High School: Testing

Testing Options and Requirements:

Families of Faith Christian Academy International requires a standard of mastery in the core academic areas before a student will be promoted to a subsequent grade, or have high school credits added to his/her transcript. Students who wish to transfer at the end of the school year must have a certified report card to promote. The Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI) is the nationally-normed reference evaluation used by Families of Faith Christian Academy International (FOFCAI). The BASI is available for 3rd through 12th grades.

For students in grades K - 8, end-of-year evaluation and testing information is provided in the Student/Parent Handbook Section of the website. This page is specific to high school students. To go to the Testing and Evaluation page that includes information for all grades, Click here.

High school level students are required to sit for the BASI or submit one of the approved alternate evaluations before credits will be certified on the student's official transcript. Testing or review must show that the student has accomplished a minimum of one year of academic progress in the core academic disciplines and/or obtained a level of proficiency that is commensurate with the grade issued.

High schoolers that have finished Algebra I and are planning to attend college may prefer to use the SAT from the College Board or the ACT instead of the BASI. Students who have taken the ACT, SAT or PSAT after February 2021 may use those results as their end- of-year evaluation, and are not required to take the BASI. All college-bound Juniors and Seniors should use the ACT or SAT as their end-of-year evaluation. Additional information about each test and its format is provided later on this page.

To sign up for the ACT or SAT from the College Board, use the FOFCAI school code: 100-829
The College Board (Publisher of the SAT Test) Quick Link
The ACT test Quick Link

ACT Testing Dates 2020-2021:

September 12, 2020 - Registration deadline August 14, 2020
September 13, 2020 - Registration deadline TBD (Added date due to COVID-19)
September 19, 2020 - Registration deadline TBD (Added date due to COVID-19)
October 10, 2020 - Registration deadline TBD (Added date due to COVID-19)
October 17, 2020 - Registration deadline TBD (Added date due to COVID-19)
October 24, 2020 - Registration deadline September 18, 2020
October 25, 2020 - Registration deadline TBD (Added date due to COVID-19)
December 12, 2020 - Registration deadline November 6, 2020
February 6, 2021 - Registration deadline January 8, 2021
April 17, 2021 - Registration deadline March 12, 2021
June 12, 2021 - Registration deadline May 7, 2021
July 17, 2021 - Registration deadline June 18, 2021

SAT Testing Dates 2020-2021:

August 29, 2020 - Registration deadline July 31, 2020
September 26, 2020 - Registration deadline August 26, 2020
October 3, 2020 - Registration deadline September 15, 2020
November 7, 2020 - Registration deadline October 7, 2020
December 5, 2020 - Registration deadline November 5, 2020
March 13, 2021 - Registration deadline February 12, 2021
May 8, 2021 - Registration deadline April 8, 2021
June 5, 2021 - Registration deadline May 6, 2021

BASI Testing Dates 2020-2021:

Each testing group is limited to twelve students. Please e-mail the school office to have your student placed on the testing list. The test takes 2 1/2 hours to complete, so students only need to be scheduled for the morning or afternoon session, not both.

April 24th 2021 9:00 a.m.
April 24th 2021 1:30 p.m.
May 22nd 9:00 a.m.
May 22nd 1:30 p.m.
June 12th 9:00 a.m.
June 12th 1:30 p.m.

For additional information or to register for the evaluation, email the office at: admin@fofcai.com

More about the Florida Assessments, BASI, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and PERT tests:

The following are descriptions of the tests that are available, what they are intended for, and when they are most appropriately given.

Florida Assessments
Created for the Florida Public School system. This evaluation is not designed for private school students, nor would we subject our students to a curriculum-specific test as opposed to a nationally-normed reference assessment. The test you may choose for your student should be based on what the student has used before and the purpose of your present testing.

BASI Basic Achievement Skills Inventory:
The BASI the nationally-normed reference assessment used by FOFCAI for students in grades 3-12. This evaluation is on the State of Florida’s approved list for students using the Corporate Tax Scholarship to pay tuition in private schools. Because of its approved status with the state, Polk County has approved it for end-of-the-year evaluations for county-registered homeschoolers. Other counties may accept it as well, but parents should verify its acceptance before scheduling testing. Students enrolled in FOFCAI do not pay a testing fee; it is a part of the registration and tuition fees you already pay.

The BASI has three clear advantages over previous tests used by FOFCAI students. The first advantage is the time it takes to test. Most students complete the entire battery in about three hours, including instruction time, sample questions and short breaks. The second advantage is that computer-generated reports are available locally instead of having to be grouped and mailed off for scoring. And, lastly, it can be taken at any time during the year instead of just a few weeks during the normed testing period.

PSAT
The PSAT/NMSQT is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT, and even the ACT, but it’s more than just a trial run. Each year's PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test designated for entry to a particular year's competition. For example, the 2020 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry to the competition for scholarships to be awarded in 2022.

