Test Acronym Soup: Which Tests to Take When

It’s a familiar conversation now after running a tutoring practice for the last two decades: the mother of a firstborn child starting ninth grade at a public high school asks, “what are all these tests? Which ones do we have to take? When do we need to start studying?” with consternation written on her face. Her frustration is fueled by the fact that public schools do an inconsistent job of spreading testing info and awareness since they have more diverse student populations than their private counterparts; these standardized tests can have an outsized impact on her child’s future; and the soup of similar acronyms doesn’t help. I then respond by drawing a timeline of the student’s next few years of school and label when they should plan on taking which tests depending on their situation, interests, and academic goals. The tests to consider include: the ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHs, APs, SAT IIs, ACT, and SAT. Without a single clear resource that explains the differences and schedules of all the exams, I’d have to redraw the testing timeline for every curious, frustrated parent looking for guidance. So I made the short video below to give to the parents of my students that outlines when to take which test and a summary of the similarities and differences between them. 

SSAT & ISEE: admissions into private middle and high schools.

SHSAT: admission into specialized public high schools in NYC.

TACHs: private Catholic high school admission.

SCAT & STB: among the tests accepted by the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) programs.

PSAT: a practice SAT offered early sophomore year that gives students a chance at the National Merit Scholarship.

Regents: three-hour-long subject exams offered to public high school students in New York State as a graduation requirement.

APs: Advanced subject-specific exams taken in high school to aid in college admissions and potentially earn college credit.

SAT IIs: hour-long tests designed to demonstrate proficiency in specific subjects to colleges. Max score: 800.

ACT & SAT: college admissions exams that are approximately three-hours-long and cover math, reading comprehension, and figure/data analysis.