Greetings all,
I’ve heard from several families at various BS that there are placement tests for math and language. Are there other placement tests that you/your kid(s) have taken? I just don’t think my DD is ready… it sounds so hardcore! TIA!!
DS didn’t take any as his school goes off your middle school transcript, recommendations of previous teachers and a conversation with parents. Don’t worry about it being hard core. It’s used as a placement test. And don’t worry if she is not in the top class. Remember a lot of kids have “reclassed” so have already taken some classes at the high school level.
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Ours also had a science placement test. This is truly about placement, and there are kids who still switch after they start where they are placed because the test - a good, but imperfect indicator – “missed”… Schools want kids to succeed, and this is where that starts. Don’t sweat this.
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My school only had math and language placement tests. For us, at least, we took the tests in May, so I didn’t bother studying—we were in the middle of the school year, anyways. I ended up getting the placement that was appropriate for me.
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Mine went to a day school and above a certain threshold they used the school entrance exam but there were additional writing sample for English and a test in foreign language.
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There is zero need to be “ready”. Depending on the school your daughter will be attending, she might not want to place into the highest possible level of class. At some schools the rigor and intensity of ALL the classes can mean it’s a good idea to place into the lower level class (if the student is borderline). Gives them a slight break. It matters not one iota for most kids what level Spanish they are placed in etc. These kids are so used to trying for the best possible scores, I actively counseled my kids to not try hard on these tests.
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Kiddo1 had placement tests in May for language and math. She did not study for either and was appropriately placed. Kiddo2 (different school) had a language placement test only, in the beginning of the summer, and was also placed appropriately. Math and Science placements for his school are based on middle school transcripts and student request. Kiddo2 was placed in two honors classes based on his transcript/per his request.
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Coming back to add, I’d be surprised if any schools do placement tests upon arrival. It’s likely if your DD hasn’t been asked to do placement tests already, she won’t need to. For the most part, schools should be finalizing schedules right now, so placement tests would have been administered already.
@gardenstategal do you remember what was on the science placement? Curious minds want to know! TIA
I really don’t as it was my kid, not me, who took it. But if I recall what he told me, there were a lot of questions he couldn’t answer but that the stab you took gave an indication of “scientific reasoning”, so it was a combo of testing exposure to science and mindset. He placed into a higher level so was invited to do chemstry freshmen year, which he did and liked.
As it happened, our tour guide at his school, when asked what she’d change about her experience at the school, said that she’d have taken the science placement test and gone to chem freshman year because the school had “so many cool science classes, and I feel like I wasted a year in getting to them by taking the standard freshmen science class.” I think DS was actually influenced by this.
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Great!! Can you tell me what BS your son attended?
George. I have no idea what they do now - this was 10 years ago as their curriculum is set up differently now.
They placed kids who looked like they could handle a higher level (including those at the cusp) at the higher level and made it VERY easy for them to step back down if they felt it was too challenging. I recall that half his math class dropped down a level. But the thought was that it’s easier to meet up with a slower train than to chase one that’s already out of the station and picking up speed.
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Kids will usually be moved if they end up placed incorrectly. It’s not ideal but not everyone will be placed properly from placement tests.
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