TechTest
SESF is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
TechTest is supported by SESF Board members, community members at large (including donors from out of state), and for profit businesses. Every penny contributed by donors goes toward the scholarships. SESF is an all volunteer organization with no paid staff.
Background on the exam: while members of the SESF board sat at NUHS’s scholarship night several years ago to present a $500 scholarship to a student for designing the SESF logo it was noticed that not one scholarship was focused on Technology/math/science. It appeared that the vast majority of scholarships were earned in the areas of athletics and the arts. Shortly after, SESF decided to hold a merit based math/science exam to help promote technical careers and technical education. In the interest of promoting math/science education previous TechTests have been available on this website.
A couple months following the exam SESF hosts a “Survivor Breakfast” to congratulate each student who attempted the grueling exam. At this breakfast the donors are also encouraged to attend and mingle with the “survivors.” In addition to breakfast each “surviving test taker” receives a “TechTest Survivor” t-shirt.
Historically, the winners names are not made public until the Nevada Joint Union High School District’s scholarship night. In 2009 SESF was contacted by Congressman McClintock’s office because the Congressman wished to express his appreciation for the students taking the exam. In 2009, the winner was presented with a signed certificate of appreciation by the Congressman. The student accomplishment is the focus of the “TechTest Survivor Breakfast” and as such there is not keynote speaker or “entertainment.”
Regarding the exam: It was decided early on by the SESF board, Donors and education committee that the test needed to be “university level” to weed out the best from the existing great minds and to give students from different school districts an “even playing field.”
Tech Test Goals
SESF inaugurated TechTest in response to filling a local need for scholarships that would encourage young people to consider undertaking some aspect of technology as their life’s work. In the last decades the United States has fallen woefully behind in supplying our institutions and businesses with qualified technical workers who form the backbone of our country’s wealth generating capacity. America must graduate many more scientists and engineers if we are to retain a competitive position in the global markets and maintain our nation’s security.
Now in its fifth year, TechTest is the flagship component of SESF’s merit scholarship program. With a recommendation of their math or science teacher, the test is open to all of the county’s high school seniors and juniors who plan to embark on a technology based career after college. Only seniors will receive cash scholarships; juniors are invited to take the test for practice.
The test is a grueling four-hour math/science exam given in the spring. It is a lower division university level examination administered by the TechTest Academic Committee comprised of teachers in the Nevada County high schools and chaired by Mr John McDaniel, Nevada Union High School’s award winning physics teacher. SESF’s participation is limited to writing the exam, conducting pre-test seminars in the spring, and awarding scholarship checks to the winners. The TT Academic Committee administers and grades all tests, and posts the results. Winners are determined solely by their test scores.
Tech Test Solutions
To help students prepare for future scholarship exams, solutions to past tests are provided below:
A copy of the 2012 TechTest, with solutions can be found here: TT2012solutionKey_SESF.
A copy of the 2011 TechTest, with solutions can be found here.
A copy of TechTest2010, with the solutions can be found here.
The solutions to TestTech2009 can be found here.
The solutions to TestTech2008 can be found here
The solutions to TestTech2007 can be found here.
TestTest Scholarship Winners:
The 2007 winning recipients:
Jonathon Hyland (NUHS) $3,000.00
Christine Rice (NUHS) $1,500.00
Kevin Palmer (Truckee HS) $ 500.00
The 2008 winning recipients:
Andrew Pado (Truckee) – $6,000
Collin Rutherford (NU) – $4,000
Philip Jackson (NU) – $2,000
Alex Miyakawa (NU) - $300
Trung An (NU) - $300
Chris Greiner (NU) – $300
Sophia Heick (NU) – $300
Napala Pratini (NU) – $300
Dan Rodriguez (NU) - $300
Ben Wood (NU) – $300
Kayla Peterson (Truckee) - $300
Dan Platner (NU) – $300
The 2009 winning recipients:
Greg McClellan (NU) – $6,000
Darrell Price (Bear River) – $4,000
Tejasi Patel (NU) – $2,000
Chris Convis (NU) – $300
Dustin Schmidt (NU) – $300
Danny Smith (NU) – $300
Trevor Foster (NU) – $300
Jesse Triplet (NU) – $300
Allee Macroire (Truckee) – $300
Corina Harvey (Truckee) – $300
Flynn Rice ( Truckee) – $300
Daniel Brown (Truckee) – $300
The 2010 winning recipients:
Scott Valentine (NU) – $6,500
John SekerK (NU) – $4,400
Robert Correll (NU) – $2,100
Kendal Butterfield (NU) – $300
Juan Espinosa (NU) – $300
K J Odgers (NU) – $300
Darkin Tanner (NU) – $300
Robbie Heck (Truckee) – $300
Bret Russon (Truckee) – $300
The 2011 winning recipients:
Daniel Goodnow (NU) – $6,500
Reilly Raab (Bear River) – $4,400
CJ Gillespie (NU) – $2,100
Eric Green (NU) – $300
Nick Clyde (NU) – $300
Jake Lerner (NU) – $300
Jade Won Golder (NU) – $300
Teresa Conley (NU) – $300
Trevor Gandell (NU) – $300
Trey Herbert (NU) – $300
Cody Keogh (NU) – $300
Jordan Riley (NU) – $300
