To test or not to test......this is a question you may be pondering. In past years, the college entrance exam was a high school graduation requirement. Now that those requirements have changed, why would you take a test that you are not required to take?
For starters, what is a college entrance exam? College entrance exams, most notable being the ACT and SAT, are placement assessments used to match college students with appropriate math and english courses. These tests were high school graduation requirements and often times used as eligibility thresholds for some colleges and universities, as well as scholarship opportunities. In recent years, however, colleges and universities have dropped this as a requirement with high schools following suite. Idaho dropped the college entrance exam requirement in the Spring of 2022, after testing of course! So, Congratulations Class of 2023, most of you are off the hook!!
So why would you want to take the ACT/SAT? Here are a couple things to consider
1) If you are looking at a college or university that requires ACT or SAT scores you will want to test. If you are unsure, check admissions requirements for your prospective institutes and see what their requirements are regarding test scores.
2) Are you a Junior looking to dual enroll next year? If so, taking the ACT at KBA in April will help you get an idea of your placement for math and english and save you from testing later. If you get a high score in English, there is a possibility that you can be awarded credit for English 101 and move straight into English 102. This is not an option when you take the placement test at NIC or other colleges.
3) Are you looking at Merit based scholarships that require a test score? If so, you will want to test. You are better off spending a few hours taking a test than giving up on potential money! If you're looking at a potential $1,000 scholarship, you can think of it as making $250 an hour for testing, not a bad wage!
If you have decided that testing is for you, you can SIGN-UP NOW for KBA's Late April test dates: April 18th, 19th & 20th. Don't worry, you only have to sign up for one of those dates!
Have questions? Hit me up: heather@kootenaibridgeacademy.org