Testing

AP Exams Update (Spring 2021)

2021 AP exams will be offered in Administration 1 (May 3–7, 10–12, 14, 17) for in-person, paper-based exams, and Administration 3 (June 1–4, 7–11) for at home, digital exams. AP Students and their families should refer to information emailed on Monday, March 8th and Tuesday, April 27th for complete details.

SAT & ACT Exams (Spring 2021)

The school day SAT was held on campus on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Online and paper score reports will be available April 16. 

The ACT was held on campus on Saturday, April 17, 2021, to SFHS Juniors only. Multiple choice scores are normally available two weeks after the test date, but it can sometimes take up to eight weeks.

1/26/21 PSAT Scores (Juniors)

PSAT results will be emailed to juniors directly from the College Board in a few months. Student Score Reports have helpful interpretive information about their performance.  There will be numerical and content-based interpretations of student performance which will define what students know and can do and also helps students identify the knowledge and skills to focus on next to increase achievement.

Testing Requirements for College Admissions

As of February 16, 2021, all 23 California State University campuses (Cal Poly, San Diego State, Sac State, etc) will be Test Free (Test Blind) for the Class of 2022. Similarly, UC campuses will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions for Fall 2022 or awarding Regents and Chancellor’s scholarships. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.

In other words: all public universities in the state of California will not require an applicant to submit test scores. Additionally, to view 1,300+ colleges and universities in the U.S. that will be Test Optional for the Class of 2022, we recommend visiting Fairtest.org.

Finally, the College Board has eliminated the optional essay portion of the SAT as well as eliminated the administration of the SAT Subject Tests.  There are no colleges or universities in the U.S. that require SAT Subject Tests or the SAT to be taken with the optional essay section or the ACT to be taken with the optional writing section.  

Visit the following links for the most current information being communicated to us from colleges and universities:

California State University
University of California
National Association for College Admission Counseling 
Ivy League Universities

Page Updated: April 21, 2021

PSAT 8/9 – Freshmen

The PSAT 8/9 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10 in a way that makes sense for eighth and ninth graders. It measures what they’re already learning, shows them whether they’re on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. That means students have time to tackle these areas long before they take the SAT.  

This test includes:

Reading: 55 minutes

Writing: 30 minutes

Math: 60 minutes

Total test time is approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes

St. Francis Freshman are automatically registered for this exam. No additional fees required. 

PreACT – Sophomores

The PreACT provides 10th grade students with practice for taking the ACT test. Results give students and parents information about students’ predicted performance on the ACT (aligned to the same 1-36 scale) and provide career interest information. PreACT test results also show students their areas of strength and where they need to improve. 

This test includes:

English: 25-35 minutes

Math: 35-45 minutes 

Reading: 25-30 minutes

Science: 25-35 minutes

Total test time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

St. Francis sophomores are automatically registered for this exam.  No additional fees are required.  

PSAT – Juniors

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). A standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®, it also gives SFHS Juniors graders a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.

The PSAT/NMSQT is aligned with the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT measures the skills and knowledge that are essential for college readiness and success.

The test includes:

Reading: 60 minutes

Writing and Language: 35 minutes

Math: 70 minutes

Total test time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. This test is paper based. 

Scoring

Some scores will be reported on the same scale used for the SAT: this scale ranges from 400 to 1600 for the composite score, 200-800 for two area scores, and 10-40 for test scores

St. Francis juniors will be automatically registered for this exam.  No additional fees are required.

SAT

The SAT is offered seven times each year in the U.S. It is offered in August, October, November, December, March May, and June. 

To register for the SAT, please visit www.collegeboard.org

ACT

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. The ACT is administered on seven test dates within the United States, —July, September, October, December, February, April, and June.

To register for the ACT, go to the www.ACT.org and follow the instructions.

AP Exams

All students enrolled in AP classes are required to take the AP exam. Some Honors courses also require the AP exam, or make it optional. St. Francis registers students for their appropriate AP exams and students who complete the AP test are excused from final exams in relevant courses.

AP Scores Available Online in July
Students need a College Board account to view their scores. To sign up for a new account or to log into an existing account, visit: apscore.org.  In July, students will be required to provide the following to access their scores: College Board account username and password, and AP number (or Student ID if they provided it on their AP answer sheet). Students may check apscore.org after exams for the exact date their scores will be available.

Additional AP Exam Information 
See attached links for College Board. Parents will be emailed a detailed AP Information letter in early Fall.

AP Exam Fees are set by The College Board.  St. Francis registers students for the appropriate exams and fees are collected by the Finance Department.

Learn More at the College Board Website

Test Preparation

St. Francis offers test preparation for both exams.  Method Test Prep (accessed through Naviance) offers full-length online ACT and SAT courses at no cost.