Advising on College Board Tests
Get all the information students need online, for free
College Board tests include the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, CLEP®, and AP®. We have consolidated and streamlined the critical, nuts-and-bolts information about our testing programs in a new, "go-to" area of the College Board website: Testing. There, you'll find the what, when, why, and how on each test and its administration, scoring, and preparation.
In addition, the Student and Parent areas of the website have excellent overviews and free preparation resources—we urge you to share those links with students via emails or newsletters.
And our Professional Development area, also searchable, provides information on upcoming training, whether online or off.
PSAT/NMSQT®
The Preliminary SAT®/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is both the best practice for the SAT and a major gateway to educational opportunity. Test-takers receive, free, My College QuickStart®, an online score analysis and interactive, personalized SAT tutorial. They also may opt to participate in Student Search Service® (SSS®), which allows interested colleges and scholarship organizations to contact them. And junior test-takers may qualify for several prestigious national scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship. In addition, all PSAT/NMSQT takers receive free access to MyRoad®, a personalized college and career planning online tool.
SAT®
The SAT Reasoning Test™ and SAT Subject Tests™ are taken by millions of high school students each year. The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college, and scores are often used by colleges as a major indicator of an applicant's ability to succeed in higher education. Students take the Subject Tests to demonstrate to colleges their mastery of specific subjects like English, history, mathematics, science, and language. Many colleges use the Subject Tests for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection.
CLEP®
The College-Level Examination Program®, or CLEP, provides students of any age with the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of exams in undergraduate college courses. There are 2,900 colleges that grant credit and/or advanced standing for CLEP exams.
AP®
The Advanced Placement Program®, or AP, offers high school students college-level courses, allowing them to enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school; through AP Exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities.