Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department offers advice to students regarding college entrance exams

This is the time of year when many students are getting ready to take a college entrance exam.

To help students through that process, the Addison Trail Guidance Department offers the following advice.

Which exam should I take and when?
Colleges and universities throughout the U.S. accept the ACT or the SAT for college applications. Which exam you take is up to you. However, every District 88 junior took a PSAT exam in October, which is a practice SAT exam. Also, the Illinois State Board of Education will provide the SAT, including a writing component, at no cost to all public high school juniors this year (District 88 students will take that exam on April 5). Students will complete the test registration in school. This means Illinois high schools have transitioned from the ACT to the SAT as the state assessment.

After each student completes a PSAT or SAT assessment, he or she will receive a score report that outlines the student’s strengths and areas for improvement through an online portal with the College Board (creator of the PSAT and SAT assessments) and an overview of the student’s college and career readiness. Also through the College Board account, each student will receive individualized tutorials from Khan Academy on how to improve in his or her areas of growth. For more information about assessments at District 88, go to https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/20.

What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?
The SAT is made up of two sections – reading/writing and math. The test is scored out of 1,600 points. The ACT is made up of four sections – English, math, reading and science. That test is scored out of 36 points.

How do I register for the exams?
You can register for the SAT exam at www.collegeboard.com. The national test dates for the SAT are March 11, May 6 and June 3. Be sure to register for the national test dates at least one month in advance to avoid late fees. The cost is $45.

You can register for the ACT at www.act.org. The national test dates for the ACT are April 8 and June 10. Be sure to register for the national test dates at least one month in advance to avoid late fees. The cost is $42.50.

Both exams have an optional writing portion for an added fee. The writing portion is required for select colleges and universities. Consult the college or university’s website to see whether the writing portion is necessary for admissions.

Do I need to take both exams?
Students may take both exams, but it is not necessary for college admissions.