How do homeschoolers take...?

Question

the s.a.t.s and the A.c.t.s? My daughter is homeschooled, and I was just wondering how other families who have homeschooled their children deal with these exams. All help is greatly appreciated!!!

Answer 1

Other responses are correct - you contact the College Board to see where the tests will be offered in your area.  When I took the ACT in high school, it was at the local university - it had nothing to do with my school.  The score report was sent to my school.  As a HS'ing parent you just designate your home as the "school" for reporting purposes.

There are other options also.  If your child scores in the 95th-97th percentiles on standardized testing (not required for HS'ers in all states), and is academically advanced, you can also test through the national talent searches starting in 6th grade for the ACT & SAT - you don't have to wait for high school.

My son has done talent search testing through Northwestern's Center for Talent Development's Midwest Academic Talent Search:

http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/mats/ind...

So as a 3rd & 4th grader (but working ahead of those grades), he took the EXPLORE test, which is from ACT and is typically for 8th graders.

Other talent searches use the SCAT and some use the EXPLORE.  You just have to see what region your state is in.  The talent searches have additional services also.

Taking the ACT or SAT early can get you access to college courses before you're college age.  Many students take college courses for dual enrollment for high school and college credit.

My son will be a "5th grader" (by age) next fall, but he'll take the ACT and SAT this coming year.  We'll have to go through the test centers directly, as MATS won't allow it until 6th grade.  He's just taken the EXPLORE twice and there's no need to repeat it again.

Answer 2

Thank you for this question and all the great answers.  I was wondering this too.

Have a great day!

Answer 3

The signing up itself is easy. You just need to get in contact with your local school.

I'm using a Princeton Review book and will be doing intensive math review with a tutor. I'd probably do fine without review, but I'd like to boost my score as much as possible.

Don't stress, you'll do fine.

Answer 4

just go to collegeboard.com and register to take the tests. It does not matter if you are home schooled or not.

Answer 5

My 9th grader has taken the ACT twice.  First through Duke TIP in 7th and the second time just on our own this April.

Neither time did we go through the local school system. First take was at the local school.  Second time we decided to schedule the exam to be taken at a nearby university.

Both times we scheduled through ACTStudent.org

My son will be taking the PSAT this fall - again we will not and do not need to go through a local school.

An important difference between the SAT and ACT.  The ACT organization only reports the test score you indicate - so there is no potential penalty by taking practice exams.  The SAT is different.  Each test you take impacts what is reported to colleges (I think they are all averaged).

I do a free email alert (although taking a break over the summer) that includes scholarships open to homeschoolers and I keep everyone informed of ACT, PSAT and SAT testing dates (fourth link below if you are interested).

A copy of the May alert is at the fifth link below.

Hope some of that helps a little - the process of signing up for a test is really not difficult at all!

Answer 6

The same way everyone does. For the SAT specifically, go to collegeboard.com and just register for the test. When you're filling out the registration form, there's a specific school code for homeschoolers. Then you take the test on a saturday with the public schoolers, private schoolers, adults, etc who are also taking it.

Answer 7

While you're at it, you can go to B. Dalton Bookstore, and they have programs for sale that you can SPECIFICALLY  study for the tests with!!!

And lots of people don't know it, but you can take the test more than once!!!

Answer 8

We live in western Canada.  Our PATS are pretty much the same as your SATS.  We can more or less take them wherever we want as long as the administrator is not the parent.  At the end of this coming school year, I will be supervising the testing of two grade three students in my kitchen while their mom supervises my grade three student in the dining room.

Answer 9

You have to contact your local High School and see about signing up.  You can also find out some information from

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/test...

Answer 10

There are specific centers to do the SATs. I don't know about the ACTs. Just go to the college board site and they will have everything you need to know about signing up for the SATs. I don't know who takes care of the ACTs.

Answer 11

I was home schooled all you have to do is sign up.