The Importance of Test Preparation and How It Translates Beyond the Classroom

Standardized tests are a consistent part of life, from school assessments to professional certifications. Unlike intelligence or aptitude tests, these exams measure acquired skills, which can be improved through deliberate practice. As a result, test preparation is a powerful tool that not only raises test scores but also builds broader academic and personal skills. Effective test prep delivers targeted strategies, repeated exposure to test formats, and enhanced familiarity with content, which significantly boost a student’s confidence and performance.

One of the key benefits of test preparation is the development of executive function skills, such as time management, organization, and planning. These skills are not only crucial for academic performance but also highly transferable to other aspects of life, including college coursework and professional responsibilities. Test prep teaches students to build study plans, prioritize their weaknesses, and manage the stress and logistics of test day, all of which contribute to long-term success beyond the exam itself.

Test preparation also acts as a diagnostic tool, helping students identify their specific academic weaknesses and tailor their study efforts accordingly. By working through practice tests and receiving feedback, students can better understand their learning styles and adapt more effective study habits. This process of self-assessment not only improves performance on the specific standardized test but fosters deeper academic awareness and adaptability.

Perhaps most importantly, test preparation instills a growth mindset. As students face challenges, make mistakes, and improve through hard work, they develop resilience, discipline, and a sense of agency. The journey from feeling like a “bad tester” to seeing tangible results reinforces the belief that effort leads to achievement. This emotional growth, combined with academic skill-building, ensures that the impact of test prep extends well beyond test day and becomes a foundational part of a student’s personal development.

Academic Center Entrance Exam General Information

Applications for Academic Centers are currently open for registration through gocps.edu. Registration applies to current 6th graders seeking enrollment to Academic Centers for the 2025-2026 school year. Students will have the option to choose between several test dates from mid-January to early February.

Academic Centers are selective enrollment middle schools. Upon admittance, students are guaranteed enrollment into each affiliated high school. Academic Centers include the following seven schools: Kenwood, Morgan Park, Lane Tech, Taft, Lindblom, Brooks, and Whitney Young. The most competitive among these are Whitney Young and Lane Tech.

As the application process is highly competitive, students will be scored on a total of 600 points. 300 potential points will be based on a student’s fifth grade final grades in math, science, English, and social studies. An A in any given subject equates to 75 points, a B equates to 50 points, a C equates to 25 points, and a D/F equates to 0 points. The remaining 300 points will be based on their performance on the Academic Center Entrance Exam.

The Academic Center Entrance Exam is a 90-minute test composed of nine sections. The content on the exam is logic-based and requires the use of abstract thought. Each year nine out of ten potential sections are chosen which include the following: verbal classifications, sentence completion, verbal analogies, sentence arrangement, number series, figural series, figural analogies, number puzzles, matrices, and paper folding. Students will have ten minutes to complete each section.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

CPS Announces Academic Center Entrance Exam Test Dates (2022-23 School Year)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has announced the test dates for the Academic Center Entrance Exam.

AC Entrance Exam Test Dates 
Saturday, January 14
Sunday, January 15
Monday, January 16
Saturday, January 21
Sunday, January 22
Saturday, January 28
Sunday, January 29

The AC Entrance Exam will be offered at a designated CPS testing site based on a family’s location.

Applicants can apply and register for a test date using the GoCPS online application portal.

The application process for the 2023-2024 school year opens Wednesday, September 21 and ends Friday, December 2nd.

Charlie Howard, Owner
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

CPS Cancels NWEA MAP Exam

Last week, on Thursday, 4/15, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that they are cancelling the NWEA MAP test for all elementary students: kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition, the NWEA MAP will remain canceled through the full selective enrollment and academic center testing cycles for current 5th and 7th graders for both CPS and non-CPS students. It is still unclear what CPS will do for rising 5th and 7th graders in the next testing cycle.

Though the NWEA MAP is canceled, other components of the selective enrollment and academic center admissions processes will remain relatively the same. For students applying to academic centers, they will still need to take the Academic Center Entrance Exam (which is typically administered in late fall/winter), and schools will still also use the student’s 5th-grade grades in math, reading, science, and social studies. For students applying for admission into selective enrollment high schools, they will need to take the CPS High School Admissions Test (administered in late fall/winter). This test will be the same as the Selective Enrollment High School exam (SEHS) from previous years, however the name will be changed. In addition, as usual, selective enrollment schools will also look at the student’s 7th-grade grades in math, reading, science, and social studies.

Test Prep Chicago will offer test prep courses for both the Academic Center Entrance Exam as well as the CPS High School Admissions Test in the fall and will likely add dates for these to our website in the late summer (or as soon as CPS announces those test dates). In addition, we offer one-on-one tutoring for both tests as well as subject matter tutoring and help with school, and we can begin this at any time. For more information about our services or to set up tutoring, feel free to call us at (312) 848-1266 or send us an email at info@testprepchicago.com.

