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Navigating High School

Standardized Assessments

Presented by the Liberty High School Counseling Department

Sign Up Deadline: October 9th in the Focus Portal under Purchase and Pay�This presentation is recorded for future viewing and reference.

August 31, 2026

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PreACT - 9th & 10th

Target Audience: Freshman (9th grade) and Sophomores (10th grade) looking to prepare for college entrance exams - OR 11th-12th grade students who did not earn proficient on Algebra 1 EOC to be eligible for the A+ scholarship.
What It Is: A shorter, low-stake diagnostic test covering English, Math, Reading, and Science.
Why Take It: Acts as a realistic test-day simulator, predicting future ACT scores (on a scale up to 35) to pinpoint academic strengths and gaps.
Key Benefit: Includes career interest surveys that align students' strengths with potential majors and vocational paths.

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ACT - 11th & 12th

Target Audience: Juniors and Seniors applying to 4-year colleges and universities. Students that are currently enrolled in Algebra II or have taken Algebra II before.
The Core ACT: A widely accepted college admission exam covering English, Math, and Reading. Redesigned (2025/2026) for a shorter, more focused experience.
Optional Science Section: An optional section measuring data analysis, interpretation, and scientific reasoning.
Who Should Add Science: Highly recommended for students targeting STEM, engineering, pre-med majors, or colleges requiring full science scores.
Key Benefit: Qualifies students for 4-year admissions, satisfies college course placement, and merit-based scholarships.

Moving on to college admissions, let's discuss the ACT and the option of taking the ACT with Science. The ACT is a primary gateway exam accepted by all four-year universities across the country. The core ACT includes English, Math, and Reading. Recent updates have made the core test shorter, with more time allocated per question to reduce testing stress. A major choice for families is whether to register for the optional Science reasoning section. Who should take the ACT with Science? We strongly recommend it for students who plan to major in STEM fields, engineering, biology, or pre-med, or those who are applying to highly selective universities that require or highly value scientific reasoning. For humanities or arts majors, the core ACT without Science is often perfectly sufficient and allows students to focus on their core strengths.

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PSAT/NMSQT - 10th and 11th

Target Audience: Sophomores (for practice) and Juniors (for scholarship qualification).
What It Is: A digital, adaptive exam covering Reading & Writing and Math, administered on the secure Bluebook app.
National Merit Pathway: For juniors, the PSAT serves as the exclusive, non-negotiable qualifying test for the highly prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program.
Key Benefit: Acts as direct practice for the SAT, identifies skill gaps, recommends specific AP courses, and links to free, personalized SAT prep on Khan Academy.

Next is the PSAT/NMSQT. This is a digital, adaptive exam taken on the school-issued device via the Bluebook app, measuring Reading & Writing, and Mathematics. While sophomores can take the PSAT for low-stakes practice, it is of critical importance for our 11th-grade juniors. For juniors, the PSAT is the exclusive, single qualifying gateway for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Qualifying as a National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist is one of the highest academic honors a high school student can earn, opening doors to massive institutional scholarships and making applications stand out. Even for students not aiming for National Merit, the PSAT provides highly personalized feedback, recommends specific AP courses where the student is likely to succeed, and connects directly to free SAT prep on Khan Academy.

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ASVAB Career Exploration Program - 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade

Target Audience: 9-12th graders exploring college, technical, or immediate career options.
What It Is: A comprehensive, federally-funded aptitude battery testing reading and math, alongside mechanical, electronic, and spatial reasoning.
No Military Commitment: Taking this assessment involves absolutely zero military commitment. It is open to all students.
Key Benefit: Helps students identify unique mechanical, hands-on, or technical strengths, matching their profile to over 1,000 civilian and technical occupations.

Now, let's talk about an exceptional, free resource that is often misunderstood: the ASVAB, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. While the ASVAB is indeed used for military enlistment, the version we host at school is the ASVAB Career Exploration Program, or CEP. We want to emphasize to all families: taking the ASVAB CEP involves absolutely zero military commitment. The ASVAB is a highly validated, comprehensive aptitude test that measures standard academic skills, but also mechanical comprehension, electronics, automotive knowledge, and spatial reasoning. This makes it an incredibly powerful tool for students who excel in hands-on, vocational, or technical areas. It matches a student's unique profile to over 1,000 civilian occupations, helping them discover lucrative career fields they might not have otherwise considered. It's a fantastic, free tool for comprehensive self-discovery.

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ASVAB Career Exploration Program

explore

Discover what you're naturally good at

100% free, zero pressure

Unlike traditional surveys that only ask what you like, the ASVAB CEP measures your developed aptitudes across math, verbal, and technical fields. It provides a clear, objective picture of your natural talents to help you plan what comes next.

gpp_good

Non-Recruitment Guarantee

Our school explicitly administers the test under strict privacy protections to ensure student peace of mind.

