Our Expert Guide to SCAT Test Practice
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If you need help preparing your child for the School and College Ability Test (SCAT) you’ve come to the right place. Before that though, we’ll look at some your most frequently asked questions:
Once you have a better understanding of the SCAT, we’ll look at just how you can best help your child with their SCAT test practice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about SCAT Test Practice
What Exactly Is the SCAT Test?
The SCAT, also known as the School and College Ability Test, is a standardized, above-grade level test administered by the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). It is a multiple-choice test that aims to assess verbal and mathematical reasoning in children from preschool to 12th grade. The SCAT is an above-grade level
What is an “Above-grade Level” Test?
Designed to test your child at a higher-grade level than the one they’re currently in, an “above-grade level” test aims to assess your child’s ability to perform in difficult situations. On the SCAT, for example, 6th to 8th graders take a test designed for students at the 9th to 12th grade level.
How is the SCAT Test Used?
The John Hopkins Center (JHC) for Talented Youth is a highly-competitive gifted program with locations around the globe. The SCAT serves as their admission’s test.
Is the SCAT a Valid and Reliable Test?
To begin with, let’s define what exactly is meant by valid and reliable. A test is considered valid when it is determined to measure what it intends. A test’s reliability refers to its ability to produce consistent and stable results. According to research conducted at Al-Balqaa’ Applied University, a significant correlation exists between high SCAT scores and high-levels of academic achievement. This indicates the test has a high level of validity. The same research team at Al-Balqaa also looked at the SCAT’s ability to produce consistent results. They concluded that the test is long enough in duration, and properly structured, to provide a high-level of reliability.
How Many Levels are there on the SCAT?
The SCAT test has been divided into three separate levels:
What Type of Questions Will My Child See on the SCAT?
The SCAT is composed of two sections: quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning. The quantitative section uses questions of mathematical comparisons to test a student’s understanding of mathematical reasoning and number operations. The child must look at the question and determine the higher of two given values. Designed to test a child’s verbal reasoning and vocabulary, SCAT’s verbal section consists of verbal analogy questions like those seen on the OLSAT. The child will be given a question with a pair of words that go together in a certain way, they must then select which of the given word pairs most closely matches the given analogy.
How Long is the SCAT?
In total, the SCAT has 110 questions split across both of its categories. Both the verbal and quantitative sections include 55 multiple-choice questions. Your child will be given 22 minutes to complete each one of these two categories. With the addition of an optional 10-minute break, the SCAT will take about an hour to complete.
How is the SCAT Scored?
First, your child will receive a raw score. This will be calculated by tallying the amount of questions your child answered out of the 50 scored questions. This will then be converted into a scaled score ranging between 400 to 514. It’s this scaled score that JHC CTY uses to select the best and brightest students for admission.
For percentile rankings, your child’s score will be compared to the norms of students in higher grade levels. For example, 4th and 5th grade students take a version of the SCAT designed for 6th to 9th graders. The resulting score will then be compared to other students in the 4th to 5th grade.
What Scores Does my Child Need to Be Accepted Into a JHU CTY Program? To be considered eligible for a CTY program, a child must surpass the following scores:
How Do I Register my Child for the SCAT?
To register your child for the SCAT test you must contact testing company Prometric by either calling 1(800)-688-5796 or reaching out via their website. Registration requires the payment of a 60-dollar fee by electronic check or credit card. Unless your child is planning to register for one of JHC’s summer programs, you have until the end of June to take the test.
SCAT Test Practice
The best way to prepare your child to do well on testing day is to familiarize them him or her with the test’s structure, constraints, and question types. By making certain your child has ample SCAT test practice beforehand, you’ll ensure they’re s/her is tested on their his/her abilities and not the difficulties of the testing format. Aside from completing at least two complete practice SCAT tests before exam day, we suggest the following:
This article has provided details about SCAT test practice. If you would like to learn more about how to prepare for other tests that measure a child’s potential to learn in school, see our posts on the NNAT or the OLSAT, and the COGAT.
