Standardized Testing

A yearly standardized testing calendar can be found here. The Meadows School is an open testing center only at specific times of the year. Note that testing spots on those dates are not just for Meadows students. Test sites fill up months in advance and locations can cancel at the last minute. Plan accordingly by registering well ahead of time and discussing alternative options.

Students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades at The Meadows School will take the PSAT/NMSQT during a school day in mid-October. Only the results from 11th grade are considered for the National Merit Scholarship.

We encourage students to take both the SAT and ACT in the winter or spring of junior year. The tests differ and some students do significantly better on one of the tests than the other. Students can compare their SAT vs. ACT scores using this concordance table.

April, June, and December ACT tests are TIR (Test Information Release) dates when students can pay an additional fee to receive a copy of the multiple-choice questions used to determine their score, a list of their answers, and the answer key post-test. This additional feature is known as the Question and Answer Service for the SAT. Students must opt-in and pay for this feature when registering.

Students with learning differences should begin the process of applying for accommodations as soon as possible. See our accommodations FAQs to learn about applying for accommodations and the type of accommodations that are available. Please note that it can take several weeks for accommodations to be approved once they have been requested.

There are several opportunities during senior year to retake the ACT (July, September, October, December) and the SAT (August, October, November, December). All of these dates will enable scores to arrive on time for regular college application deadlines (January 1st, January 15th). For students applying to college by an early deadline (Nov 1st, Nov. 15th), scores from the November and possibly October exams will NOT be available in time. It is the student’s responsibility to find out colleges’ standardized testing deadlines, as they do vary.

The goal of the PSAT/NMSQT is to allow students and counselors to measure progress and college readiness from year to year and from one assessment to another. The PSAT/NMSQT assesses the same domain of knowledge and skills as the SAT but with a different level of difficulty. It is important to approach the testing with a growth mindset and understand that by analyzing errors you can augment your skills and knowledge and your performance will improve as well as your mastery of the material and comfort with the test.

PSAT/NMSQT booklets and your student’s score report are mailed to the custodial parent(s) in mid-December. This report provides students with an access code to their College Board accounts. When your PSAT/NMSQT scores are available online, your student will receive an email (if your student provided an email address when filling out their answer sheet) with instructions on going to their online score report and using their access code to view scores.

Students are responsible for submitting their test scores to colleges. Students submit their SAT scores through collegeboard.org and ACT scores through act.org. College Counseling does NOT send test scores to colleges.

It can take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks for scores to arrive at the colleges, so we recommend working backward from the first date of your college application to ensure that scores arrive on time.

We recommend that students do NOT elect to have test scores sent automatically to colleges. Waiting allows students to control the submission of official score reports.

Many colleges now allow students to self-report their scores in their application. Other colleges will require official reports directly from the collegeboard.org (SAT) or act.org (ACT) websites. Students should refer to the specific college admissions websites for detailed information.

It is helpful to use 10th-grade PSAT results or 11th-grade winter SAT and ACT results to help students analyze which test best suits them. When a student decides which test to concentrate on, they can prepare with self-study, tutoring, online prep, and prep courses.

Take your PSAT/NMSQT results and apply them to personalized SAT practice for free on Khan Academy. Linking your College Board and your Khan Academy accounts unlocks personalized test prep features. Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is free, and by linking accounts, the Official SAT Practice provides personalized recommendations based on your previous scores on any PSAT-related or SAT assessment.

The College Board provides students with personalized practice through short diagnostic quizzes, eight full-length real practice tests along with thousands of practice questions, videos, lessons, and test-taking tips and strategies. ACT also offers test preparation resources and tips on their site as well.

The Meadows School also provides all students with free access to Albert.IO for test preparation on SAT, PSAT, and AP Exams. Albert accelerates learning results with thoroughly explained practice questions and data-driven insights.

We encourage students to begin preparing for the SAT and ACT as early as the summer between 10th and 11th grade.

Below is a link to learn about requesting accommodations including: