AOS/AET Program – Parent Night FAQs

🎓 About the Program & Admissions

What is this program for? Loudoun Test Prep’s AOS/AET Prep Program prepares 8th graders for the highly competitive admissions tests for the Academies of Loudoun: Academy of Science (AOS) and Academy of Engineering & Technology (AET). These schools accept only 150 students total per year from an applicant pool nearing 5,000. Acceptance rates hover around 6-8%.

How is admission determined? Admissions officers look at:

Grades in Math & Science (6th, 7th, and 1st semester of 8th grade)
The STEM Thinking Skills Assessment
The Writing Assessment

Note: No lottery system is used. There was a proposal years ago that was rejected, but the document still exists online, leading to some confusion.

Are extracurriculars, recommendations, or essays considered?
No. The admissions process is strictly based on academics and the two assessments.

How are seats distributed by school?
Each middle school receives a number of admissions slots proportional to their 8th grade enrollment. This means two students with the same scores at different schools may have different admissions outcomes.

Should we apply just to boost college admissions later?
No. AOS/AET is a rigorous environment. If a student is not academically driven or passionate about STEM, they may struggle. Also, top college admissions offices compare students within their high school, meaning a student who would be top-ranked at their home high school may be middle-ranked at AOS/AET, potentially affecting their college outcomes.

🧪 STEM Assessment: What You Need to Know

Who creates this test?
A company called Insight Assessment. Their test is designed for college graduates and corporate hiring, not 8th graders.

What makes the STEM test unique?

No official study materials are published
33 questions, no penalty for guessing
Scores range from 260 to 300, with estimated unofficial cutoffs for AOS/AET at ~275

What topics are covered?

Out-of-the-Box Algebra – creative, nonstandard use of algebra
Spatial/Relational Thinking – cube folding, rotations
Tech Logic – brain teasers, riddles, logic puzzles
Scientific Thinking – analyzing unfamiliar experiments or setups

How do LTP students prepare if the test is secret?

LTP creates its own diagnostic, midterm, and final STEM assessments
Questions are based on years of feedback from past students
Tests are intentionally designed to be harder than the real one to stretch students’ abilities and to prepare them for anything
Students go over the questions in class only, not at home, to maintain test integrity

What happens in class?

No long lectures or note-taking
Highly interactive and collaborative sessions
Activities include: real-time professional scenarios, competitions, critical thinking games, math review (exponents, percents, equations)
Weekly homework assigned and reviewed; parents are strongly discouraged from helping so instructors can pinpoint where students are struggling

🔢 Writing Assessment: What You Need to Know

What is the structure of the writing assessment?

One prompt, 45 minutes, typed on a computer
Topics are STEM-related issues (e.g. AI in schools, endangered species, climate change, drones, facial recognition)
No internet access or outside resources during the test

Why is the writing assessment important? It’s the only part of the application where the student’s voice is heard. Their ability to think critically, consider multiple perspectives, and communicate clearly is evaluated here.

What does LTP focus on?

Teaching students to analyze prompts from multiple angles
Avoiding simplistic answers (e.g., “deforestation is bad”) and promoting nuanced thinking
Practicing structured arguments with cause/effect, logical reasoning, and counterpoints
Students write one full essay in class each week (starting week 2)
Instructors provide line-by-line feedback via Google Classroom between classes

How much homework is assigned for writing?

Only homework in Week 1. Weeks 2–8: writing is done fully in class
Writing is done using student laptops; if one is not available, instructors can provide alternatives

📅 Testing & Feedback

What are the three main assessments in the program?

Diagnostic – before class starts
Midterm – around Week 4
Final – around Week 8

Will students struggle? Yes—and that’s intentional. Struggle = growth. Students are meant to encounter unfamiliar question types, fail safely, and learn from their mistakes.

What if my child scores low? Don’t panic. Scores often don’t increase linearly. An 8/33 on the diagnostic could still mean tremendous potential. What matters is growth, analysis of mistakes, and resilience.

Do we get results?

Parents get a category breakdown of correct answers per topic (algebra, logic, etc.)
In Week 5, you’ll receive qualitative and quantitative feedback from both the STEM and writing instructors
All feedback is posted to your LTP parent dashboard

🚶️ Class Environment, Behavior & Logistics

How big are the classes?

Max of 8 students per class
Students are grouped by level and schedule availability

What supplies are needed?

LTP binder (provided)
Laptop (especially for writing weeks 2–8)

Can students use AI, calculators, or Google?

No. This violates both the test conditions and LTP integrity policy
Students are encouraged to read science/current events independently, but not use research to answer writing prompts

How do you handle cheating or behavioral issues?