All incoming 10th and 11th graders (i.e., new sophomores and new juniors) should take the test. Incoming 9th graders are not eligible to place out of intro level courses and, therefore, should NOT take the test. The link to the History Department Placement Test is at the END of these instructions.
The test is designed to give incoming 10th-grade and 11th-grade students the opportunity to demonstrate that they have the reading, writing, and analytical skills necessary to enroll in the higher level of history for which they are eligible in their first semester at CA (mid level for 10th graders and upper level for 11th graders). During the course request period, incoming 10th graders should sign up for mid-level courses and incoming 11th graders should sign up for upper-level courses. If the department determines, as a result of the test, that students would be best served by taking a course in the intro or mid levels in the first semester of their 10th- or 11th-grade year, their schedules will be adjusted accordingly.
This is not a timed assessment; students may take as long as they like to work on it up until the deadline. The test is due with the other course request materials by the posted deadline.
Students may send their completed test to the History Department head by email (claire_nelson@concordacademy.org) or by postal mail (Claire Nelson, Concord Academy, 166 Main Street, Concord, MA 01742).
Students may not have any help of any kind from anyone with the test. They may not discuss the test with anyone until after the deadline. Students may not consult any books, the Internet, or other sources aside from the readings that accompany the test itself.
The History Department is committed to helping students find the appropriate placement into our curriculum. We want students to enter the program where they can find challenges that are developmentally appropriate. This is why we expect that the written work that students submit will be entirely their own.