<p>I have posted this on the SAT forum but got no response. Maybe parents are better informed...
I have a technical question
DS wants to take SAT II Math in June. He is graduating from 8th grade this month.
Taking SAT in June, is he considered an 8th grader or a 9th grader?
I understand that if he is an 8th grader, his scores will be dropped in a while.
I am just getting cold feet , I guess, afraid he will bomb the test .
Anyone familiar with the issue?</p>
<p>Why does he want to do this? And has he finished pre-Cal?</p>
<p>Unless your son has finished precalculus, including trigonometry, then he should not be taking this exam. The MOST advanced students aren’t prepared for the math SAT II until after 10th grade, with one or two taking it in the summer after their freshman year.</p>
<p>I BELIEVE, though, that your son would be considered a 9th grader if he took the exam in the summer after his 8th grade.</p>
<p>The MOST advanced students are ready for the SAT II after 8th grade, or even before. Some students are exceptionally mathematically precocious. Most are not, but some are. </p>
<p>What is the reason for this student taking the SAT II Math? Normally, students who take it that young are quite sure they’ll do well. If there’s even a chance that the student will “bomb,” why is he taking it?</p>
<p>I’m also wondering why he’d want to do this. Moreoever, I also wonder who would care whether he’s in 8th or 9th grade. If there’s an advantage to calling yourself an 8th grader, I’d do it.</p>
<p>FWIW, my DD is currently a junior and signed up to take the SAT in June still calling herself a junior.</p>
<p>General advice is to take Math SAT Subject test after completing pre-calculus with trig. If you or he are concerned he might bomb the test, get the College Board Math Subject Test Book and take a timed practice test. This should give you a realistic idea. My understanding is that your DS would be considered an 8th grade student. Most schools are still in session on June 6, so he would still considered to be in 8th grade when the test is administered, regardless of when your particular school district ends its school year.</p>
<p>Regarding grade for testing and course purposes- D took some HS level courses while in middle school and while they appear with the grade on her transcript, they are not factored into her GPA.
If your son wants to take the SAT II for his own edification, that’s fine, and if he thinks he is prepared, it could serve to give him a baseline for evaluation, but I believe that all of the scores will be sent to colleges when he applies unless you specifically ask to have one removed and pay a fee to do so.</p>
<p>I;m not so sure about middle school scores staying with you.</p>
<p>my friend took AP french in 8th grade and it no longer shows up on her score report. </p>
<p>not sure if it’s the same way with SATs and SAT IIs, but regardless, unless your child has completed a precalculus course with trig, he shouldn’t be taking this test.</p>
<p>if he has, then i;d just like to say: damn…</p>
<p>If he knows the material, he might as well take the test, but he should look it over first, my junior (in pre-calc) seemed to have big holes for Math2, including matrix algebra. Math is not his strong suit however, though he’s gotten A’s both this year and last year. I suspect you can purge the grades on the grounds that he’s an 8th grader or petition to keep them if they are excellent, but you should verify that with CB if you are worried - personally I take adcoms at their word - they look at the best scores and are smart enough to see what grade you were in when you took the test. If he doesn’t like the score this year he can take it again next year - or the year after!</p>
<p>I know that Kelownas son can do well on SAT Math II since he made national Mathcounts. I am not sure whether he will be counted as 8th or 9th grader for MathII. If counted as 8th, you can write a request to college board to keep his score, since I know you can make such request to keep your kids SATI scores if they took SATI in 7th or 8th grades through CTY or TIP and did well and you want the college board to keep their scores.</p>
<p>
Two thoughts – school systems differ on whether or not those middle school high school credit course grades are factored into the high school GPA. In my school system, they are. And isn’t there now score choice for the SAT, and doesn’t that include the SAT2 tests, too?</p>
<p>Get him the math II prep guide which will have tests in it. If he can handle them your ok, but if there are holes, better not.</p>
<p>Even if Collegeboard doesn’t remove his scores, he can always take it again and colleges will probably ignore the 8th grade score.
And if anyone thinks of trying it even earlier-- I think colleges don’t want scores that are more than 5 years old.</p>
<p>This is interesting. </p>
<p>Do colleges prefer 4 years of math to include Calc or is 4 years of math ending with pre calc good enough?</p>
<p>Kelowna, given what you’ve posted about your son, I’m sure he will do fine. There is, however, no need whatever for him to take the SAT II Math in 8th grade. </p>
<p>A few years ago, three students at our local school took AP Calc BC in 9th grade, all scoring 5’s. They didn’t take the SAT II Math until junior year (when they took 3 SAT II’s at once). It made no difference. SAT II Math doesn’t test anything that students of your son’s type forget.</p>
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<p>Math all the way through calculus screams “college prep curriculum,” but the fact is that many if not most kids get into college without calculus.</p>
<p>Thanks all!</p>
<p>To clarify - he is done with pre-calc and taking Math 1210 at the local college.
From what I have learned so far, mostly on CC, one is best to take Math II after pre-calc as there is least prepping necessary.
He is not afraid at all, it is I who is 
He is one of those “good at math” kids, so I think he should get 800 or close to.
I would prefer him to be considered an 8th grader, since if he, for some reason, does not score high, his scores will be lost, but if he is considered a 9th grader, those scores will stay.
Stupid me, never thought that SAT subject tests can be repeated. I thought kids only took the basic SAT several times.
He did look at the test prep book and was puzzled by statistics questions.
I kind of want him to take it now and be done with it forever though…</p>
<p>He should take the test now- when the precalc material is still fresh in his brain. My gifted son waited for the fall testing, didn’t study the precalc material as they were “reviewing it in calc”- he didn’t get the top score he might have (I sure hope he studies the math for the GRE- he had a 4.0 in his math major last I heard, but they certainly aren’t dealing with the same material anymore). The SAT I is often taken through gifted programs by 7th and 8th graders and not recorded for college use then- you may want to be sure his SAT subject test is not treated differently because of his grade. Isn’t it fun to have an out of grade/age child?</p>
<p>Oh, I am so stupid , it is shameful…
I thought that subject test were only given in May and June…
Still, I believe he is well prepared, he needs to look at what is being covered , take the practice test and …go for it! I just have cold feet :)</p>
<p>wis75 - my DS does have practice in taking SAT test, so MAth II, with very nice curve, should really not be a problem. But you know, I am a mom,I believe he does have a potential and I would like to see it in numbers (stupid me).
He is going to write it June 6, if the score is not to his liking he will repeat it in the fall.
I think that being done with one subject test will be really to his liking comes junior year. </p>
<p>cherryhillmomto2 - I do not know. We are just getting out of the gates, as to say. I have one kid that is very good in problem solving and another that is not so good at tackling out of the way problems, but still being top of the class and having the highest grade there.
Kid one will have to take some college classes just to go on. The other will be ready for Algebra 2 or Pre-calc comes high school. I see a lot of kids accelerating math . I do not thing this is the way to handle kids good at math. Kid #1 is our subject test, kid #2 has been forced to take pre-algebra before jumping in the high school curriculum - lesson learned :)</p>
<p>I believe that your son will be considered an eighth grader if he takes the test in June. My S completed calculus in eighth grade, but didn’t take the Math SATII until June of the ninth grade. Your S can always repeat it if he doesn’t get the score he wants. You shouldn’t worry about his acceleration. Lots of kids that are good in math do it. They just have to review calculus to prepare for the GRE’s if they need to take them in college.</p>