Five Skill Placement Test

Administrators & Parents

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Five Skill Placement Test

Administrators & Parents

Request Information
  • Digitally delivered high school entrance exam
  • Updated content via secure interface
  • New technology-enhanced item formats
  • Request a Sample Test

A Better Assessment

The Five Skill Placement Test is a new, digitally delivered high school entrance exam created to assess students on their reading, vocabulary, writing, mathematics, and language comprehension for high school admission.

 

This test was developed through discussions with school officials across the country to reevaluate current tests and address concerns with their performance. Issues with current tests include security, the depth of knowledge assessed, outdated test formats (primarily paper and pencil forms), the lack of an authentic writing task, the time needed to process and score the tests, and the usefulness of the resulting test scores. 

 

The Five Skill Placement Test was designed in response to these issues. This exam provides updated content via a secure interface, includes new technology-enhanced item formats, and features a scoring process that allows for a quick turnaround of test data.

About the Test

Writing2

Writing

The writing portion measures a student’s ability to respond to a prompt with either an informational or persuasive essay. The scoring rubric evaluates the organization, focus, support, and grammar of the writing. This is a 40-minute test and two prompts are available.

5SKPT-logo-bg-color
AnalogicalReasoning2

Analogical Reasoning

The analogical reasoning portion measures a student’s ability to identify the primary relationship between a given pair of words and to extend that relationship to a related word pair. This is a 45-item test with a 15-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

Mathematics2

Mathematics

The mathematics portion measures skills across a wide range of domains including number sense, measurement, probability, algebra, geometry, and mathematical reasoning. This is a 35-item test with a 50-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

ReadingVocab3

Reading and Vocabulary

The reading and vocabulary portion measures reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. Content includes narrative and informational texts as well as poetry. This is a 35-item test with a 50-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

LocigalReasoning2

Logical Reasoning

The logical reasoning portion measures a student’s ability to see patterns in short strings of numbers and letters. This is a 40-item test with an 8-minute time limit.

About the Test

5SKPT-logo-bg-color
Writing2

Writing

The writing portion measures a student’s ability to respond to a prompt with either an informational or persuasive essay. The scoring rubric evaluates the organization, focus, support, and grammar of the writing. This is a 40-minute test and two prompts are available.

AnalogicalReasoning2

Analogical Reasoning

The analogical reasoning portion measures a student’s ability to identify the primary relationship between a given pair of words and to extend that relationship to a related word pair. This is a 45-item test with a 15-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

Mathematics2

Mathematics

The mathematics portion measures skills across a wide range of domains including number sense, measurement, probability, algebra, geometry, and mathematical reasoning. This is a 35-item test with a 50-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

ReadingVocab3

Reading and Vocabulary

The reading and vocabulary portion measures reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. Content includes narrative and informational texts as well as poetry. This is a 35-item test with a 50-minute time limit.

Click to view blueprints.

LocigalReasoning2

Logical Reasoning

The logical reasoning portion measures a student’s ability to see patterns in short strings of numbers and letters. This is a 40-item test with an 8-minute time limit.

Sample Test Schedule
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The Five Skill Placement Test: A Full-Service Third-Party Delivered Assessment Program

  • Authoring and maintaining the tests in a secure online platform
  • Online portal with information and practice test
  • Online registration site
  • Dedicated toll-free customer service line
  • Managing the registration process for all students
  • Workstation setup of local testing sites
  • Registration and check-in at exam sites
  • Recruiting and training proctors
  • Scoring of all student responses, including essays
  • Reporting of student results for up to three high schools
  • Delivering a building summary report of scores to each school
  • Delivering a district summary report of scores to the main district office

Features

Online Adminstration

Online access ▾

The Five Skill Placement Test (5SPT) is designed to be delivered online using a state-of-the-art assessment delivery platform. The secure assessment delivery platform has been used to successfully administer millions of tests. The platform includes a number of built-in features to support student access and usability.

Fresh
Content

Clean slate ▾

The 5SPT program will rotate reading and math content from year to year with a minimum of 50% new reading and math content and completely new writing prompt. Rotating the content reduces the opportunity for students or others to memorize test content and also protects the validity of the student scores. 

Technology-Enhanced

Beyond multiple choice ▾

Going beyond traditional multiple-choice items, a portion of the reading and mathematics tests enhance motivation as it requires students to produce an original response. For example, on the reading test, students match words to an appropriate image. For math, students plot points, build graphs, etc.

Custom Reporting

Precise measurement ▾

Student reports and district summary reports are provided as part of the basic package. SME can also create customized reports based on district needs.

Security-Enhanced

Safe and secure ▾

The use of a secure online administration platform eliminates the security risks associated with paper-based testing. There are no paper booklets to track and count and no need to maintain a secure storage area. The online administration also protects the test content from being copied and released. 

Psychometric Analysis

State-of-the-art platform ▾

SME's psychometric team uses advanced IRT-based analyses to validate the functioning of all test items and the comparability of scores across different forms of the 5SPT. Following each administration, SME will supply a detailed technical report and review it with each client. 

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Learn how to deploy the Five Skill Placement Test in your school.

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Background

As part of our work with the Archdiocese of New York City and through discussions with individuals who deal directly with other Catholic school systems across the country, we determined that there was some dissatisfaction with existing assessments used in the high school admission process.

To combat the dissatisfaction with current assessments, SME has designed a new, digital high school entrance exam with updated content on a secure interface, new technology-enhanced item formats, and a scoring process that delivers meaningful data with a quick turnaround.

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