The PSAT, SAT, and ACT are all tests that help to measure a student’s readiness for college coursework. In Illinois, the ACT is the required state test for all juniors that satisfies ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) requirements. In other words, every public high school student in Illinois MUST take the ACT before graduating from high school. Maine Township District 207 administers this test to its juniors in April of each year.
Beginning in 2025 – 2026, Maine Township District 207 will use the ACT Suite of Assessments to help track student growth concerning their readiness to be successful on the ACT in their junior year. Each student takes a preparatory test on their way to taking the Institutional ACT (required by the state) in April of their junior year. Each spring each class takes the grade-level appropriate ACT. 12th-grade students are not required to test; however, we encourage 12th-graders to take additional ACT tests to improve their scores if they so desire. This is not required or paid for by the district.
District and building administrators review the results of these tests longitudinally to make adjustments to our academic program as necessary.
The ACT
The ACT is a college entrance exam that many colleges and universities in the United States use as part of the college admissions process. It is a standardized test that measures a student’s skills in five core areas: English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional). Students in grades 11 and 12 take the ACT so that they can satisfy state testing requirements and submit their scores to colleges as part of the college application process.
The ACT is composed of four multiple-choice sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science; and one optional essay section – Writing. Total testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes for the ACT without Writing and 3 hours and 35 minutes for the ACT with Writing.
The PSAT
Also known as the NMSQT (National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test) is essentially a practice SAT. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT, and even the ACT, but it’s more than just a trial run. PSAT scores are used to identify National Merit Scholars and award merit scholarships. Additionally, the AP Predictor information can help identify students for AP coursework by drawing correlations between student scores and successful participation on AP exams.
The PSAT has two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Students encounter passage-based questions—sometimes accompanied by tables, graphs, and charts—and math problems drawing upon algebra, geometry, and some trigonometry. The PSAT does not count towards your college admissions applications and is not facilitated by Maine Township High School District 207.
The SAT
Is a test of college preparedness that is required by many colleges and universities as part of the admissions process. It is a three (3) hour multiple-choice test with a 50-minute optional essay portion. The two main sections are math and evidence-based reasoning.