What is the ACT?

• The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in:

• English, Mathematics, Reading, Science

• The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute Writing Test.

• ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the US.

• The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete, including a short break (or just over four hours if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing). Actual testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes (plus 30 minutes if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing).

• The ACT is administered on six test dates within the United States

• The basic registration fee includes score reports for up to four college choices, if you list valid codes when you register.

What is the PSAT?

The Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), is a practice version of the SAT exam. You can only take the PSAT once per year, and many students take the test in both 10th and 11th grade. If you earn a high score on the PSAT your junior year, you could qualify to receive a National Merit Scholarship—$180 million dollars in merit scholarships are awarded to students each year. The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and tests your skills in reading, writing, and math. Unlike the SAT, the highest score possible on the PSAT is 1520.

Click here to learn more about the PSAT

Celina ISD provides the PSAT to all 10th and 11th grade students for free. 

What is the SAT?

• The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.

• Taking the SAT is the first step in finding the right college for you — the place where you can further develop your skills and pursue your passions. But SAT scores are just one of many factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions. High school grades are also very important. In fact, the combination of high school grades and SAT scores is the best predictor of your academic success in college.

• The SAT doesn’t test logic or abstract reasoning. It tests the skills you’re learning in school: reading, writing and math. Your knowledge and skills in these subjects are important for success in college and throughout your life.

• The critical reading section includes reading passages and sentence completions.

• The writing section includes a short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage.

• The mathematics section includes questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability.

SAT Testing website

SAT Practice and Prep

Celina ISD provides the SAT to all 11th grade students for free. 

The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative enacted by the Texas State Legislature and designed to determine a student’s readiness for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.

The TSIA, or one of its exemptions, has been required of Texas students entering a Texas college or university for nearly ten years. The TSIA is administered through the College Board’s Accuplacer digital platform. Universities, community colleges, school districts and high school campuses can request to administer the TSIA to students.

The TSIA tests measures readiness for College-level English and Math. Most colleges require the TSIA upon admittance. This test can be given any time during the student’s high school years.

Click here to learn more about the TSIA

Celina ISD provides the TSIA to all 10th and 11th grade students for free. 

Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form to apply for financial aid for college or graduate school. The FAFSA form is available beginning each October 1st for the for the next school year. It is available at FAFSA.gov in both English and Spanish.

The Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) is open to all students who are not US citizens so they might receive financial aid from the state of Texas. Applications in English & Spanish are available at the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board.

Scholarships can be need-based, merit-based, or based on things like your hobbies, field of study, ethnicity, religion, and more. You don’t need to be number one in your class or an all-star athlete to get free money for college. Most importantly, all scholarships are free scholarships, which means free money to help you pay for college.

The following tools will help you search and apply for scholarships:

Local Scholarships

Making the Most of your Scholarship Search

Start earning micro-scholarships

College Board Opportunity Scholarships

College Scholarships for Seniors

College Scholarships for Juniors

Texas Scholarships

Hispanic Scholarships

Apply for, track, and manage college financial aid using Red Kite