The Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) was a two-day

standardized test A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predete ...

taken by all

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Juniors in the U.S. state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. On the first day, students take the ACT, and on the second day, a

WorkKeys ACT WorkKeys consists of three elements: *Job skill assessments, which are designed to measure foundational and personal skills as they apply to the workplace *Job analysis, which pinpoints or estimates skill benchmarks for specific job positions t ...

examination and

Illinois State Board of Education The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. Board members serve four-year terms, with ...

-developed science examination. The test is no longer administered in Illinois schools; however, it was required for all Illinois High School Students from 2001 to 2014.

Areas of assessment

The PSAE attempted to assess students in the areas of math, reading, science and writing.

Exemptions

Students were required to take the PSAE to achieve a

high school diploma A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...

, unless they met one of the following requirements: *The student's Individualized Education Program is incompatible with the PSAE, and the test cannot be modified to comply. In this case, the student takes the

Illinois Alternate Assessment Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockford ...

instead. *The student is not proficient in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

. In this case the student takes the

Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockford ...

instead. *The student is enrolled in an alternative Education program, including an adult education program, or high school equivalency certificates.

References

{{reflist Education in Illinois Standardized tests in the United States School examinations Achievement tests Secondary education in the United States