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Lower Merion School District

Off-Canvas

Testing

Throughout the school year, students take a variety of tests in and out of school. Some are required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and others are optional and related to the college application process.

Click on the links below for details about for each test, including the purpose, schedule, registration information and resources to prepare.

Required in-school tests:

Tests related to courses in school:

  • Advanced Placement exams are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of a rigorous, college-level (AP) course. AP exams test students' ability to perform at a college level. Students that score well on the test may earn college placement and credit. AP courses utilize college-level curricula developed by the College Board for high schools.
  • International Baccalaureate program exams

Tests related to college admissions:

  • PSAT/NMSQT - The PSAT/NMSQT is a standardized test co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The test is administered to all LMSD tenth & eleventh graders in October as practice for the SAT. The District uses PSAT results to help prepare students for college admission testing in their junior and senior years. The test also serves as the qualifying exam for National Merit scholarship opportunities for juniors. The PSAT/NMSQT measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills.
  • SAT - The SAT is a product of the College Board that tests the subject matter learned by students in high school and how well they apply that knowledge-the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in college. The SAT is a globally-recognized college admission test taken by most LMSD students during their junior or senior year of high school. It test critical reading, math and an optional writing section. For more information, visit sat.collegeboard.org.
  • SAT Subject Tests - Subject Tests are hour-long, content-based tests that allow students to showcase achievement in specific subject areas where you excel. For more information, visit sat.collegeboard.org/about-tests/sat-subject-tests.
  • ACT - The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute writing test. ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.act.org/.
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - The TOEFL test measures the ability of non-native English speakers to use and understand English as it’s read, written, heard and spoken in the university classroom.