CSAP Vs. ACT

The two main tests Colorado high school students take are the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) and the ACT (American College Testing). Both are important in their own ways but are very different evaluators. The CSAP is important for determining if students meet the academic standards. The ACT on the other hand determines high school students’ ability to do college-level work. Students generally think the ACT is of greater importance than the CSAP and worry more about that performance indicator. Though students worry more abou the ACT they often feel they are less prepared for the ACT than they are for the CSAP. However, schools and teachers are doing many things to prepare students for both tests.


Ever since the third grade students have been taking the CSAP and teachers have been preparing students for them. In class, teachers often give practice CSAP questions to get their class ready for the test. Teachers also give quarterly Interim Assessments in Math, English, Social Studies, and Science to deteremine where the students are so the teacher knows where imporvement is needed. This helps the teachers assist students in strengthening their skills in the subjects they need help with. With how many times students have done the CSAP it is only expected that they feel more prepared for that test than the ACT.

There are many different preparations Rangeview has taken for the ACT. The obvious preparation is the Practice ACT. It gives students a direct taste of what the real thing is going to be like. Another great thing about the practice ACT is that students get results back. Since they get their results their teachers can often go over questions with students and help them figure out what they did wrong on the questions they missed. Rangeview has also put together a commitee to find other ways to help kids be more prepared for the ACT. Like the CSAP, teachers can also give practice ACT questions in class.

On January 30th, the Princeton Review will be coming to Rangeview to give the students yet another shot at the Practice ACT. Then, on February 20th the Princeton Review will return to report how well the students did and give information on provided classes to help prepare students even further for the ACT.

There are several things students can be doing independently as well to better prepare for the ACT so that they do not feel cheated when it is harder than they expected. The college preparatory program, Naviance, which is provided through many Colorado high schools, has a section on ACT preparation that students find useful. Another helpful website is www.studentACT.org, which gives many options to help students prepare. For more help students can speak with their counselors who have even more information on ACT preparation. Students can find many websites and books that have helpful hints and practice questions for the ACT.

There are also special ACT tests that students can take outside of school. “I learned a lot of new and good techniques that helped me on the act the second time I took it and it helped on other tests as well,” said Senior Johann Duran who took an ACT class after school. Many other seniors have had to take the ACT twice because they did not prepare in advance the first time for it. Plenty of them bought a book or took a class to help them improve the second time.

Though students do not always realize it, Rangeview prepares for the ACT a lot more than for the CSAP and for good reason. Students take the CSAP multiple times regardless of their score, but they are lucky if they only have to take the ACT once. These preparations are not just busy work; they are ment to help students feel they are equipped to do their best on the CSAP and the ACT. However, students seemingly take the preparations for granted or are unaware of them. Students should embrace both different test preparations for when they go in to take the exam they are testing at their full potential and are more likely to succeed.

-Brittany Diemer