Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 prep should be the first thing on your 8th grader's fall checklist — and most Kansas City families don't realize the test has changed. Sion replaced the HSPT with the PreACT 8/9 as its primary admissions exam. The new test covers four ACT-style sections, runs 130 minutes, and determines both freshman course placement and automatic scholarship eligibility. I've watched students lose scholarship money not because they weren't bright, but because they spent weeks preparing for the wrong test entirely.
Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 — At a Glance
- Test: PreACT 8/9 (paper and pencil, multiple choice)
- Sections: English (45 questions), Mathematics (36 questions), Reading (25 questions), Science (30 questions)
- Duration: 130 minutes (approximately 30 minutes per section)
- Scale: 1–30 per section; includes predicted ACT score range
- Scholarship threshold: 80th percentile for automatic renewable academic scholarship
- Essay: Separate 250-word scholarship essay (optional, $500–$2,500 merit award)
- Essay deadline: December 18, 2026 (Class of 2031)
- Decision date: January 15, 2027 (Class of 2031)
- Test dates: November–December 2026 (check ndsion.edu/high-school/admissions/placement-test for confirmed dates before registering)
- Prep course: Optional faculty-taught course available for $100
- Accommodations: Extended time and Spanish-language directions available with documentation
What the Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 Actually Covers
The PreACT 8/9 is built on the same framework as the ACT. That matters because it is not a general aptitude test — it is a curriculum-based academic readiness exam with four distinct sections, each with its own pacing demands.
English (45 questions, ~30 minutes) covers grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and writing conventions. Your daughter will revise and edit short passages — not write from scratch.
Mathematics (36 questions, ~30 minutes) covers algebra, geometry, ratios, statistics, and data analysis. The content aligns with what strong 8th graders have covered in pre-algebra and early algebra.
Reading (25 questions, ~30 minutes) tests comprehension, interpretation, and analytical thinking across paired passages and longer texts. Thirty minutes is tight for the volume of reading required. Speed is a real factor here.
Science (30 questions, ~30 minutes) is the section families misunderstand most. No science facts are tested. Every question is built around data interpretation, scientific investigation, and reasoning from charts, graphs, and experimental results. Think of it as a critical thinking section wearing a science label.
Sion's individualized score report includes section-level feedback and a STEM composite that combines Math and Science scores. That STEM composite directly informs 9th-grade course placement. Strong Science and Math scores put your daughter in more advanced coursework from her very first semester.
The Notre Dame de Sion Scholarship Threshold — What the 80th Percentile Means in Real Numbers
Sion awards an automatic renewable academic scholarship to every student who scores at or above the 80th percentile on the PreACT 8/9 administered on Sion's campus. Here is what that looks like in practice.
On a 1–30 scale, community-observed estimates place the 80th-percentile composite in the 20–22 range. The exact cutoff can shift slightly by test cycle, and no official raw-score threshold is published. Treat that range as a planning benchmark, not a guarantee. What is guaranteed: students who test at Sion and clear that threshold receive the scholarship automatically — no essay, no interview, no separate application.
Students who test at another location and submit HSPT or ISSE results do not qualify for this automatic award, even with an equivalent score. If earning the academic scholarship is a priority, your daughter must sit for the PreACT 8/9 on Sion's campus.
Science and Reading are where prepared students gain the most ground. They reward systematic approaches over background knowledge — which means focused practice before test day has a measurable return.
Sion Kansas City Admissions Test: PreACT 8/9 vs. HSPT — Know the Difference
Many Kansas City families still associate Sion with the HSPT because that was the Catholic high school standard for years. The transition is real, documented on Sion's own admissions page, and important to understand before spending weeks preparing for the wrong exam.
The HSPT includes a Verbal Skills section and a Quantitative Skills section that have no direct equivalent on the PreACT 8/9. Preparing for the HSPT will leave your daughter underprepared for the Science reasoning section and the ACT-style Reading passages she will face at Sion.
Sion still accepts HSPT and ISSE scores from other testing locations. If your daughter is applying to multiple Kansas City Catholic high schools and takes the HSPT elsewhere, you can send those results to Sion's admissions office. Just know that those scores serve the general admissions review only — they do not trigger the automatic academic scholarship.
Families with daughters applying only to Sion should skip the HSPT entirely and put all preparation time into the PreACT 8/9 format.
