Comparing SATs with European exams

Test Preparation
1

<p>I’m interested in comparing the US school leavers’ examinations with the exams we have in my own country, Ireland. If anyone would care to help me, exam papers and marking schemes can be found on [State</a> Examination Commission - SEC Home](<a href=“http://www.examinations.ie%5DState”>http://www.examinations.ie). If you have any questions regarding the Leaving Cert, feel free to ask.</p>

<p>General information: the LC is taken in the
final year of secondary school, after 5 or 6 years of secondary education (the 4th year is optional). The first two years prepare for the Junior Certificate exams, the final two
for the Leaving Cert, while 4th (Transition) Year is another beast entirely. The exams begin on a Wednesday in early June, and run for two and a half weeks. This year’s timetable can be found at the above address. Exams can be taken at Higher or Ordinary (also known as Honours and Pass) level, while Maths and Irish can be taken at Foundation level. Foreign language subjects (including Irish) involve a listening comprehension test and an oral interview, the latter held around March - April.</p>

<p>Virtually all questions require you to write; multiple-choice questions (at Higher level) appear only in foreign language papers, and even then they only appear in the reading comprehensions, and only one or two are asked.</p>

<p>Candidates are allowed use calculators (but not graphical ones, i.e. nothing that can draw graphs, complete algebraic expressions or perform other very advanced processes). Tables of formulae are permitted beginning this year, but if you want to try the old papers I recommend against using them, as the marking schemes don’t allow for them.</p>

<p>I look forward to hearing your thoughts!</p>

2

<p>Interesting! Are you looking to compare the exams in terms of rigor, or curriculum, or what else in particular?</p>

<p>Since the US has no official, national tests (educational assessment is almost always left up to individual states) we really have nothing to compare directly. Although, after looking at a few test papers from the website, it seems like the Leaving Cert High levels are roughly comparable to American AP or IB HL tests, and the Ordinary levels to IB SL (or perhaps SAT Subject tests.) It’s also hard to compare because American tests are usually very “ability” oriented–they’re often more like IQ tests than school tests–while the Irish exams are focused on specific subjects. </p>

<p>This is such a cool idea! I’ve been comparing the education systems of different countries as a hobby for a while now, so it’s AWESOME to find someone who’s also interested! :)</p>

3

<p>Here’s something to consider, from a college admissions officer, about the weight given to exit/leaving exams and how, at least at his college (Oberlin), they are not looked upon as equivalents to SAT or even the grades the student garners during the course of the academic year:</p>

<p><a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/applying/international/calculating_gpa.shtml[/url]”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/applying/international/calculating_gpa.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;