News
What's the Difference Between the SAT and the ACT?
When deciding whether to take the SAT or the ACT, there are a few factors to consider. It’s helpful to know that the SAT and ACT are more similar than they are different! The material they cover is almost exactly the same, as is the formatting.
While the concepts on both tests are very similar, the ACT does involve slightly more complex math, including questions on topics such as trigonometry, imaginary numbers, and logarithms. While newer versions of the SAT do touch on advanced math, the ACT requires a more in-depth knowledge of such concepts. Additionally, there is a “science” section on the ACT, which does not actually require knowledge of science topics; it instead involves deciphering charts and graphs. This section will not test your prior scientific knowledge, but rather your ability to interpret information presented in various ways.
Another key difference between these tests involves timing. The ACT is much more fast-paced than the SAT. On the ACT, students have an average of 36 seconds to answer each question (though that varies slightly between sections), while on the SAT that average is closer to 70 seconds. This means the ACT requires you to move much more quickly through each question and has more questions overall than the SAT. If you’re a strong, focused test-taker with good time-management skills, the ACT may be for you! If you get distracted or overwhelmed easily, then it may be better to stick with the SAT.
Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
The Impacts of COVID-19 on SAT/ACT Test Scores
For the last several years, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused major issues in the field of education. In general, students have not been able to get as much time in the classroom and have had to adapt to remote learning environments to receive instruction. Illness has also been a factor in attendance, causing many students to fall behind in their coursework. For all of these reasons, students taking the SAT and the ACT have struggled, resulting in lower average test scores in 2022.
In 2021 students averaged an SAT score of 1060 out of 1600 which has since dropped to 1050 in 2022. Similarly, in 2022 ACT students averaged 19.8 out of 30 compared to an average of 20.3 the previous year. This is the lowest composite ACT score of the last thirty years. Altogether 42% of students who took the ACT met none of the benchmarks meant to indicate college success.
Though scores are down, more students than ever are taking both the SAT and ACT. According to the 2022 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, this year 1.7 million students took the SAT which is up 13% from the previous year. Similarly, the ACT has had an increase of 55,000 students from 2021 to 2022. Due to this increased demand, it is more important than ever that students begin preparing for these exams early, so they are left with the best possible chance of success.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Test Prep Chicago's SAT Programming
Test Prep Chicago will be offering SAT Test Prep Programs beginning this winter.
The SAT is the most widely used college admissions exam, serving as a tool for colleges and universities to measure a student’s academic ability and college-readiness. The SAT is taken over the course of three hours and consists of two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing. Each section is worth 800 points for a maximum total of 1600 points.
TPC’s SAT programming will include 8-session SAT test prep courses. Our 8-session course reviews both sections of the SAT, as well as key test-taking strategies.
We are also offering 1-day Test Prep Palooza workshops for the SAT. These 6-hour workshops include a full graded practice test and a review of each question on the test (pizza lunch included!).
Finally, we offer in-home individual tutoring to prepare students for college entrance exams. To set up individual tutoring, please email info@testprepchicago.com or call (312) 848-1266.
Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@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 Announces CPS High School Admissions Test Dates (2022-23 School Year)
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has announced the test dates for the High School Admissions Test (HSAT). This year, the HSAT will be taken by CPS students on October 26th. Non-CPS students will have the option to take the HSAT on November 5th, 6th, 12th, or 13th. All test dates have been listed below.
HSAT Test Dates
CPS Students:
Wednesday, October 26
Non-CPS Students:
Saturday, November 5
Sunday, November 6
Saturday, November 12
Sunday, November 13
The HSAT will be offered in-school for CPS students. Non-CPS students will take the HSAT at a designated CPS testing site.
Applicants can apply using the GoCPS online application portal.
The application process for the 2023-2024 school year opens Wednesday, September 14 and ends Friday, December 2nd.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Chicago Students are Still Struggling
According to recent data from Chalkbeat, Chicago Public School students are still suffering from the deleterious educational effects of Covid-19. Non-verified standardized test results indicate a severe drop in performance from previous scores in the 2018-2019 school year. After testing third through eighth-graders, the unofficial results show that only fifteen percent of students met the state standard for math and twenty percent for language arts. This is a stark contrast to pre-pandemic test scores where nearly twenty-five percent of students met the standard for math and twenty-eight percent for language arts.
While these results are preliminary, they present concerns for educators throughout Chicago. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grade had particular difficulty, indicating a lack of foundational knowledge that may lead to more severe problems at the middle school level. Paul Zavitkovsky, an assessment specialist at the University of Chicago states, “the implication here is that without deep structural interventions at the middle school level that have been very difficult to achieve under the best conditions, the likelihood of learning recovery for kids now entering the middle school years is pretty low.”
As this preliminary testing data was released sooner than in years past, education officials and administrators are able to use the summer to prepare intervention methods specific to students’ needs. Many educators plan to get students back on track via recovery plans and skill-oriented teaching. However, teacher shortages and staff burn-out may pose even more problems for struggling students and educational staff to overcome during the school year. Many worry that the long-term effects of this education crisis will have an adverse effect on students for years to come.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
nate@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
MIT Reinstates SAT/ACT Requirement
In March, MIT made headlines for reinstating its requirement that applicants submit their SAT or ACT scores, beginning with the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. Like many schools, MIT had waived these requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although the pandemic was a consideration in their decision-making process, the decision to remove and reinstate the requirement was more complicated. In addition to improving pandemic conditions, MIT also referenced socioeconomic diversity and the predictive power of standardized tests.
