Sentence Completion

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College Entrance Exams
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What are the COMPASS, ACT, SAT?
The COMPASS, ACT, SAT are college entrance exams
used by many colleges and universities as one
measure of a students college readiness.
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The COMPASS, ACT, or the SAT?

• S.C. state technical colleges require student
  applicants to take the COMPASS.
• Most four-year colleges/universities require
  student applicants to take either the ACT or the
  SAT. However, some four-year institutions
  require neither.
• Minimum entrance exam scores which applicants
  must achieve vary among colleges/universities.
• Before planning to take any of the college
  entrance exams, a student should determine which
  exam is preferred by the college he/she wishes to
  attend AND the exam score required by that
  institution for admission.

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Which test should you take --- the COMPASS, ACT,
or SAT?

• Students should take the COMPASS if they plan to
  attend one of our states technical colleges such
  as Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC).
• NMBH students have access to the COMPASS on our
  campus. Please see Mrs. Randall for details.

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Which test should you take --- the COMPASS, ACT,
or SAT?

• Before choosing the ACT or SAT
• Check with the college/university of your choice
  to determine which test they prefer and what
  minimum score that they accept.
• Research your testing history from PLAN, PSAT,
  or mock SAT to determine which test may be the
  best for you.
• Conference with Mrs. Randall or Mrs. Todd about
  your course history.

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Which test should you take --- the COMPASS, ACT,
or SAT?
You should consider taking the SAT only if you
have completed mathematics coursework including
Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II AND you have
completed at least two years of high school
English.
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COMPASS

• COMPASS is an untimed computerized test that is
  used to evaluate skills and determine course
  placement.
• COMPASS offers tests for reading, writing, math,
  essay, and English as a second language.
• COMPASS is used to indicate areas of strength and
  weakness.
• To take the COMPASS, make arrangements through
  the NMBHS guidance office.

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COMPASS

• The reading test offers comprehension assessment
  in the following areas
• - Practical Reading
• - Prose Fiction
• - Humanities
• - Social Sciences
• - Natural Sciences
• http//www.act.org/compass/tests/reading.html

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COMPASS

• The writing test assesses students skills in the
  following eight areas
• - Punctuation
• - Spelling
• - Capitalization
• - Usage
• - Verb formation/agreement
• - Relationships of clauses
• - Shifts in construction
• - Organization
• http//www.act.org/compass/tests/writingskills.h
  tml

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COMPASS

• The mathematics test assesses students
  knowledge in basic math skills the mathematics
  test offers up to five subject areas
• - Pre-Algebra
• - Algebra
• - College Algebra
• - Geometry
• - Trigonometry
• http//www.act.org/compass/tests/math.html

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COMPASS Registration and Information

• Website address www.act.org/compass/index.html
• Phone
• ACT Educational Services [phone]
• Register to take the COMPASS with Mrs. Randall in
  the NMBHS guidance office.

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The ACT
The ACT contains four subtests

• English
• Mathematics
• Reading
• Science

Source www.actstudent.org
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The ACT
English
The ACT English subtest is a 75-item, 45-minute
test that measures understanding of the
conventions of standard written English
(punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence
structure) and of rhetorical skills (strategy,
organization, and style).

Source www.actstudent.org
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The ACT
Math

• The ACT mathematics subtest is a 60-item,
  60-minute
• test that is designed to assess the mathematical
  reasoning
• skills that students across the United States
  have typically acquired in courses taken up to
  the beginning of Grade 12.
• Six content areas are included pre-algebra,
  elementary algebra, intermediate algebra,
  coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and
  trigonometry.

Source www.actstudent.org
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The ACT
Reading

• The ACT reading subtest is a 40-item, 35-minute
  test
• that measures reading comprehension as a product
  of
• skill in referring and reasoning.
• That is, the test items require students to
  derive meaning from several texts by (a)
  referring to what is explicitly stated and
• (b) reasoning to determine implicit meanings.

Source www.actstudent.org
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The ACT
Science

• The ACT science subtest is a 40-item, 35-minute
  test
• that measures the interpretation, analysis,
  evaluation,
• reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in
  the
• natural sciences.
• The content of the science subtest is drawn from
  biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth/space
  sciences, all of which are represented on the
  test.

Source www.actstudent.org
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ACT Registration and Information

• Website Address www.actstudent.org
• Phone ACT Test Administration [phone]
• Registration booklets for the ACT are available
  in the NMBH Guidance Office.

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The SAT

• The SAT is composed of 10 sections based upon
• three areas
• Critical Reading
• Mathematics
• Writing multiple choice questions and a
• written essay
• Each of the 10 sections is timed ranging from 10
• to 25 minutes.

Source www.collegeboard.com
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The SAT

• The critical reading subtest, which measures
  a students comprehension, requires students to
  read both short and long passages.
• Student comprehension is assessed through
  reading passages and through sentence completion.
• http//www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/a
  bout/sat/reading.html

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The SAT

• The mathematics subtest, which measures a
  students mathematical ability, requires students
  to have acquired knowledge at least through a
  third-year college preparatory course, such as
  exponential growth, absolute value, and
  functional notation.
• The mathematics subtest also places emphasis on
  such topics as linear functions, manipulations
  with exponents, and properties of tangent lines.
• The tests assesses student knowledge through
  multiple choice and student-produced responses.
• http//www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/a
  bout/sat/math.html

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The SAT

• The writing subtest, which measures a
  students knowledge of writing, requires the
  student to write an essay and to identify errors
  in writing via multiple choice.
• Besides the student-produced essay, the student
  must respond to multiple choice items that
  address the following
• - Identifying sentence errors
• - Improving sentences
• - Improving paragraphs
• http//www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/a
  bout/sat/writing.html

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SAT Information and Registration

• Website address www.collegeboard.com
• Phone (866) 360 - 9305
• Registration booklets for the SAT are available
  in the NMBH Guidance Office.

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When to Take the ACT and/or SAT?

• Many colleges and scholarship agencies recommend
  students take the SAT and/or the ACT during the
  spring of their junior year.
• If students need to improve their scores, they
  may take it again in their senior year.
• Students and parents should check deadlines for
  college applications and scholarships when
  planning to take either of the tests.

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NMBH Resources for Preparation for ACT and SAT

• NMBH offers an ACT/SAT Prep Class for juniors and
  seniors.
• ACT/SAT tutoring is available before and after
  school. Students should make an appointment with
  Ms. Kleinman.
• Triumph College Admissions ACT/SAT online
  preparation is available free to all NMBHS
  students. See Ms. Kleinman for details.

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TCA ACT/SAT Prep

• Students may practice for the SAT one of the
  following ways
• Students may access the website at
  https//www.tcaprep.com/php2/login.php?school_code
  16195
• Use the SAT Online Study Guide link on the NMBH
  website under Student Resources.
• Students must get a username and password from
  Ms. Kleinman.

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College Admissions Contacts at NMBH

• Mrs. Wanda Randall
• Mrs. Teresa Todd
• Dr. Andrea Parsons
• Ms. Marcia Kleinman
• Mr. Daryl Brown