College board to introduce 8th grade test

College Board to debut an 8th-grade PSAT exam

Los Angeles Times  August 8, 2008

The College Board announced that it would introduce a standardized test designed to be taken by 8th graders as a precursor to the PSAT and SAT.  The College Board and other supporters say that the test enables schools to identify students who should be in honors and other advanced courses as they enter high school.  Critics say that students are already overtested and that this test would provide little new information to aid in student placement.