College Testing
There are three tests that may be required for admission to colleges and universities. Students should research which tests are most appropriate for their post-secondary plans. When taking any of these tests, you will need to report your high school code number to the testing agency.
The Ankeny High School code is 160160.
College Admission Tests
ACT
The ACT is the most widely accepted exam for college and universities in the Midwest. The majority of college bound students at Ankeny Centennial High School and Ankeny High School will take the ACT. AHS and ACHS administer the ACT annually in September and April. Learn more about the ACT
SAT
The SAT is the test of choice for many colleges and universities on the coasts and certain selective Midwestern schools. The SAT includes a critical reading, mathematics, and writing section. The SAT subject tests are sometimes requested or required by certain colleges and universities. Learn more about the SAT
COMPASS
The COMPASS test is commonly required for placement purposes at the community colleges. It is a free test that can be taken during the registration process at DMACC. Students should contact their college of choice to schedule this exam. It may not be required if the student has taken the ACT. If a student scores a 19 on the ACT no COMPASS test is required.
College Credit Tests
Advanced Placement (AP) Tests
Advanced Placement Exams are offered every May at Ankeny High School and Ankeny Centennial High School. Students earning a 3, 4, or 5 may earn college credit for the tests. Students will receive testing information in their advanced placement classes. Registration forms and payment are due to ACHS and AHS Counseling offices. The cost of each exam is approximately $97. A fee will assessed for any cancelled tests.
View detailed information on the AP Exams
Other Tests
PSAT/NMSQT – National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship (PSAT/NMSQT) qualifying test is a multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities important to doing college work. There are two twenty-five-minute verbal sections, two twenty-five-minute math sections, and a thirty-minute writing skills section. As a junior, if you earn very high scores on these tests, you will qualify for the opportunity to enter scholarship competitions administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Taking the PSAT/NMSQT as a junior is the only way a student may enter competition for the National Merit Scholarships. Sophomores may take the test for practice. This scholarship program is very prestigeous and opens many doors to students who become semi-finalists and finalists. It is highly recommended that students take the PSAT/NMSQT.
View prep test information here
ASVAB
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is one tool that can help you assess your strengths in areas important to the career world. The ASVAB measures developed abilities and predicts what a person may accomplish with further training or education. It also provides measures of general learning ability that are useful for predicting performance in academic areas. Scores from the tests are useful in both civilian and military career counseling.
The ASVAB is a battery of ten short tests that cover the areas of general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, numerical operations, coding speed, auto and shop information, mechanical comprehension, and electronics information. The results of the ten tests are then combined to give three academic scores that can help identify career areas in which you might be interested.