ACL Admissions Diagnostic

Before you begin

A focused readiness check, completed entirely on AcademiesPrep

This is a short baseline exercise, not a full practice test. The student and parent will receive an automated preliminary score report after submission, and the saved responses remain available for instructor review.

45 minutesCombined testing window

2 + 1Two STEM problems and one writing task

FreeNo enrollment obligation

Testing rules

Use scratch paper and a pen or pencil if helpful.
Do not use a calculator, outside website, AI tool, or spell-check extension.
The student must complete every response independently, without parent assistance.
Your work autosaves in this browser. For the most accurate result, finish in one sitting.

This is an AcademiesPrep readiness exercise. It is not official LCPS scoring and does not guarantee an admissions outcome.

Student and parent information

Tell us who is completing the diagnostic

The 45-minute timer begins only after this section is complete.

Student full name * Student email * Current school * Unweighted GPA * Use 7th-grade final core and world-language grades plus available 8th-grade grades.

Program(s) being considered * AOS AET Both

Parent or guardian name * Parent email for the report * Parent phone number *

I am the parent or guardian and agree to the AcademiesPrep terms and privacy policy. This selection serves as my digital signature. *

STEM reasoning

Work carefully and choose the best answer

Calculators are not permitted. You may use scratch paper.

Tech LogicMechanical drivetrain

Gear A, the driver, has diameter 20 and rotates clockwise at 120 RPM. Gear B, an idler with diameter 60, meshes with A and turns Gear C, a follower with diameter 30.

Based on the mechanical schematic, what is the final rotation of Gear C?

Clockwise120 RPM

Gear ADriverDiameter 20

Gear BIdlerDiameter 60

Gear CFollowerDiameter 30

A40 RPM counter-clockwise B80 RPM clockwise C120 RPM clockwise D240 RPM counter-clockwise

Algebraic ReasoningPipeline optimization

An engineering firm must design the lowest-cost pipeline route from Point A on one riverbank to Point B on the opposite bank.

The river is exactly 200 meters wide.
Point B is 400 meters east of A, measured parallel to the bank.
Pipe on land costs $1,000 per meter. Pipe under water costs $3,000 per meter.

ANorth bank

200 m

South bankB

400 m east

Which path has the lowest total construction cost?

ACross 200 m perpendicular to the bank, then travel 400 m east on land. BTravel in one straight 447 m line from A to B, entirely under water. CCross diagonally while moving 100 m east, then travel the remaining 300 m on land. DCross diagonally while moving 200 m east, then travel the remaining 200 m on land.

ACL-style writing task

CRISPR gene-drive decision

Your response is evaluated for the strength and development of your ideas. Grammar, spelling, and syntax are not scored in this readiness exercise.

A global health organization is considering releasing millions of mosquitoes genetically modified using CRISPR gene-drive technology. The goal is to introduce a sterilizing gene that would rapidly spread and cause a specific mosquito population to collapse, potentially stopping transmission of a deadly, drug-resistant virus affecting millions of people.

Public health officials call it a potentially historic medical breakthrough. Ecologists warn that eliminating an entire species could destabilize the regional food web. Bioethicists also raise concerns about releasing irreversible engineered genes into the wild and the possibility of unintended mutations.

A. As the lead geneticist advising the organization, what questions would you ask to decide whether deploying the gene drive is appropriate? * 0 words B. What information would support your findings? What criteria would you use to judge the accuracy and authenticity of that evidence? * 0 words C. How would you present your argument to the organization, including differing points of view? * 0 words

Review and submit

One final check

Confirm that each required section is complete. Answers cannot be changed after submission.

Student reflection How would you rate your performance today? * Needs improvement5 / 10Strong Do you feel more prepared after completing this diagnostic? * What do you think you need to focus on?

I completed this diagnostic independently, did not use prohibited tools, and will not share or retain the protected questions. I have destroyed any scratch work. *

Submission received

That is everything.

We sent the preliminary score report to the student and parent email addresses provided. The report includes STEM feedback, an automated five-dimension writing rubric estimate, next steps, and a recommended prep path.

Submission ID:

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