The John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) conducts School And College Ability Test (SCAT) to determine if a particular candidate is eligible for selected CTY programs.
This test is usually conducted via a three-level grading system that can be useful for your child’s primary school records.
There are 50 scored questions in the paper, and the scaled score ranges between 401 to 504, depending on the question paper’s level. If you wish to enroll your child in the SCAT test, here are some registration and other FAQs that can help you out.
What are the levels of SCAT papers?
Depending on which grade your child is in, they can take one of the following three levels of exams- the elementary SCAT (meant for students studying in grades 2-3), the intermediate SCAT (for students belonging to grades 4-5), and the advanced SCAT test (for students in grades six and above).
What is the question paper format?
The question paper is split into two sections: verbal ability and quantitative ability. A student can opt for a 10-minute break between these two sections if they wish to. The online mode of this exam is about 90 minutes long, but students can complete the paper in an hour or so.
What is the question format?
Both the sections are 22 minutes long and contain 50 questions. Each section will also contain five additional questions and won’t contribute anything to your child’s overall score.
These extra questions are experimental in nature. And, in both sections, the questions will be in the multiple-choice format, where a student must select one correct option among the remaining.
What is the SCAT percentile?
SCAT percentiles are basically used for comparing a student’s marks to students in higherl grade. So, for example, the marks obtained by a child in grade 2 will be compared with those obtained by someone in grade 4. Similarly, the results of 5th graders are compared with the results of 8th graders and so on.
How can I register my child?
The SCAT registration is a fairly simple procedure. You can visit the Prometric website, John Hopkins’ test-based registration site, and enroll your child either online or by making a phone call.
The registration fee is $60, which you’ll need to pay via a credit card or through an electronic check. So if you want your child to be a part of the CTY summer programs, make sure they take the SCAT test as early as possible.
What score does my child need to secure?
This will again depend on the grade your child is studying in. Here, a list is grade-wise scores. These are the minimum scores that your child will have to obtain to be a part of CTY programs:
Grade 2- 435 (Quantitative) and 430 (Verbal)
Grade 3- 440 (Quantitative) and 435 (Verbal)
Grade 4- 450 (Quantitative) and 440 (Verbal)
Grade 5- 465 (Quantitative) and 445 (Verbal)
Grade 6- 470 (Quantitative) and 450 (Verbal)
How to prepare my child for SCAT?
Since SCAT is a test that takes into account the higher grade-level questions, it’s always best to encourage your child to start preparing from 1-2 grades above. This will not only help them to build their confidence but also make the pace of learning easier.
Take it slowly, one grade at a time. Start with the current grade. Then move the next one and so on. Gradually increase the difficulty level and check their progress.
Can I get sample questions?
Yes, of course! You can find loads of sample questions according to yoru child’s grade/level. You can find a list of these sample papers on the John Hopkins website and also on many other websites on Google. However, the actual exam paper might vary in difficulty so make sure your child is aware about that.
Over to you…
These are some of the common FAQs that parents ask about while registering their children. While enrolling your child in the SCAT test, ensure they have enough study materials and sample test papers to study from. You can always visit the John Hopkins CTY website for further assistance.