Option 8 Privacy Standard: Scores, contact info, and test data are strictly forbidden from release to military recruiters.

Strictly Confidential: Results stay exclusively between the student and their school counselors.

Zero Obligation: Taking the assessment carries no military commitment, solicitation, or enlistment requirements.

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ASVAB - Details

psychology

1. Aptitude Self-Assessment

Measures developed skills in Verbal, Math, Science, and Technical subtests.

Gives students an objective breakdown of their natural strengths beyond standard classroom grades.

explore

2. RIASEC Interest Survey

Includes the Find Your Interests (FYI) inventory based on Holland's RIASEC model. It pairs student interests with skill scores to search 1,000+ civilian careers.

REALISTIC

INVESTIGATIVE

ARTISTIC

SOCIAL

ENTERPRISING

CONVENTIONAL

school

3. Finalizing Grad Plans

Equips students and school counselors with concrete data to fulfill career-readiness requirements and finalize post-secondary pathways across college, trades, and apprenticeships.

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ACT WorkKeys - 11th & 12th

Target Audience: Juniors and Seniors planning to enter technical schools, immediate employment, or apprenticeships.
What It Is: Three specialized web-based assessments measuring Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.
National Career Credential: Earning benchmark scores awards the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) at Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels.
Key Benefit: Provides a portable, nationally recognized credential that verifies job readiness to employers and can fulfill career-ready high school graduation rules.

For students focused on entering the workforce, technical programs, or apprenticeships immediately after high school, the ACT WorkKeys is a crucial option. WorkKeys consists of three computer-based assessments: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. Rather than testing theoretical academic knowledge, WorkKeys measures practical problem-solving in real-world business scenarios, such as reading manuals, interpreting charts, and calculating costs. Successfully passing these assessments earns students the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate, or NCRC. This is a portable, nationally recognized credential that tells employers across the country that you possess the exact skills needed to succeed on the job from day one. In addition, earning the NCRC can fulfill career-readiness graduation benchmarks required by the school district.

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Assessments Chart

Assessment	Price	Target Grade	Core Testing Focus	Primary Student Benefit
PreACT	$18	9th & 10th Grade (11th-12th for A+)	English, Math, Reading, Science	Early ACT score predictions 11-12th grade: Math score for A+ program if did not score proficient on Alg 1 EOC exam
ACT / Science	$56.25 or Free (11th)	11th - 12th Grade	Core: English, Math, Reading Optional: Science	Required for 4-year college admission & merit scholarships.
PSAT/NMSQT	$18	10th - 11th Grade	Digital adaptive Reading, Writing, Math on Bluebook	Official SAT practice. Exclusive route to National Merit for Juniors.
ASVAB	Free	10th - 12th Grade	Aptitude battery in academic, mechanical, and tech skills	Maps individual strengths to 1,000+ careers; zero military ties.
WorkKeys	$39	11th - 12th Grade	Applied Workplace Math, Graphics, and Documents	Earns portable, national NCRC credential to prove job readiness.

To help you compare your options at a glance, we have compiled this side-by-side comparison matrix. Let's review the pathways: First, for 9th-10th graders, the PreACT offers practice with early score predictions and interest inventory. For 11-12th graders, they can take the preACT to earn a math score to earn the A+ scholarship if they did not score proficient or above on the Algebra 1 EOC exam. Second, for juniors and seniors, the ACT is the traditional college entrance exam, where adding the optional Science section is recommended for STEM. Third, for 10th and 11th graders, the digital PSAT serves as official SAT prep, with 11th grade being the exclusive route to National Merit scholarships. Fourth, for all high schoolers, the ASVAB measures technical, mechanical, and academic strengths, matching them with over 1,000 careers. It does not get shared with recruiters. Finally, for juniors and seniors in career-ready paths, the WorkKeys exam tests practical workplace skills to award an employer-recognized NCRC. Take a moment to look at this table and identify which exam or combination of exams aligns with your student's future goals.

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Register Online in the Focus Portal Before the October 9th Deadline

Strict Sign-Up Deadline: Make sure to submit registrations no later than Wednesday, October 9th. No late sign-ups can be accepted.
Where to Sign Up: Focus Link
Session Recording: This presentation is recorded and will be shared on our school website for your reference at any time.

Focus Link

→“Purchase and Pay”

Now that you understand the options, let's talk about the next steps. The registration process is entirely online. Both parents and students have access to register within the Focus portal. When you log in, you will see a testing registration tab where you can select the specific assessments you wish to take this fall. The absolute deadline to complete this registration is Wednesday, October 9th. Because testing materials must be ordered in advance, we cannot accept any late registrations after this date. Our recommendation is to sit down as a family tonight, discuss your student's post-high school aspirations, and select the assessments that best match that pathway. If you have any questions or require testing accommodations, please reach out to your school guidance counselor as soon as possible. Thank you all for attending, and we wish you a highly successful and productive academic year!