FARMINGTON – Mt. Blue High School grade 11 students will take the College Board SAT exam from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the high school. The state wide initiative replaces the MEA exams that students took in past years. Two content areas to be assessed for 11th-graders: English language arts and mathematics.

The test date is a mandated official school day for students. District bus service will provide transportation to and from school. Breakfast and lunch will be served and the normal SAT cost of $41.50 will be covered by the Maine Department of Education. Parents are invited to join the students for lunch following the exam.

Students who take the SAT on April 1 will not be required to attend class on Monday, April 3. Those who do not take the test on April 1 will be required to make up the test on the following Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

Employers in the area need to be aware that April 1 is a mandated school day for 11th-graders and cannot require part-time students to work that day.

The change to the SAT will give students a score that can be used to apply to college. The state is covering the cost of the test and has provided free on-line preparation services. Mt. Blue has also provided an after-school SAT prep course free.