By Kim M.

Taking standardized tests, choosing the right college, and planning for a career can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when so much is uncertain. You can control your preparation and research, though, ensuring the best possible outcome. Preparing thoroughly helps to eliminate anxiety and build confidence in your test performance and decision making. Testing & Education Reference Center from Gale is an incredible online tool that’s rich in content, offering standardized test and entrance exam preparation, in-depth undergraduate and graduate program research, tuition and scholarship assistance, and valuable career information. It helps everyone from students to seasoned professionals embark on new paths. 

Testing & Education Reference Center provides the information, tools, and materials needed to achieve all your career and education goals, including: 

• Full-length, Timed Practice Exams 
  Gain an advantage with practice exams that simulate the actual test-taking experience for AP tests, ACT, SAT, PSAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GED and HiSET, TOEFL, U.S. Citizenship, military exams, and more. Diagnostic pre-tests help you determine where you stand and how much preparation you need before taking an exam. 

• Intuitive School Searching 
  Easily search for private secondary schools, vocational/technical schools, boarding schools, military schools, special needs schools, or accredited colleges and universities to find the perfect fit. Quick results deliver information on school location, tuition, academics, admission requirements, campus life, among other aspects.  

• College Funding Tools 
  Financial aid tools, such as the Undergraduate Scholarship Search, Financial Aid Award Analyzer, College Savings Calculator, and Tuition Cost Finder provide data to help you plan, budget, and identify resources. 

• Career Development  
  Access rich career development tools including a Career Assessment, the Resume Builder, and the Virtual Careers Library to help in every part of the career planning process. Map your career interests and aptitudes to job categories and industries that fit your personality. Delve into a list of occupations suited to your interests and learn about the skills involved, salaries, and more. 
  
  Get job search guidance, as well as resume, interviewing and networking advice for your career stage, whether you’re just starting out, looking to change careers, or transitioning from the military. 
  
  Prepare and study for professional certification exams, such as accounting, cosmetology, firefighter, postal worker, real estate, and more.

Testing & Education Reference Center is available for free courtesy of Howard County Library System. Watch this quick video to get an overview of how it works, and then click here to log in with your library card number and PIN. Please note that you must create an account with your email address and a password, which is necessary to save resumes, career assessment scores, and practice test progress. 

No matter your academic or professional goals, Testing & Education Reference Center can help you reach them, and HCLS is cheering you on every step of the way!

Kim M. works in the Materials Management Department at the Administrative Branch. She’s currently reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and watching The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.