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Complete PSAT/SAT, ACT and GRE Instruction
"Updated and expanded guidelines for all sections of the SAT and ACT beginning with the Summer, 2008, sessions. Much new information has been added to our unique materials and is available only through our classes."
Carolyn Scanniello (May, 17, 2008)
Tips & Trivia:
#1. "What three SAT testing dates should all juniors consider as one of their choices during the junior year?"
Answer: "All juniors should consider using January, May and/or October as one of their SAT testing dates because the College Board releases the test questions and answers for those test dates. This Question & Answer (Q&A) Service is invaluable for targeting strengths and weaknesses for future testing. Other test dates only offer the Student Answer Service which does not include the questions, but does indicate where a student has missed questions. Parents should plan around students' busy spring activities and the need for taking subject tests."
#2. "What is the most frequently used word on the math sections that causes students of all levels to miss questions because they have forgotten the meaning?"
Answer: "The correct answer is integer. Many students have this term confused and do not realize that positive and negative whole numbers as well as zero are integers. I call zero 'the forgotten integer'."
#3. "Do colleges average test scores if a student takes the SAT or ACT more than three times?"
Answer: "No, that belief is a persistent myth. A very small number of colleges use the best overall score from one sitting for the SAT. Most institutions mix and match subscores. Additionally, when using the ACT most use the composite score."
#4. "Is the PSAT easier or harder than the actual SAT and why is the PSAT very important to some students?"
Answer: "The critical reading and writing skills multiple choice portions of the PSAT are exactly the same difficulty level as those sections on the SAT. The math portion of the PSAT does not include all the skills that can be included on the SAT so students sometimes can score higher on that than they can on the SAT math. Athletes and students with high GPA's should attempt to score well on the PSAT since that score can be requested by coaches who are showing early interest in an athlete and can be used as the beginning of a scholarship search for students with high GPA's. For all other students the PSAT is a practice forum for the SAT."
#5. "How does a student know if a weak test result is because of lack of the skills tested or because of lack of strategy knowledge or both?"
Answer: "All students should examine the SAT on line score report for clues to their performance (it is more comprehensive than the mailed report). If a student has omitted between one third to half of the questions on the test, it is difficult to tell if the student did not know the material or just did not understand how much to omit without going too far. If a student has answered most of the questions on the SAT and gotten many of the easy and medium level questions incorrect, the underlying skills on the test may be too weak to allow the student to raise the score without further review. Our classes emphasize strategies and limited skills review because most of our students are strong enough students that intensive skills review is not necessary. Our classes do cover the basic concepts everyone must master for this test. ACT performance is more difficult to evaluate because all questions are answered regardless of knowledge level. Often on this test students who get many questions incorrect are either showing skill weaknesses or inability to handle the tighter time limits on that test."
#6. "What SAT vocabulary word did the College Board use frequently on their critical reading tests over the last three years that should be added to every student's list of words to know?"
Answer: "Nostalgia. This word means that a person has warm feelings for people, places or things from their past that are no longer available to them."
#7. "What are the style differences between the ACT and the SAT that make one test better for some students than the other test?"
Answer: "The SAT tests vocabulary in sentence completions and passage based reading comprehension over several sections to determine a critical reading score. The ACT tests passage based reading comprehension without vocabulary to determine a reading score in only one section. SAT questions tend to be more inferential and ACT questions tend to be more fact based. The Math sections are similar but the ACT math does not have the student produced response questions that have no answer choices (often a low point for SAT testers). Both have very similar English grammar sections and an essay. The ACT has a science section which is often a source of apprehension for many students until they figure out how to take that section and then it is often a strong point since it does not test science knowledge. In general, the ACT is more of an achievement style test and the SAT is more of an aptitude style test with many "follow the directions" types of questions."
#8. "What math question on the SAT is the one that students usually miss or leave out who score in the high 700's on math but do not reach 800?"
Answer: "Number 18 on the Student Produced Response section. Because there are no answer choices many students cannot get the answer at all or can't get it in the allotted time."
Program Strategy:
Our Regular SAT or ACT Class whether conducted as a group class(regular and honors levels available for SAT classes) or on an individual basis, is designed and presented as strategy sessions. While each class does include skills review beyond the basic level, its primary objective is to build a successful strategy for test taking. At the first class meeting, each student receives a practice book and a folder of information. Inside the folder are the test strategy guidelines, class assignments and for the SAT, a list of important vocabulary words. Each class meeting ends with an assignment to reinforce skills and should be completed before the next class meeting. GRE preparation is conducted on an individual basis.
For those students needing a review of SAT or ACT required math skills, we suggest taking our Pre-strategy Math Skills Review course prior to enrolling in the strategy class.
For comprehensive college planning, refer to our "Class Schedules" page for the College Counseling Package.
Additional Recommended Resources:
College Connections
College Selection, Applications, Essays, Financial Aid
The BrownMiller Group
Career and Life Management
Educational Enterprises, Inc.
Assessment, Learning & organizational strategies, Cognitive behavior management
Educational Expeditions
Student study, Travel and service programs both in the U.S. and around the world
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