Advocates for test-optional admissions have often argued that standardized testing requirements are unfair to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who might not have the same opportunity as their peers to prepare for these tests. However, in a Q&A with Stuart Schmill, the Dean of Admissions at MIT, he stated that in MIT's experience, these requirements generally had the opposite effect. He argued that standardized testing provided a way to identify promising students who may not have had access to rigorous coursework, extracurricular activities, or strong letters of recommendation. Although he acknowledged that standardized testing could also create barriers to entry in some cases, he believed those barriers to be less than those created by looking purely at other factors.
MIT also stated that its data suggested that SAT and ACT scores, particularly mathematics scores, were strongly indicative of whether a student would succeed at MIT. Schmill suggested that this was largely because of the rigorous mathematics requirements at MIT; even if students had strong skills in other disciplines, if they were not prepared for MIT's math curriculum, they often struggled. Schmill argued that standardized testing could predict whether a student would be able to succeed in these math courses.
Although some factors, such as the effect on disadvantaged students, are relevant to all colleges, other factors, such as the rigor of MIT's mathematics curriculum, are specific to MIT. So far, no other colleges have followed suit, so it is unclear what impact, if any, MIT's decision will have on other colleges. However, it is likely that in the coming months, many colleges will choose to clarify their policies, regardless of whether they keep those policies the same, transition to being test-optional, or reinstate a mandatory testing policy that they had put on pause.
Francis Burke, Test Prep Chicago Intern
Potential Changes to the Selective Enrollment Admissions Process
Chicago Public Schools have recently suggested for the Chicago Board of Education to alter the admissions process for selective enrollment elementary and high schools. The purpose of this initiative is to lead to a more equitable admissions process for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
What is the Current System?
The current system involves admitting students based upon their grade, their scores on entrance exams, such as the CPS High School Admissions Exam, and their socioeconomic status. For instance, students are ranked into one of four tiers, each corresponding to a different socioeconomic level. Tier four represents students in the highest socioeconomic level and tier one represents students in the lowest socioeconomic level. Under the current system, 30 % of the available seats are given to students who received the best grades and exam scores, regardless of their tier categorization. The remaining 70 % of available seats are then split equally among the four tiers and the highest-scoring students within each tier are placed into the available seats.
What is the Problem?
The great majority of seats in selective enrollment elementary and high schools are given to tier 3 and 4 students. According to CPS, the percentage of seats occupied by tier 3 and 4 students in selective enrollment elementary and high schools was 85% and 73% respectively in 2021. Driven by the leadership of the new CEO of CPS Schools, Pedro Martinez, this new initiative seeks to find a more equitable approach.
What is the Solution?
CPS has suggested two possible solutions to the Chicago Board of Education.
To keep the 30% rule but redistribute the remaining seats to ensure that enrollment is more evenly distributed among the four tiers.
To remove the 30% rule and give each tier 25% of the available seats.
Any changes in the admissions process will not be implemented until the application cycle for the 2023-2024 school year.
Source: https://cpsengagement.com/selective-enrollment-policy
Nate Mann, Test Prep Chicago Intern
An Overview of the Algebra Exit Exam
The Algebra Exit Exam is an annual assessment given in late May to 7th or 8th grade students enrolled in Algebra I. The purpose of the exam is to determine if students are prepared to move on to more advanced math classes, such as geometry. The result from this exam along with other factors determines a student’s math placement for the following year. For example, some CPS schools will use a student’s score to place them into either regular or honors geometry. Other schools may use the Algebra Exit Exam in addition to their own math placement assessment. The benefits of this exam are that it helps administrators place students into the proper math class for their level and allows qualified students to take advanced placement math classes in the future.
The exam is 120 minutes long and is composed of 34 multiple choice problems and 6 short constructed response items. Short constructed response items are questions that ask students to use algebra concepts to critically solve real world problems. The exam is administered online and is scored on a pass/fail system where students can receive either a high pass, pass, or fail.
Test Prep Chicago offers a 1-day four hour workshop in preparation for Algebra Exit Exam. The workshop includes a full practice test, review of test questions, and instruction for key test strategies and skills. For more information about setting up tutoring, please call (312) 848-1266 or send an email to info@testprepchicago.com.
Nate Mann, Test Prep Chicago Intern
Pandemic has deleterious effects on Illinois’ standardized test scores
The Illinois State Board of Education has recently published data that indicates that since the start of the pandemic, standardized test scores have dramatically decreased while chronic absenteeism has increased. This data comes as a result of juxtaposing students’ 2021 standardized test scores with the corresponding scores from 2019.
Specifically, after taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness exam (IAR), average CPS test scores decreased in both reading and math. The data describes that 21% of students met the standard for competency in English in 2021 as opposed to 28% of students who took the exam two years prior. Similarly, only 16% of students met the competency requirements for Math as opposed to 24% in 2019. As students did not take the IAR in 2020, some suggest the data is incomplete.
Members of the Chicago Teacher’s Union question the integrity of standardized tests altogether as CTU president argues that students should not have the pressure of performing well on standardized tests when they are already overwhelmed by the health and safety concerns COVID-19 has presented. He stated, “to grade any person, or any school district, under these circumstances is cruel…when everyone’s M.O. for the past year has been maintaining proper health, safety, and sanity.”
Moving forward, the data collected is highly valuable as it provides some insight into how to support student learning throughout the pandemic. As more information becomes available, educators and administrators will gain a better understanding of how to aid students and communities to help achieve their educational goals.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Source: Chicago Sun Times