Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department offers tips for upcoming assessments

On April 23 and 24, freshmen, sophomore and junior students will take assessments to monitor their academic progress.

Juniors will take the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), which consists of the ACT Plus Writing and the ACT WorkKeys. Juniors can use the ACT from the PSAE for college admittance. Sophomores and non-PSAE juniors will take a practice ACT on April 23. Freshmen will take a PLAN test on April 24. For more information about the testing schedule, see the article above.

Below are some helpful tips from ACT’s website,
http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/tips/, to prepare for next week.

  • Carefully read the instructions on the cover of the test booklet.
  • Read the directions for each test carefully, and read each question carefully.
  • Pace yourself – don't spend too much time on a single passage or question.
  • Pay attention to the announcement of five minutes remaining on each test.
  • Use a soft lead No. 2 pencil with a good eraser. Do not use a mechanical pencil or ink pen. If you do, your answer document cannot be scored accurately.
  • Answer the easy questions first, and then go back and answer the more difficult ones if you have time remaining on that test.
  • On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess among those remaining.
  • Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing.
  • If you complete a test before time is called, recheck your work on that test.
  • Mark your answers properly. If you make a change, erase marks completely and cleanly without smudging.
  • Do not mark or alter any ovals on a test or continue writing the essay after time has been called. If you do, you will be dismissed, and your answer document will not be scored.

For juniors, if you haven’t signed up to take a National ACT, it’s recommended you take the June 14 National test. The deadline to sign up is May 9, and you can register at www.actstudent.org.