College Testing: SAT, ACT, and AP Exams

The SAT and ACT are very similar and all colleges accept either. To help students determine which test to take, Urban administers a practice test for both. The PreACT is offered in the spring of Sophomore year and the PSAT is offered in the fall of Junior year. Both tests are official practice tests and results are not shared with colleges. 

We recommend that each student take the SAT or the ACT once in the spring, then repeat the test in the fall of Senior year. Please note: it is not necessary to sit for the essay portion of the ACT. The ACT and SAT are comparable tests and all colleges accept either. Which test a student takes is a personal preference. We offer practice versions of the tests in the spring of Sophomore year and fall of Junior year to assist students in making a choice.

Watch a video from Compass Education Group here to find out more about navigating college admission tests.

Yes. Many colleges are test optional or yesy free and therefore do not require or will not accept standardized tests. This includes many public and private colleges and universities, including the University of California system, which has gone test free (meaning they will not consider any standardized tests). Some colleges do require an extra form or essay if an applicant decides to apply without scores. Be sure to carefully assess the requirements of each college in which you are interested.

For a more complete list of test optional or exam free colleges, go to www.fairtest.org.
 

Official scores must be sent directly to colleges from the College Board (www.collegeboard.com) or the ACT (www.actstudent.org). Scores will take three weeks to arrive after the request is made.

Urban cannot send an official copy of any test scores/results.

For Regular Decision applications: Colleges will accept tests taken through the December test date, even if the application is due earlier. 

For Early Action or Early Decision applications: We strongly recommend completing all college-related tests/exams by October. For early admission programs it is important that the scores arrive on or close to the early deadline.

Please contact Urban’s Learning Strategies Office for information about accommodations on standardized tests related to college.

Some students do. Urban administers Advanced Placement (AP) exams in Calculus, Chemistry, Chinese, Computer Science, English, French, Physics, Spanish, and, in alternate years, Music Theory. Students sign up for the exams by March; exams are given at Urban in May. See the AP Schedule below to see which specific exams we offer.

An AP course is a standardized class/materials in a particular subject that is part of the College Board curriculum. The course is usually a full year course.

An AP exam, while based on the material in the curriculum, can be taken in May whether a student has taken the course or not.

Colleges consider AP classes as honors level courses. Colleges also consider Urban's UAS (Urban Advanced Studies) classes as honors level courses. The University of California and some other colleges assign extra points for honors courses when calculating a grade point average (GPA). Most colleges look favorably on students who take a challenging course load that includes some honors level courses.

Because many schools adopt the standardized curriculum of the College Board, college representatives will sometimes adopt language in which they refer to AP courses as the most advanced curriculum. This might create an impression that AP courses are required for selective college admissions. In fact, there are many schools (and growing) that do not teach the standardized AP curriculum of the College Board and, like Urban, are recognized and respected as having a very rigorous independent curriculum that is excellent preparation for college and university work. 

A student can get the extra point for taking an AP (or UAS) course without taking the AP exam. However, a college will not award college credit unless the student takes (and passes) an AP exam. AP exams are an indication of how well a student has mastered the material covered in an AP course. Many colleges use the test to award college credit for mastering the material covered in the course. A score below 3 is not considered a passing score. Each college has its own AP policy about how (or if) credit is given and what AP exams and scores qualify. There is little uniformity from college to college, so the student should research the policies of each college they are exploring.

Please note that colleges award credit based on the results of the AP exam, not the AP course. It is possible to receive credit based on the results of the AP exam without having taken the AP course, as is the case with Urban students who take AP exams.
 

Since AP exams are based on an upper level curriculum, most students taking AP exams are 11th graders and Seniors. (9th and 10th graders in level 4, 5, or 6 of a Language may also choose to sign up for an AP exam in that subject.) Urban offers AP exams in subjects where there is some curriculum alignment with the AP exam. However, ALL AP exams require outside study on behalf of the student since our faculty does not teach to the specifics of the exam, even if the material overlaps (or is more advanced). We recommend students begin self-study around January and continue through until the May exam date. Teachers in the respective subject will provide a self-study guide to interested students. It is, however, incumbent upon the student to prepare for the exam on their own. 

11th graders and Seniors will receive information in mid October about signing up for the exam by the mid November early registration deadline. Registration is open until mid March. Any sign ups after the November deadline will incur an additional late fee. (Financial assistance is available for those who receive assistance from Urban.) The exams are administered during the College Board-designated school day in the first two weeks of May.

Students interested in taking an AP exam should fill out the AP Exam Interest Form below.