Standardized Testing

PSAT

In October, as part of the Harvard-Westlake School Testing Program, all sophomores and juniors take the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT). The school takes care of all registrations for this exam.

The PSAT is an exam designed to measure verbal, writing, and mathematical abilities generally associated with academic achievement in college. It is intended to offer students a preview of the SAT Reasoning Test, which is commonly used by colleges in their assessment of candidates. Although the PSAT is shorter than the SAT Reasoning Test, the basic format and the level of difficulty of both tests are identical.

PSAT Score Reports

In December, you receive a score report from the school. The score can be found on the top left-hand side of this form. The PSAT is scored on a scale from 20 to 80 (whereas the SAT Reasoning Test uses a scale from 200 to 800) in three areas: verbal, writing and math. Although the scaled scores are helpful, they do not reveal information about your performance in comparison with that of other students across the nation. The percentile scores, given at the right in the same box, indicate how well you did when compared to PSAT test-takers across the nation.

SAT Tests

Most students need to take both the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests. (Some students choose to take the ACT in place of the SAT Reasoning Test; some students take both.) A basic testing calendar might look like this:

June of Sophomore Year: SAT Subject Tests

January OR March of Junior Year: SAT Reasoning Test

May AND June of Junior Year: SAT Subject Tests

Fall of senior year: Any retesting as advised by your dean

The Upper School Deans work with students to produce an individual testing calendar based on academic preparation and readiness.

SAT Registration

We encourage you to register for the tests as soon as possible. If you are a junior, you should register by mid-October. Harvard-Westlake School is a popular College Board test-site that is open to the entire community. Since registration is done through the College Board, Harvard-Westlake School students are not given preference. The sooner you register, the better you ensure that you will have a spot at Harvard-Westlake School.

To register for the SAT, go online to www.collegeboard.com. Students who have documentation on file that makes them eligible for extended time or other special accommodations MUST include their SSD number when prompted with the online registration.

After you have registered, there is a tremendous amount of flexibility, and, throughout the year, you will be able to make modifications to many of your registration details right up to the day of the actual test administration.

Some helpful information:

1. As you register online you will be required to indicate Harvard-Westlake's school code (052-159) and our test center code (05-514). (NOTE: You MUST print out your confirmation to present on the day of the test and you MUST bring a picture ID).

2. The Student Search Service is optional. Should you choose to mark "yes" you will receive a great deal of information about a variety of colleges throughout the country.

3. The section marked Score Reports to Colleges and Scholarship Programs should be left blank when you initially register.

4. The Student Descriptive Questionnaire is optional. We suggest that students fill this out only once. Colleges understand that students' answers here vary throughout their high school career. Don't worry about precise responses.

The ACT

The American College Test (ACT) is an increasingly popular alternative to the SAT Reasoning Test and is accepted at every college in the county in lieu of the SAT Reasoning Test. The ACT includes four sections: English, math, reading and science. Most colleges prefer that you also include the writing section. To learn more about the ACT or to register for the ACT, click on www.act.org.