Any eighth-grader wishing to attend a Catholic high school in New York City or Maryland must take the TACHS exam.
Catholic schools in these districts use TACHS exam results with student documents to decide a candidate’s eligibility standing for admission. This is by far one of the most important investments parents can make in their children’s lives.
This article will explain everything you need to know about the TACHS exam, and how to go about it.
What is TACHS exam?
TACHS is an acronym that stands for Test for Admissions into Catholic High Schools. It is used by Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Rockville Center, and the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens.
It is only for students beginning the ninth grade in September of the following school year. However, the TACHS test enables schools to compare students’ academic skills, including how a student will perform under pressure.
The TACHS test was also used for the first time in the autumn of 2004 to decide the students eligible to receive a scholarship.
When is the TACHS exam written?
The test is taken every November, and the results can be sent to three different Catholic high schools.
There are not any official TACHS results for a pass or fail; every school sets its grade once it involves deciding what is a decent enough score or not. The scaled point range is between 200 and 800 points.
Students are also given a percentile score; the most commonly used means of measurement when one speaks about grades is between 70 to 90.
Benefits for students taking the TACHS Exam
The advantage of writing and passing a TACHS exam is that one enjoys the benefits of enrolling in a Catholic school.
The graduation rate in each of the Catholic high schools is 95-98%. However, the attendance rate at each Catholic high school in all dioceses is 95-98%. 100% of the students do some community service.
More than 80% of students at Catholic grammar schools do advanced courses beyond the required courses in Arts, Foreign Language, Literature, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Natural Science.
Whether small, medium-sized, or large, Catholic schools offer personal tutelage; teachers know their students’ strengths and weaknesses, and learning styles.
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TACHS Exam: Top reasons for choosing a Catholic High School
Honestly, parents would always target the best for their children. Catholic schools become the best option because parents wish their children to succeed in life’s challenges.
Catholic schools offer an educational program based on religious beliefs and values that enable children to grow in their self-image, connection with God, and interaction with others.
On the other hand, catholic schools fully promote children’s education; real learning experiences are respected and nurtured by their teachers.
Every child enrolled in a Catholic school acquires the information and skills necessary to succeed in college activities and a wide range of careers.
At the same time, Catholic schools provide a community environment where the children can have conversations and live out the values their education is based on.
Whichever Catholic school a parent selects, they can be confident that their child would get a solid academic education in a stable environment.
Scope of TACHS exam:
The TACHS exam is a multiple-choice test that should take roughly 2 hours to complete (a total of 3 hours with directions and recess between subtests).
The TACHS exam grading system is entirely final. There is no reviewing or retake of the exam. The number of points achieved is precisely what is documented. However, students can only apply to three secondary/high schools.
The TACHS exam measures school readiness in Reading, Mathematics, Writing Expression, and Abilities.
Reading test:
Here, informational, literary, and other materials are given to the student candidates. The questions examine the students’ strength to answer questions truthful, interpretative, and evaluative.
They may be asked about the main idea, the writer’s motivation, the context of a term, and other comprehension questions.
Writing Expression:
This is a standard English writing test. A good number of the questions linger on the most suitable approach of expressing an idea in writing. Questions may relate to the organization, clarity, and effectiveness, or appropriateness of the expression.
Other questions need students to spot the row of text that is wrong. It includes sentence structure, paragraph structure, punctuation, spelling, grammar, legibility, organized expression ideas, etc.
Mathematics:
Examinable questions on the test are derived from the areas of number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, data analysis/probability/statistics, and measurement.
It also includes approximating, problem-solving, understanding graphs and tables, integers, analogies, fractions, sequences, decimals, word problems, percentages, plane geometry, circles, polygons, etc.
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Ability:
This examines students’ thinking. Although based on natural processes, these skill sets are formed through experiences in and out of school.
This section tests thinking skills, and it includes patterns and sequences, problem-solving, and abstract thinking. The questions assess students’ ability to argue with slightly more recent questions using spatial and figurative content.
The questions in this section aim to show how well students use their thinking skills to solve problems that may or may not have been taught to them directly.
TACHS Exam: Criteria for Eligibility
Middle school students can apply to Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, Brooklyn/Queens, and Rockville at any point during the school year.
Exam day precautions:
Have it in mind that the TACHS exams start at 9 am on the set examination day. Students are expected to arrive at the test venue with the names of three schools they may like to attend.
This should be written behind their Admit Card so it could be easy to record their school choices on the exam booklet.
No electrical or battery-operated devices such as pocket calculators, watches, or cell phones are allowed on the test site.
In addition, edibles such as food, drinks, etc, and waste papers are also not allowed.Â
Registration and Cost of TACHS Exam
There are two methods of registering for TACHS exams: online or by telephone. Online registration is the preferred method as it is instant and requires credit card payment. When writing by telephone, a credit card payment is also required.
To check if the registration is successful for both modes of registration, a 7-digit confirmation number, also known as the TACHS ID, will be given as soon as the payment has been approved.
It is advised that one print the confirmation screen displayed at the end of the online registration process. If an email address is offered, a confirmation email will also be sent.
Students must take the test on the same day as their diocese. All students must show their same borough or county diocese (where they attended primary school at the exam) as they process their registration.
Another aspect of the registration requires that the students input the TACHS school code for the schools they want their scores to be sent to.
A non-retractable examination fee of $65 is paid for the online Student Handbook, online test materials, and the posting of scores to three high schools of a student’s choice.
Conclusion
Enrolling into a Catholic high school within the New York City space is no simple task, but writing well on the TACHS exam can assist aspiring youngsters in crossing the line.
The TACHS exam aims to enable the examiners to decide whether or not a student has the skills and ideas expected to deliver at the high school level.
It is a measure the school uses to determine whether the student is ready to start learning secondary/high school level materials and take part in a higher level of thinking.
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