| Thanks for popping in! This message board complements Sarah Rainsberger's University Admissions Blog for Homeschoolers in Ontario where you'll find all the information you could possibly want about applying to university as a homeschooler in Ontario. Be sure to visit! This isn't a high traffic message board but you are welcome to add information and ask questions regarding Ontario University Admission policies for Homeschooled and other non-traditional students. As you navigate the university admission process as a homeschooler, mature student or anyone without the traditional academic credentials required for normal university entrance, I hope the policies here will be useful. If you notice something has changed or is out of date, don't hesitate to log in and update the information. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Test Acronyms Explained; definitions & descriptions of the tests | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 11 2008, 02:15 PM (478 Views) | |
| SarahRainsberger | Feb 11 2008, 02:15 PM Post #1 |
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There are a variety of standardized tests used at the university admissions stage. The two main categories of tests are : 1. General Reasoning Tests - SAT, ACT These tests tend to test general reasoning, language (reading, writing, comprehension) and math skills. These tests are most commonly used in university admission for applicants without a high school diploma, or needing to demonstrate their general academic level of achievement. If an academic course of study including a healthy dose of language and mathematics was followed, then there will be little content to study for these tests. Much preparation will revolve around understanding the nature of the test and its specific variety of questions. It is easy to find material detailing the required content of these tests, so if there's anything you might not have previously studied, you can pick it up at that time. The SAT is generally thought to contain more "trick" questions or word problems and focus exclusively on language and mathematics questions, while the ACT's questions are more like "textbook" questions, but also include a section on scientific reasoning. In almost all cases, either test can be used for university admission. Both tests can be written multiple times, and in most cases universities will consider your best score earned. Official websites are: SAT - http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about.html ACT - http://www.actstudent.org/ 2. Subject-Specific Tests - AP, CLEP, SAT subject tests (formerly known as SATII Tests), IB These tests are intended to test a student's knowledge on one particular subject at an in-depth level. These tests may be at the "senior high school" level or "university intro" level, and may be used either to satisfy university admission requirements, to determine advanced placement or standing once in university, or to earn university credits. These tests are heavily content dependent, although test-taking skills, especially multiple choice answering skills, also play a role in succeeding at these tests. There is no one accepted "textbook" from which to study for these tests; however, you will find a list of the content covered in the test, and may choose to learn this information from any number of sources. SAT Subject Tests are the rough equivalent of "high school exit exams" and will not count towards any university credit or placement. They will, however, demonstrate to a university the equivalent of senior high school knowledge in a particular subject area. These tests are open to the general public and offered approximately 6 times per year in Ontario. AP (Advanced Placement) Examinations are the rough equivalent of a "first year, US college final exam" and may often be used for advanced standing or even university credit once enrolled at a university. Certainly more challenging than the SAT Subject Tests, the Advanced Placement exams are intended for advanced high school students who want a "taste of university level work" while still in high school. These exams can only be written at a designated AP high school, and are written annually in May, making them a little less accessible to homeschoolers. CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) tests are designed to cover the material of a typical US college "intro" course. They have a flexible writing schedule (monthly, or sometimes on demand); however, the closest test centre to Ontario seems to be located in Buffalo, NY. These examinations are open to the public, and unlike the AP exams, are designed for adults seeking university credits. CLEP is not as well recognized in Ontario universities as AP is, and the largest obstacle for Ontario homeschoolers seems to be finding a test centre. IB (International Baccalaureate) examinations are similar to AP examinations, except that the IB is an international high school diploma program, and one cannot pick and choose which examinations to write. And, there are other requirements to earning an IB diploma such as writing an "extended essay." IB is not generally an option for homeschoolers as receiving this two-year diploma requires enrollment at an IB school. Yet, many homeschoolers ask about the difference between AP and IB, and for advice about choosing, so it is worth noting that a homeschooler cannot choose an IB program on his/her own. Of course, there's a lot more to it than this, which is why I devote an entire seminar at the homeschooling conferences to Standardized Testing. But, this is the basic idea behind the purpose and uses of the various tests. You'll also notice there are some tests that I haven't mentioned, such as the GED. If a test is not mentioned above, then it is generally not used in the university admission process. The GED is one such test. So, if you're planning on using standardized tests as a university entrance vehicle, you'll be selecting from those above, in conjunction with the stated policies of the individual universities. Edited by SarahRainsberger, Feb 11 2008, 02:49 PM.
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| SarahRainsberger | May 9 2008, 09:03 PM Post #2 |
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Don't forget to check out the University-specific info sections for each school's AP policy (which exam scores they accept for credit, maximum number of credits you can earn, minimum score required to earn a credit etc.), newly added today! |
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9:29 PM Jul 30