Lauren Lynch, Director of Tutoring and Communications
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

NWEA MAP Test Information

The NWEA MAP test is a common-core-aligned, computer-adaptive test designed to quantify a student’s knowledge of math and reading. Unlike most other standardized tests, the NWEA MAP adapts its difficulty level based on whether or not a student selects a correct answer. If a correct answer is selected, the test becomes more challenging, asking out-of-grade-level questions.

After the student completes the test, both teachers as well as students and their parents will receive a RIT score which correlates to a percentile (both the RIT and the percentile should be included in the report from NWEA MAP). The percentile represents where a particular student’s level is compared with students across the country. NWEA’s website states, “NWEA uses anonymous assessment data from over 10.2 million students to create national norms…By drawing from an incredibly wide pool of anonymized test records (pulled from more than six million test events, 23,000 schools, and 49 states), we’re able to accurately represent the US school-age population.”

In addition, the RIT score is determined not by what kinds of questions the student can answer (for example, computation and problem solving), but rather at what level (for example, a simple addition problem versus an addition problem which has an imaginary number in it). To see examples of difficulty level compared to approximate RIT scores, visit the NWEA MAP website and search for the “RIT Reference Brochure.” 

Furthermore, this test provides 1/3 of the points required to attend a Selective Enrollment High School or Academic Center. Each section of the test (reading and math) is worth 150 points, with a total of 300 points up for grabs based on their NWEA MAP score. While CPS has not yet announced the NWEA MAP test dates for this upcoming spring of 2021, we anticipate both CPS and non-CPS 5th and 7th-grade students will take the NWEA MAP during the testing window of mid-May to mid-June as was supposed to be the case last year (but was canceled because of Covid-19).

Visit Test Prep Chicago’s homepage (testprepchicago.com) to sign-up for our newsletter and receive up-to-date news. We’ll be sure to send an email as soon as CPS releases more concrete information about NWEA MAP test dates, as well as more information when we add one-day workshops to our website. As always, we offer one-on-one tutoring for NWEA MAP and can begin this at any time. Visit our website for more information on pricing, and how to reach out to us to set up sessions.

Lauren Lynch, Director of Tutoring and Communications
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy Academic Center

Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy (also known as Brooks or Brooks AC) Academic Center is one of seven Academic Centers in Chicago. Located in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood, Brooks Academic Center resides in the city’s south side. Brooks seeks out high performing middle school students who are ready to take on a more intensive curriculum in preparation for high school. These students typically begin at Brooks as 7th graders and finish the AC program at the end of their 8th grade year.

Brooks AC takes a more personalized approach to their students learning; students are encouraged to utilize Brooks’ extensive academic resources in order to provide more than just an intensive Academic Center experience. By incorporating these resources into the students’ every day curriculum, students get a chance to learn at their own pace by receiving varying support and coaching dependent on the students’ learning abilities and needs. This goes beyond the conventional confines of a classroom by teaching the students to master content instead of focusing on completion and traditional participation. This reinforces the rigorous curriculum that Brooks is most well known for, but also allows for the students’ learning to be the first priority at Brooks AC.

Students are also invited to participate in select extracurriculars at Brooks Academic Center. These can range from selected sports, Math Team, ComEd STEM Club, and more. Students are also offered a variety of tutoring and support services to ensure that their transition into high school curriculum is as smooth as possible. These include resources such as an After School and Lunchtime Tutoring program, a mentoring program, and an in-class Learning Assistant program. These programs and more are all to ensure the academic success of all the students in the AC program. 

To find more information about Gwendolyn Brooks Preparatory Academy Academic Center, visit Brooks’s website: http://brookscollegeprep.org/academic-center.

Written by former Tutoring Coordinator, Ramisha Ejaz

For more information about Test Prep Chicago contact:

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator

lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

CPS’s District Testing Action Plan

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced on February 21, 2020 that due to a performance review conducted by the CPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) which cited a few potential testing concerns, CPS will be providing more oversight for CPS staff who are administering the NWEA MAP tests. CPS contends, “While the OIG did not substantiate any systemic misconduct at the school or district level, the review highlights a need for additional guidance and training for staff on NWEA's unique, untimed testing format.”

In addition, CPS noted that these findings don’t challenge the lofty improvements or accomplishments CPS students have achieved in the past, but rather will help to encourage a plan of action to ensure each school is clear on testing protocol. Thus, the District Testing Action Plan (DTAP) was born and will be implemented for this Spring’s NWEA MAP testing window (May 9th- June 12th). CPS’s summarized DTAP is below.

• Hiring a Test Security Expert: The district has hired a national test security company that will help provide expertise and guidance as we work to improve NWEA test administration and security procedures.

• Strengthened Testing Policies and Guidelines on Duration and Pauses: CPS updated testing guidance for duration and pauses, which will be included in the administrator, test coordinator, and proctor test guidance documents and training for Spring 2020.

•  Improved Training: CPS updated our mandatory training module for test coordinators and proctors that specifically addresses testing duration, pauses, and other important testing guidelines.

• Enhanced Monitoring and Auditing Processes: The district will also conduct targeted school audits during testing, analyze daily reports to identify unusual test times, and provide additional guidance and support to schools as needed.

