Standardized Tests: Don't Panic!

    FAIRFIELD, CT, June 08, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Yikes! The final administration of SAT II subject tests for this academic year has come and gone. Here at Admissions Accomplished, LLC, I spent the past week fielding calls from concerned parents and students with various questions.

Here are some answers:

1. Will a poor score be seen by colleges even if subsequent scores are higher? Possibly. The College Board allows students to withhold one or more subject test scores from a college. This is referred to as 'score choice'; however, not all schools abide by score choice and any given school may require a student to disclose all of his/her exam scores.

That said, most schools utilize a student's two highest scores in their assessment.

2. Can a score be cancelled? Yes, if a student takes an exam and feels it did not go as well as expected, the student can cancel the score. However, if the student took two exams on the same day, say, math and physics, for example, and performed well on the math, but feels physics was a disaster, the student does NOT have the option of cancelling only one. The student is required to either cancel or accept both scores!

3. How can students cancel their subject scores?

a. If the student is sure s/he wants to cancel the test(s) s/he can ask the test supervisor for a cancellation form which the student will complete, sign and then return to the supervisor before leaving the test site.

b. The student can cancel scores in writing up until 11:59pm (Eastern Time) the Wednesday following the test. The College Board must receive the request by this time and because a signature is required, the information must be faxed or sent by express mail.

More precise direction is provided on the College Board web site.

In short, if a student knows that s/he is not adequately prepared for the test and is scoring poorly on practice exams, I suggest s/he skip the test--especially if s/he is taking more than one test on a given day.

On the other hand, if a student knows the material and is scoring reasonably well on practice exams, I suggest taking the exam. In the case s/he takes two or more tests and does poorly on one, colleges will typically use the two highest scores submitted. S/he can always retake the exam at a future date.

Admissions Accomplished, LLC is an educational consulting firm dedicated to helping individuals make meaningful choices about their education. We offer exceptional individual counseling and educational workshops focused on admission to highly selective colleges and graduate programs. Our goal is to help students find and gain acceptance to the school that provides the best fit, academically and socially, given his or her specific needs and talents.

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