Testing & Accommodations

While many schools have adopted or are currently piloting test optional admissions requirements, FL public universities and Bright Futures Scholarship still mandate an official and qualifying SAT or ACT score. The key to success in any type of standardized testing is preparation, and at Northside, we ensure our students have access to all of the resources necessary to achieve their goals.
While many schools have adopted or are currently piloting test optional admissions requirements, FL public universities and Bright Futures Scholarship still mandate an official and qualifying SAT or ACT score. The key to success in any type of standardized testing is preparation, and at Northside, we ensure our students have access to all of the resources necessary to achieve their goals. 

Sophomore year students are exposed to official practice exams, taking the PSAT in October and the Pre-ACT in November. These exams provide students with opportunities to practice taking the exam in a low-stress environment in order to acquire a baseline for future preparation. In their junior year, students will participate once again in the PSAT, but this time their scores can qualify them for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. We understand students’ schedules are busy and not everyone has a Saturday morning available certain times of the year. Hence, in the spring, NCS requires students to sit for an in-school (weekday) administration (offered at a lower cost than the traditional Saturday exam) of both the ACT and SAT. These in school administrations allow students to sit for an official test that can be used in the college admission process if desired. 

NCS is an official SAT testing site and offers Saturday exams on campus in October, December, March and May.
 
Students who qualify for an SAT/ACT fee waiver will receive 2 ACT waivers and 2 SAT waivers (not including the in- school administrations) for their high school career. If you qualify for a fee waiver, Miss Darby will contact you with the required information. If you are unsure or would like to inquire about fee waivers, please reach out to her.

If you believe you qualify or will qualify for testing accommodations on a PSAT, SAT or ACT, please contact Miss Darby early in the process as it can take a few months to receive approval. Proper medical documentation will be required as proof, and is determined by the SAT and ACT organizations. Please note, it is common for students to receive accommodations for one exam and not the other.
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