CPS also maintains that they’ll continue to strive to make the NWEA MAP, and all testing, more efficient and effective in order to ensure “educators and parents have access to actionable academic data to support [their] students.” To find out more about CPS’s new plan, visit their website at cps.edu/testingactionplan.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

Dates for Non-CPS Students to Take the NWEA MAP Test

On Friday, February 14th, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced the dates below for non-CPS 5th and 7th-grade students to take the NWEA MAP test for admittance into Academic Centers or Selective Enrollment High Schools, respectively. In order to take the test on a date listed below, parents must register their students on the CPS website by Friday, April 3rd.

TEST DATES

Saturday, May 9th

Sunday, May 10th

Saturday, May 30th

Sunday, May 31st

Saturday, June 6th

Sunday, June 7th

In the past, non-CPS students took the NWEA MAP test in the fall of their 6th and 8th-grade years. However, CPS announced that this school year, 2019-2020, as well as moving forward, non-CPS and CPS students will take the test at the same time. While CPS students will be taking the test in their neighborhood schools, non-CPS students will take the test at Curie Metropolitan High School, Lane Tech High School, or Lindblom Math and Science Academy, all free of charge. Students will be assigned a testing location closest to their home address.

As a reminder, the NWEA MAP test is a common-core-aligned, computer-adaptive test designed to quantify a student’s knowledge of math and reading. It is untimed, and students may elect to take the math section and the reading section on the same or different days.

In addition, this test provides 1/3 of the points required to attend an Academic Center or Selective Enrollment High School. Each section of the test is worth 150 points, with a total of 300 points up for grabs based on their NWEA MAP score. An additional 300 points are taken from a student’s 5th or 7th-grade grades, with a final 300 points available from the Academic Center Exam or Selective Enrollment High School Exam (SEHS), respectively.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Morgan Park Academic Center

Morgan Park Academic Center (also known as Morgan Park) resides in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood and is situated on the south side of Chicago. Similar to the other six Academic Centers, Morgan Park Academic Center is made up of 7th and 8th graders. Morgan Park offers their students the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) curriculum. In doing so, Morgan Park Academic Center is able to thoroughly prepare its students for their future academic endeavors. Upon completion, students are automatically accepted into the 9th grade IB MYP Cohort at Morgan Park High School.

To elaborate, Morgan Park’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme allows students to take 9th grade level curriculum which in turn allows the students the opportunity to earn high school credits. Therefore, when students are entering their high school years, they are better advantaged to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses during their later years. Additionally, students are assigned a dedicated counselor specifically for Academic Center students and their counselor remains with them until they enter the 9th grade. This is also supplemented by Student Academic and Social Supports for continued, consistent support during their 7th and 8th grade years. 

Morgan Park Academic Center lets students choose between studying Spanish or French coupled with an elective course of either band or chorus through their duration of 7th and 8th grade years. Students are also encouraged to participate in clubs and select sports programs such as NJHS, Student Council, Boys & Girls Basketball, Girls Volleyball, Flag Football, etc. Transportation is also provided to students who live more than 1.5 miles away from Morgan Park Academic Center. 

To find more information for Morgan Park Academic Center, please visit Morgan Park High School’s website and click the Academic Center tab: https://morganparkcps.org/

Ramisha Ejaz, Tutoring Coordinator
ramisha@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Lindblom Academic Center

Lindblom Academic Center (also known as Lindblom) is one of seven Academic Centers in Chicago. Lindblom is located in the south side of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Although it is one of the newer Academic Centers in Chicago, Lindblom remains competitive in its rigor, course offerings, and after school programs. Students who attend Lindblom Academic Center are offered acceptance into Lindblom Math & Science High School (a Selective Enrollment High School) as long as they remain academically on-track.

Lindblom Academic Center prepares its students by offering Honors courses for its core curriculum to begin readying their students for college level classes. The curriculum is dedicated to providing its students a solid foundation before they enter their higher level classes by enrolling students in advanced mathematics courses that integrate Algebra I into either one or two-year courses. Students also become exposed to laboratory-based science and have the ability to choose between studying two unique languages: Mandarin Chinese or Arabic. Students are offered the potential to take other unique classes through Lindblom’s Colloquium courses which is a program that “engages students in project-based learning centered in Community Outreach, Arts, Creation, STEM, and Athletics.” With the variety of classes offered and the commitment to expose their students to higher level learning, Lindblom Academic Center maintains its promise of providing their students a competitive curriculum intended for their segue into Lindblom Math & Science High School. 

Lindblom Academic Center enjoys being able to offer its students a variety of conveniences. Students are accommodated with a busing service that has designated pick-up and drop-off locations in order to make commuting to Lindblom easier on their students and parents. Lindblom also prides itself on allowing extensive accessibility to its teachers for the benefit of their students. Additionally, students are offered participation in select clubs and sports programs to supplement their academics. 

While Lindblom Academic Center does not have its own website, visit Lindblom Math & Science High School’s website to find more information for the Academic Center underneath the Academic Center tab: https://lindblomeagles.org/index.jsp

Ramisha Ejaz, Tutoring Coordinator
ramisha@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266