What does the beginning of March mean for high school students all across Connecticut? For juniors and seniors this time means getting out of school early for two weeks. Freshmen and sophomores, on the other hand, will be experiencing 10-days of test-taking angst.

Yes, CAPT is quickly arriving and for this two-week period Bethel High School has rearranged its schedule to accommodate the test.  Every day from March 6^th to the 16^th classes will be run on a variety of four different schedules, making the pre-testing portion of the day end at 11:00 a.m., 11:50 a.m., 11:55 a.m., or 12:15 p.m.

Bethel freshmen and sophomores have been preparing all year for this testing. CAPT, or Connecticut Academic Performance Test, is comprised of four sections: Reading Across the Disciplines, Mathematics, Science, and Writing Across the Disciplines. According to the Connecticut Education Network, “CAPT has been designed to assess critical skills which are needed for success in the work place and advanced studies.”

BHS teachers have geared lessons to help students succeed. Mr. Krupnikoff, a sophomore math teacher, reminds his students that “the open ended questions should take approximately 5 to 8 minutes the short answer, grid- in questions should take 2 to 3 minutes. Watch your time.”

English is another area of concern for BHS students. Mrs. Fernand, who also teaches sophomores, instructs her students to “make sure you have an easy acronym to remember a definition for good literature. Just use good test taking strategies and make sure you are watching your time, to manage you time, and just take deep breathes!”

It’s highly recommended that the freshmen and sophomores follow the guidance of their teachers; it will make CAPTs easier and these upcoming two weeks run a little more smoothly.