end of 11th grade. Questions come from algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Questions are multiple-choice and require knowledge of basic formulas and computational skills.	70 minutes taken in two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section Tests math topics such as: numbers and operations; algebra and functions; geometry; statistics, probability, and data analysis. Questions are multiple-choice and student produced responses. Student-produced responses have no answer choices provided. Instead, the answers are fi lled-in on a special grid. Ten questions will be of this type.
	Both the ACT and SAT allow students to use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator during the math test, but models with certain features are prohibited.
Reading	40-question, 35-minute test. Questions are multiple-choice. Measures reading comprehension through several texts and questions that show an understanding of what is directly stated and statements with implied meanings.	70 minutes taken in two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section. The critical reading section includes short reading passages along with the existing long reading passages. Analogies have been eliminated, but sentence-completion questions and passage based reading questions remain.
English	75-question, 45-minute test. Questions are multiple-choice. Measures standard written English (punctuation, grammar usage, and sentence structure) and rhetorical skills (strategy, organization, and style).	The SAT does not have a separate English section, but the multiple-choice questions in the Writing section measure ability to improve sentences and paragraphs as well as fi nd errors (diction, grammar, sentence construction, subject verb agreement, word usage, and wordiness).
Science	40-question, 35-minute test. Questions are multiple-choice. Measures skills in the natural sciences: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving. Assumes students have completed a course in biology as well as a course in an Earth science and/or physical science.	The SAT does not test Science.
Writing	30-minute essay test that measures writing skills emphasized in high school English classes and in entry-level college composition courses. The essay involves responding to a question about a particular issue described in the writing prompt.	Multiple choice questions (35 minutes) and student-written essay (25 minutes). The short essay measures ability to: clearly organize, express, develop and support ideas, and use appropriate word choices and sentence structures.

Adjust Font Size: A A A A A A