Standardized Testing

P坐 (Preliminary 坐)

学生 are encouraged to take the P坐 during both sophomore and junior year. The P坐 essentially serves as a practice test for the 坐, yielding useful information regarding student strengths and weaknesses that may inform subsequent 坐 preparation. 学生 who score high on the P坐 during junior year may also qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The P坐 is administered at Eastern Christian 高中 each year in October.
 

坐 & 行为

许多 colleges require either the 坐 or 行为 for admission and have no preference for one test over the other. During junior and senior meetings, the academic and college counselors will discuss an appropriate individualized testing plan with each student. Typically, students will take a combination of these tests during the winter/spring of junior year夏天, and fall of senior year. Taking these tests multiple times is advantageous from a familiarity standpoint, but also because most colleges practice “superscoring”, which means they will combine your highest section scores across multiple 考试日期. 

The 坐 is offered 7 times per year and measures evidence-based 阅读 and writing, and 数学 skills. For more information, 考试日期, registration deadlines, and practice resources, visit the College Board’s 网站.

The 行为 is offered 7 times per year and measures English, 数学, 科学, 阅读, and writing skills. For more information, 考试日期, registration deadlines, and practice resources, visit 行为’s 网站. 
 

AP Exams (Advanced Placement)

AP exams are seldom required by colleges but can help strengthen a student’s application to competitive schools. These tests are designed to assess strength in a specific content area. Strong AP scores may also be accepted as college credit by many colleges. AP exams are administered each year in May. Registration occurs in the 学术 and College Counseling Office in February. Visit the AP section of the College Board’s 网站 for more information and a complete list of available subjects.

测试可选

More and more colleges are becoming test optional, meaning students can still apply and be accepted without submitting 坐 or 行为 scores. While applying test optional can be a good strategy for some students, we strongly recommend all students make at least one attempt at either the 坐 or 行为. Most colleges adopted test optional policies during the pandemic, but it is unclear how many will retain those policies in the years to come. It is also worth remembering that test optional does not mean test blind, so a strong test score can still strengthen your application at test optional schools. 点击这里 for a complete list of test-optional colleges.

测试准备

Test prep comes in a wide variety of shapes, 大小, 和价格, so families are encouraged to consider a method of preparation suitable for their expectations and needs. The College Board and 行为 网站s (links above) contain some convenient, free resources that are worth exploring. The 学术 and College Counseling Office would be happy to provide recommendations for alternative test prep options upon request.