New Test Looks At Skills Needed For College In 8th Grade

The makers of SAT exam say their new test for middle-school students is a tool to help students prepare for high school and college courses but not used for decisions about admissions or scholorships. The ReadiStep test is designed to help educators identify the skills that students have and the skills they need. The voluntary test will ask multiple-choice questions on reading, writing and math and will take about two hours to complete. Schools and districts would pay for the test which will cost no more than $10. ReadiStep is similar to a test that eighth-graders called EXPLORE which is used in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnosota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. ReadiStep is set to make its debut in the fall of 2009.