PreACT 8/9 Science Reasoning Practice at Notre Dame de Sion — The Most Overlooked Prep Area
No widely available prep guide targets the Sion Science section specifically. That is a significant gap, because Science is where prepared students gain the most ground — and the fastest.
Every Science question on the PreACT 8/9 is built around a data set, a graph, a table, or an experimental summary. Your daughter will not be asked to recall the periodic table or define photosynthesis. She will be asked to read a graph quickly, identify a trend, compare two researchers' hypotheses, and draw a conclusion from incomplete data.
Those skills come directly from STEM critical thinking practice. Students who regularly work through data interpretation passages — reading charts, identifying variables, evaluating scientific claims — enter the Science section with a repeatable system. Students who skip Science prep and rely on general ability often stall on the unfamiliar passage format, even when they know the underlying content.
The STEM composite (Math + Science) appears directly in Sion's individualized report and shapes 9th-grade course placement. A strong STEM composite can place your daughter in honors or accelerated science and math from her first semester — which means access to AP courses in junior and senior year that might otherwise be out of reach.
The Sion Scholarship Essay — 250 Words That Can Earn Up to $2,500
The merit scholarship essay is separate from the admissions process and entirely optional. But $500–$2,500 in renewable scholarship money is real, and 250 words is a very manageable task with the right preparation.
Sion's essay prompt asks students to respond to themes of personal growth, global citizenship, and servant leadership. These are specific values at the center of Sion's identity as a Catholic, all-girls institution — not abstract buzzwords. Vague essays that could be submitted to any school will not stand out. Strong responses connect a concrete personal experience to at least one of those three themes in specific, honest language.
The deadline for the Class of 2031 is December 18, 2026. Because this essay is open to early applicants only, your daughter should start drafting in October — not December. A 250-word essay revised four times over six weeks is a different document than one written the week before the deadline.
The students who struggle most with this essay are not the ones who have nothing to say. They are the ones who have never practiced writing to a specific prompt under a real word limit. That discipline — saying something meaningful in exactly 250 words — is a skill, and it is trainable.
Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 Test Dates and Admissions Timeline (2026–2027)
Sion posts specific PreACT 8/9 test dates each cycle at ndsion.edu/high-school/admissions/placement-test. Historically, testing runs November through December. The admissions application window opens in September and closes in December.
An Open House for 7th and 8th graders is held in late September. Attending gives your daughter a chance to see campus before application deadlines arrive.
The scholarship essay deadline for the Class of 2031 is December 18, 2026. Admission decisions for the Class of 2031 are released January 15, 2027.
Alternate test results — HSPT or ISSE taken elsewhere — can be submitted to Sion's admissions office at any point during the cycle. Submit early so your application is reviewed with a complete file.
If your daughter has a 504 plan or IEP and needs accommodations such as extended time or Spanish-language directions, contact the admissions office early in the fall. Documentation must be submitted before her scheduled test date, and processing takes time. Do not wait until October.
What Else Does Notre Dame de Sion Consider Beyond the PreACT 8/9?
The PreACT 8/9 is Sion's primary academic placement and scholarship tool, but the full admissions review also considers academic transcript and GPA, potential for success at Sion, and fit within a diverse and engaged student community.
Need-based financial aid is determined separately by an independent agency using the SSS/PFS form. In 2025–26 (the most recent figures available), Sion awarded over $1.2 million in need-based aid to 185 families — roughly $6,490 per family on average. That $6,490 average reduces a family's tuition bill significantly, and the need-based process is entirely separate from the academic scholarship earned through the PreACT 8/9.
Your daughter's score report also does more than unlock scholarship eligibility. It directly informs 9th-grade course placement. The STEM composite helps Sion identify students ready for honors-level Math and Science from day one — which shapes what AP and advanced courses become available in junior and senior year. A strong performance on test day sets the academic trajectory for all four years, not just freshman placement.
Frequently Asked Questions: Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 and Admissions
Q: What score do I need on the PreACT 8/9 to earn a scholarship at Notre Dame de Sion?
A: Sion awards automatic renewable academic scholarships to students scoring at or above the 80th percentile on the PreACT 8/9 administered at Sion. On a 1–30 scale, the 80th percentile typically falls in the 20–22 composite range, though the exact cutoff can shift slightly by test cycle. Students who clear that threshold receive the scholarship automatically — no essay, no interview, no separate application required. Science and Reading are the two sections where focused practice moves the composite score most reliably, because both reward trained reasoning strategies more than background knowledge.
