High School & College Prep

For the 2021-22 school year, CCS will be implementing the following standardized tests:

Learn more about each test by clicking on the links below.

Wisconsin Forward Exam

English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments in the spring of 2022 for grades 3‑8

Science in the spring of 2022 for grades 4 and 8

Social Studies in the spring of 2022 for grades 4, 8 and 10

ACT Aspire™ and The ACT® with writing 

All students in Wisconsin are administered these assessments except for the 1% of students with significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed with an alternate assessment, the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM). 

The ACT Aspire tests include: Reading, Math, English and Science

The ACT tests include: Reading, Math, English, Science and Writing. 

ACT Aspire® assessment for grades 9 and 10 students

Spring of 2022 for 9th and 10th grade

The ACT® with writing for grade 11 students

Spring of 2022 for 11th grade

The SAT 

The SAT is not mandatory in Wisconsin, but is an additional testing option for students. The SAT includes a Reading Test, Writing and Language Test, and a Math Test. The SAT has an optional essay component, which some colleges will require. 

The Preliminary SAT 8/9 (PSAT 8/9) is available as a pretest for 8th and 9th grade students

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and PSAT 10. The PSAT/NMSQT is open to 10th and 11th graders in the fall on three administration dates in October. The 11 grade PSAT/NMSQT is the only one that counts towards National Merit Scholarships

The SAT is offered multiple times throughout the year. It is usually taken in the spring of 11th grade, and can be retaken in the fall of 12th grade. 

The best information for student financial aid is located on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website.

Students will need to go to this site to create an FSA ID and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form which is open in October of a student’s senior year of high school.

The FAFSA creates a snapshot of a family’s finances and is used by both the government AND colleges to determine what kind of aid a student is eligible to receive (federal and/or private loans, scholarships, grants, work study).

ALL college-bound seniors should fill out the FAFSA, even if they believe they will not qualify for a particular type of aid and/or do not plan on taking out any loans because some colleges reserve certain types of academic scholarships for students who don’t qualify for aid. 

The FSA website also has some very valuable resources for understanding college costs, tax benefits, and types of aid and loans.

O*NET Interest Profiler

Career assessment provided by the Dept. of Labor that suggests options based on interests and desired level of preparation. Results link to career profile pages with valuable information and details about specific careers. 

KnowHow2Go Student Advice

You will find extensive coverage on all related to college here on this website.

College Preparation Checklist by FSA (Federal Student Aid)

College Board Search

Search for colleges using filters like location and majors. View in-depth school profiles. Save schools to a college list. 

College Scorecard Search

Search for and compare colleges based on graduation rate, average salary after graduation, and annual cost. 

College Navigator Search by NCES (National Center for Education Statistics)

You can use this college search tool to gather very detailed information about colleges. It is best used once a student and/or family already have found several options that you plan to choose from. The sections on financial information and calculators can be very helpful for parents looking for a detailed look at the details of paying for college and college costs.