The PSAT is offered nationally every year in October. Due to the Distance Learning model used by FOFCAI, the PSAT is not offered on our campus. Interested students should contact the Guidance Office at the beginning of the school year to make arrangements to take the PSAT/NMSQT at a local public or private school in the Fall.

Note: The PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 will not be considered for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program. The PSAT/NMSQT is the official route of entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Test Dates:
October 14, 2020 (Primary Date)
October 17, 2020 (Saturday Date)
Oxtober 28, 2020 (Alternate Date)

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test
The SAT and the ACT are the two tests used by most colleges as part of the admission application process. They are also the tests used to qualify for the Bright Futures FAS and FMS awards. (Refer to the Bright Futures page for required scores) If you are planning to go to college, one or both of these assessments is in your future. To be a qualified candidate for the Florida University system, a student must have an SAT or ACT with Writing as part of the application process, unless they have earned an AA degree from an accredited college.

The SAT is a paper-based test administered at high schools and college sites around the country on select dates throughout the year. (See dates above) Students are allowed to take the test as many times as they want. Bright Futures and most universities will only look at the highest score or the super-score (a combination of the highest Reading/Writing and Math sections).

The SAT is a 3 hour 50 minute exam (including an optional essay which takes 50 minutes), consisting of five sections: Reading, Writing, Math (with calculator), Math (no calculator), and Essay (optional). From the first four sections the student will be given a total score in two parts:
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing:
Reading = 52 standard multiple-choice, (65 minutes)
Writing = 44 standard multiple-choice questions (35 minutes).
Mathematics:
Math = 45 standard multiple-choice questions and 13 student-produced responses. (25 minutes without calculator, 55 minutes with calculator).
Yes, the TI-85 you must have for College Algebra is allowed.

You get more time on the SAT, compared to the ACT. With the SAT you get to spend 1:23 on each math question, compared to just 1:00 on the ACT. In reading, you can spend 1:15 on each reading question, but only 0:53 on the ACT. And, on the SAT English/writing section, you get 0:48 for each question, compared to 0:36 on the ACT. The SAT gives you more breathing room in every section. If you’re worried about the clock, the SAT is the test for you.

The SAT is also considered to be lighter on math. Most of the SAT focuses on algebra, with a smaller portion of geometry and trigonometry, much like your high school math classes. It also doesn’t cover logarithms, matrices, and graphs of functions, like the ACT does. This allows you to zero in on specific subjects, not try to cram your brain full of information from high school math classes.

KAHN Academy has a free half credit course on preparing for the SAT.
To sign up for the free class from KAHN Acacemy, Click here.

To go to the College Board site to register for the SAT, test Click here.

ACT - American College Testing
The SAT and the ACT are the two tests used by most colleges as part of the admission application process. They are also the tests used to qualify for the Bright Futures FAS and FMS awards. (Refer to the Bright Futures page for required scores.) If you are planning to go to college, one or both of these assessments is in your future. To be a qualified candidate for the Florida University system, a student must have an SAT or ACT with Writing as part of the application process, unless they have earned an AA degree from an accredited college.

The ACT is a paper-based test administered at high schools and college sites around the country on select dates throughout the year. (See dates above.) Students are allowed to take the test as many times as they want. Bright Futures and most universities will only look at the highest combined score.
The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized exam that was introduced as an alternative to the SAT used for college admission. The ACT consists of four sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science. There is also an optional Writing portion of the exam.

The ACT is a 3 hour and 30 minute exam consisting of four multiple-choice tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and a Writing section. The breakdown of each section is as follows:
English: 75 questions / 45 minutes
Mathematics: 60 questions / 60 minutes
Reading: 40 questions / 35 minutes
Science: 40 questions / 35 minutes

PERT - The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test
The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) is Florida's customized common placement test. The purpose of the PERT is to determine accurate course placement based on the student's skills and abilities. The PERT is aligned with the Postsecondary Readiness Competencies identified by Florida faculty as necessary for success in entry-level college credit coursework. The PERT assessment system includes Placement and Diagnostic tests in mathematics, reading and writing.

The (PERT) is administered to students in public high schools and Florida College System institutions to determine readiness for college-level courses. The PERT is a computer adaptive test (C.A.T.) with 25 operational items that will be the basis of the student's placement score and five (5) field test items which are designed to continuously enhance the operational test bank.

Florida Department of Education State Board Rule 6A-10.0315, establishes the standard test scores used to determine whether a student is ready for college level coursework. If a student does not meet the state established standard score, this indicates that additional preparation may be necessary before entering college level courses.

The scaled scores on the PERT range from 50-150. The current standard score ranges for the (PERT) are:
Reading = 106
Writing = 103
Mathematics = 114

The PERT is also used as a qualifing test for the GSC and GSV scholarships. For additional details on these scholarships and the required test scores, refer to the Bright Futures page.