Q: How is the PreACT 8/9 different from the HSPT that Sion used to require?
A: Notre Dame de Sion replaced the HSPT with the PreACT 8/9 as its primary admissions exam. The HSPT includes Verbal Skills and Quantitative Skills sections that have no equivalent on the PreACT 8/9. The PreACT 8/9 mirrors the ACT's four-section format — English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science — and produces a predicted ACT score range in the student report. Sion still accepts HSPT and ISSE results from other locations for general admissions review, but only students who test on Sion's campus qualify for the automatic academic scholarship. Families already registered for the HSPT elsewhere should contact Sion's admissions office to confirm how those scores are evaluated.
Q: Does the Science section of the PreACT 8/9 require memorizing science facts?
A: No. The PreACT 8/9 Science section tests data interpretation, scientific investigation, and reasoning from charts, graphs, and experimental passages — not memorized content. Your daughter does not need to recall biology vocabulary or chemistry formulas. She needs to read tables and graphs quickly, identify trends, and compare competing hypotheses. These are trainable skills. STEM critical thinking practice tests that simulate data-analysis passages build the reasoning speed and accuracy this section rewards.
Q: Does my daughter need to take the PreACT 8/9 at Sion, or can she use a score from another school?
A: Only students who take the PreACT 8/9 on Sion's campus qualify for the automatic academic scholarship tied to the 80th-percentile threshold. Sion accepts HSPT or ISSE scores from other testing locations for general admissions purposes, but those scores do not trigger the automatic scholarship. If your daughter has already taken the HSPT or ISSE elsewhere, you can submit those results to Sion's admissions office at any point during the cycle.
Q: Is the scholarship essay required for admission to Notre Dame de Sion?
A: No. The 250-word scholarship essay is optional and separate from the admissions application. It is only required if your daughter wants to be considered for merit scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500. For the Class of 2031, the essay deadline is December 18, 2026. Because this essay is open to early applicants only, start drafting in October — not the week before the deadline.
Q: When are the PreACT 8/9 test dates for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle?
A: Sion posts specific PreACT 8/9 test dates each cycle on ndsion.edu/high-school/admissions/placement-test. Historically, testing takes place in November and December. The admissions application window runs approximately September through December, with an Open House for 7th and 8th graders in late September. Admission decisions for the Class of 2031 are released January 15, 2027. Check the placement test page starting in September for confirmed 2026–2027 dates before you register.
Q: Does Sion offer test preparation for the PreACT 8/9?
A: Yes. Sion offers an optional faculty-taught test prep course for $100 that covers all four PreACT 8/9 content areas — English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. Enrollment details are available through the admissions office. Families who want additional practice outside of Sion's course can supplement with STEM critical thinking and essay writing practice tests to build fluency in data reasoning and written response before test day.
Q: Can my daughter receive testing accommodations on the PreACT 8/9 if she has a 504 plan or IEP?
A: Yes. Sion provides accommodations including extended time and Spanish-language directions for students with documented needs. Submit supporting documentation — a current 504 plan, IEP, or psychoeducational evaluation — to the admissions office before your daughter's scheduled test date. Contact Sion's admissions team as early as possible in the fall to confirm the documentation deadline. Do not assume accommodations from her current school transfer automatically — submit directly to Sion.
Start Your Notre Dame de Sion PreACT 8/9 Prep Today
The students who reach the 80th-percentile threshold at Notre Dame de Sion are not always the ones with the highest GPAs. They are the ones who practiced the right skills — reading graphs, identifying variables, evaluating scientific claims, constructing a focused argument in 250 words — before test day, not the night before.
Our STEM Critical Thinking Practice Tests are built for the reasoning the PreACT 8/9 Science and Math sections actually test. Each test gives your daughter data sets, charts, and experimental scenarios in the same format she will face at Sion — and builds the systematic approach that earns points when the clock is running.
Our Essay Writing Practice Tests give your daughter structured prompts with strict word limits — the right preparation for Sion's 250-word merit scholarship essay and its themes of personal growth, global citizenship, and servant leadership.
Both tools are built for 8th and 9th graders. Both map directly to what Notre Dame de Sion tests and rewards. The application window opens in September. Start now.
