Not trying to rub it in, but after reading this and other CC conversations, I am very thankful for the test taking policies in our school district. The school administers and pays for PSATs for 9th, 10th and 11th graders (I understand that they will include 8th graders starting next year). They also administer and pay for an SAT for 11th graders. And they pay for all AP tests.
Interesting reading about the different testing fees. @3scoutsmom - ouch! That’s quite a bill. I just assumed that we all paid about the same for testing fees. @dadotwoboys - free?? really?? Wow, you’re so lucky! For us, the PSAT was free in 10th grade, and we paid $18 for the upcoming 11th grade sitting. Last year, AP tests were $91 each, but for students taking multiple tests, the fee was dropped to $71 each. I’m planning on spending about $355 this year - which doesn’t sound quite so bad now. I think dadotwoboys should buy us all lunch with all of that money he’s saving!
I agree on the lunch! Fees here are about the same as those described by you, @LMHS73, except there is no break for taking multiple AP tests.
@3scoutsmom I have no clue why the PSAT testing fee is set up that way. There’s also a test that all 9th graders take that is free but for the life of me I can’t remember what it is. Obviously a second kid this time around because I am much less concerned with the testing ha ha ha.
The free AP testing saved me a bundle with my oldest kid. Can’t remember the exact number of tests he took but it was 7 or 8 so that was a nice chunk. DD18 is going for the IB diploma and the full cost of exams for that would be around $860 so an even greater savings for her.
We live in a Jekyll & Hyde area where there is both affluence and poverty side by side. Many of the more affluent people pay for private school, so the public schools have a higher percentage of low income students relative to the area’s population. We pay full price for APs and all other testing.
We have to pay for all the exams here as well. For PSAT it’s $15 for Freshmen and Juniors, free for Sophomores. I think it’s free for Sophomores because they require all of them to take it and they can’t require anything that has a cost. My D reported the downside last year was that the testing environment was pretty sub-par because they put all of them into the gym, and a pretty significant % of the kids just had no interest in it at all so it was noisy. My D was mad about it. She had taken it 9th grade as well, and those kids and the Juniors get pulled off somewhere else and because they all want to be there, it’s a much more serious testing environment.
She’s an IB diploma candidate and the school hasn’t even warned us yet how much we’ll be paying for exams, but I’ve done some research and I know it’s a lot, most of it will hit next year when she’s a senior.
But why do they require all sophomores to take the PSAT, wouldn’t it make more sense to make all 11th graders take it? No one at our school will answer this question. They say, “that’s just the way it is this year”
@3scoutsmom it’s a benchmark test thing… the districts can get good data reports if they require it of all of a certain grade level; the report comes out in January (or later)-- so it has limited utility for curric. dev’t for the Jrs; but the info in the spring of 10th grade allows for planning and placement of students who need further dev’t in specific areas to meet college benchmarks on their Jr/Sr testing. Typically schools will use the PLAN or equivalent in 8th grade as well for the same purpose.
My son’s school hasn’t even sent out information about the PSAT yet. They said it’s “coming soon.” His school just gives it to juniors but I’ve heard of schools giving it to 10th graders. I’m not sure if they take it again as 11th graders though or just in 10th.
1822Mom - My son is in IB and they said the tests are about $800. They also said they split the costs between junior and senior years but I haven’t heard anything about paying part of it this year yet.
changed my mind about this one
@1822mom - the way you described your D’s sophomore PSAT experience sounds very similar to the way my D18 explained hers. Everyone was put in what’s called the auxiliary gym to take the test. D said that a whole bunch of kids just put their heads down on the desk and went to sleep; and other disinterested students goofed around a bit which distracted the kids who wanted to be there.
It would be nice if they pulled the juniors into a different room to take their test, but I don’t believe they do that at D’s school.
@1822mom - I’m happy to say that I was wrong on my previous post. D came home from school today and told me that the juniors will take the PSAT as a separate group this year! And, since there is an $18 fee to take the test, I’d assume that the kids testing will take it seriously and not goof around. It’s hard enough to concentrate on a timed test without some kid on your left snoring, some kid on your right pouting because he/she doesn’t want to be there, and some kid behind you cracking jokes!
Is anyone else being really cruel and making their kid take both the PSAT and ACT in October? I know S won’t do much prep either way, so I’m just going to have him do a few practice tests of each and then no more testing until spring. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I wish I’d done this with D17. Oh, and our PSAT is $35 regardless of grade level.
@3scoutsmom, wow that psychology class requirement sounds just stupid! Is it possible your S’s former OT could write a note to the school explaining that forced extra handwriting will actually be a detriment to his learning? I don’t like teacher rules that make every student study the same way. It’s fine to explain and encourage different methods, but let the student study in the way that works best for them. Their grades will let them know how well that method is working.
@LMHS73, according to CB’s very strict rules, disruptive students are to be removed immediately and an irregularity should be reported. The test supervisor/monitor can get in trouble with CB if they don’t follow the rules to the letter.
@snoozn I don’t think that making your kid take the ACT in October is mean, its actually nice because they’ll be more likely to be done with standardized testing earlier which makes things less stressful. I took the ACT in September, am happy with my score, and am so glad its over.
@snoozn My D took the ACT in Sept (34! 
), will take the SAT Oct 1, then the PSAT on the 19th. Study once, then knock 'em all out before the school year really starts cranking.
My D is also taking the October 1 SAT. She combined her prep for that with PSAT prep, since it’s basically the same thing. Would LOVE for her to be one and done but not counting on it.
@snoozn I think you win for the most expensive PSAT - makes me feel a little better
DS will take the SAT on OCT 1 if he does well he’s done with standardized tests after the PSAT, if not then it’s on to the ACT
Yes, I thought about a note from the OT but was told that would require a 504 special ed accommodation meeting and evaluation and ds really doesn’t want that. He’s hoping that there will be less ‘copying work’ as they get further into the course. We’ll see how it goes but that is an option.
Count us in for the Oct 1st SAT date as well. It seems logical to take it then since D has been prepping for the PSAT anyway. Next on the D’s schedule is a Nov 5th Math 2 subject test. Starting to chip away one test at a time. I still can’t believe it’s their time to start all of the testing and college prep - it seems like just yesterday that they were freshman!
thanks @56lindabee that’s about what I expect, just not sure when they are going to bother to tell us about it. If I had to guess, I’d say about a week before they expect us to pay :-w But maybe they’ll surprise me and mention something tomorrow at back to school night.
@LMHS73 glad they’re pulling juniors into a different room at your D’s school. My D said it was a completely different experience for her when she was in a different room freshman year, vs in the gym sophomore year. A much better experience.
We’re not doing October tests, may not even do the PSAT because the number to hit for our state is just so high, I don’t think it’s realistic for her to get NMSF. I’m on a minimize the testing path now. She took ACT in June, did well enough, but for the math score, so she’s going to take one more crack at it, probably in December. We’ve decided to ditch the subject tests as none of the schools she’s looking at require or really even recommend them and it was creating a lot of stress for her. So, we’ve agreed, once more for ACT with extra math prep and then she’s done. That said I absolutely would have her take October tests if I thought she’d be prepped for them, and taking more than one in a month? All the better to put any prep to good use I say!! :-B
@snoozn , My son is also doing the PSAT October 19 and the ACT on Oct.22. Hopefully he will take the SAT in Dec. or Jan.