News Release - Colorado's 11th-graders to take SAT for the first time this spring

March 13, 2017

Colorado's 11th-graders to take SAT for the first time this spring

SAT to be administered on April 11 as state's college entrance exam

DENVER – On April 11 Colorado’s high school juniors will take the SAT as the state’s free college-entrance exam for the first time.
 
Colorado’s switch to SAT from the ACT occurred after legislation passed in 2015 that required the state to seek competitive bids for a new 10th-grade exam and aligned 11th-grade college entrance exam. A committee made up of school and district representatives from across the state selected the SAT because of its alignment to the Colorado Academic Standards and the variety of free test-preparation resources that can be used by all students. Accepted across the nation and by every public college in the state, the SAT measures what students are learning in high school and what they need to know to succeed in college and their careers.
 
This year’s 11th-graders had the opportunity to get ready for the SAT last year when they took the PSAT 10 exam, which replaced the state’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests for 10th-grade students in English language arts and math.
 
The PSAT 10 provided students with several benefits to help them prepare for this year’s SAT. Through a partnership between the College Board, which develops the SAT suite of assessments, and the Khan Academy, students could choose to receive free, personalized SAT study plans tailored to the strengths and weaknesses identified from their PSAT 10 results. The free materials from the Khan Academy include interactive questions, video lessons and reference articles; thousands of practice questions; six official full-length practice tests; and a mobile app for daily practice. 

“The best preparation for the SAT is quality classroom instruction aligned to the standards,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes. “The great thing about the SAT is Colorado juniors and their families can take advantage of free opportunities to practice for the college entrance exam so they can do their very best.”
 
Students taking the SAT also will be asked to complete a voluntary student questionnaire that will collect information about the student’s grades, interests, intended major and college plans, among other things. Students are not required to answer this questionnaire, but those that fill it out will have the opportunity to opt into the College Board's Student Search Service.This service allows participating colleges and nonprofit scholarship organizations to better find specific student groups to share information about the opportunities their organizations provide.
 
This year, students in 10th grade will take the PSAT 10 on April 11 or 12. 

State tests for students grade 3-9

This spring students in grades 3-9 will take the CMAS tests in English language arts, math, science and social studies. The official three-week testing window is from April 10-28. However, the Colorado Department of Education will allow districts to begin testing online earlier in the content areas of English language arts and math if they cannot complete testing within the allotted time frame due to limitations on the number of computers or other devices needed for testing. The maximum test window for English language arts and math is six weeks, and testing can begin as early as March 13. For information on the state tests, what to expect this year and frequently asked questions visit the Parent and Family Resources webpage.