Honors Placement Program
Keystone's Honors courses provide students with the opportunity for personal growth and help inspire intellectual curiosity. This enhanced curriculum requires more intensive study than is required in regular courses. The Honors courses are designed with a variety of enriched activities that give students the opportunity to expand their critical thinking skills and written communication ability.
Is an Honors course the right choice for you? By completing the Honors Readiness Exam, you will be able to determine if you should enroll in an Honors course.
The Exam
This exam contains 16 questions. The exam will assess a student's ability to interpret information, analyze situations, and design solutions.
Preparing to Take the Exam
You should set aside at least one hour to complete the exam. If you cannot complete the exam in one session, then plan on finishing the exam in no more than two sessions. You should take a short amount of time prior to the exam to set up your work area. Set up an area with little to no distractions. Avoid high traffic areas of your home. Be sure everyone in your surrounding area knows how important it is for you to take this exam. Be sure you have access to paper and pencils before you begin the exam so that you don't have to search for these items during the exam.
Taking the Exam
You should attempt all questions. Be sure to use the space provided to solve problems. The back of the exam sheet can also be used if needed, and you may use your own paper. Write the answers in the proper locations so that they are easy to find when the exam is graded. Write clearly and accurately. Be sure to answer the questions completely, using detail to support your answer. You should feel confident enough about your answer to clearly state it. If you absolutely get stuck on a question, leave the question blank.
You should do your own work. No outside resources, friends, or family members should assist you while taking the exam. Remember, the goal is to help you place yourself into the correct Keystone course. Your results are yours to keep and are not shared with Keystone in any way unless you choose to do so. If you do not do your own work, your results may not accurately reflect your placement level, and you may enroll in a course that you are not ready for.
Grading the Exam
A parent, guardian, teacher, tutor, or other educational professional may grade the exam using the following key:
Read all answers carefully, and score your exam using the feedback in the answer key. Answers will vary widely for the essay-type questions, so be sure to use the detailed guides that are provided. They will help you evaluate and score answers. At the bottom of each page, record the total points awarded for that page.
After grading the exam, add the scores from each page and write the total score in the top margin of the exam.
Using the Results of the Exam
Make sure you grade your exam first and know the score that you earned. Use the Results Table (PDF) to interpret your score. Then locate the appropriate category where your score fits. Corresponding to this score, you will see feedback and a recommended action plan. The results may indicate that you are ready to complete the Honors Readiness Checklist at the bottom of the Results Table page. You will want to review this with your parent, guardian, teacher, tutor, or other educational professional. Once you have completed the appropriate exams and you have reviewed all sources given in the recommended action plan, you will be ready to make your course selection. Be sure to refer to the Results Table for additional suggestions for choosing courses.
After choosing your courses, return to the Enroll Now page and continue with Step 2.
