Should You Take the ACT, the SAT, or Both?

Posted: January 28, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment
ACT or SAT?

ACT or SAT?

Colorado is filled with folks who moved here from California, Texas or New York. These people have taken and perhaps only know about the SAT. Colorado is an ACT state, and there is much confusion as to which exam is best for their student.

First of all, practically every college and university in the United States accepts either the ACT or SAT as their measure of standardized testing. That being said, determining a student’s level of success on each exam allows for a more focused test preparation program. Colorado high schools teach to the ACT, so most Colorado students tend to do better on this exam. The ACT is based on what is learned in the classroom. The SAT involves more abstract thinking, more problem solving and more vocabulary. Students who might not have high GPAs may do better on the SAT than the ACT, and the only way to determine which exam will allow your student greater success is to have him or her take one of each at the beginning of the junior year, thus creating a barometer for future test results.

Colorado colleges and universities accept ACT scores without the optional essay, and many Colorado students simply take the April exam offered for free at their high school. Those students applying to out-of-state schools need to either take another ACT that includes the essay portion, or the ACT plus an SAT. The added essay on the ACT adds enough criteria to make it equal to the SAT, so depending on which exam is better suited to your student is where test preparation should focus.

The ACT and SAT are similar but different enough to need different test preparation. Based on your student’s personal abilities along with understanding what schools he or she wants to apply to will allow you to make a good determination on where to focus time and energy to help your student achieve his or her future goals.

Five Keys to Acing the ACT and SAT

Posted: January 24, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

When it comes to the ACT and SAT, students (and their parents) want that one magic pill that will guarantee a high test score.  Sadly, like Ponce de Leon searching for the Fountain of Youth, these folks will likely find the journey exhilarating but ultimately fruitless. 

So, if there’s no single answer to the “test” question, what can you do to ace the ACT and SAT? Here are five keys: 

  1. These tests are sooo predictable!  The ACT and SAT are essentially the same test EVERY time.  Sure, the specific questions change, but the concepts being tested are remarkably consistent.  That means you should know ahead of time exactly what material is going to be covered.  Which leads us to…
  2. Don’t study for the test, TRAIN FOR IT.  Think about any skill you have worked to develop.  How did you improve? There’s a high likelihood that you combined practice with coaching.  This is no different, but it’s also important that you…
  3. Learn to think like the test maker.  For example, the test makers don’t want to credit you for faulty thinking.  Therefore, the answer choices will be constructed in a way to capture the most common mistakes on any particular question.  Knowing what those typical mistakes are ahead of time will keep you from falling into the test makers’ traps.  You’ll also need to…
  4. Master your pacing.  We all read and calculate at different rates, so it’s critical to know, through practice, how you’ll navigate each section of the tests.  You also don’t want to waste any time reading directions because THEY NEVER CHANGE.  And finally…
  5. If you won’t be testing for a year or more, READ voraciously.  There’s no better way to improve your reading skill than to read whatever you can get your hands on.  If the test is less than 3 months away, start preparing – with a course or with a tutor – that choice is up to you.  And if the test is tomorrow, relax, get a good night’s sleep, and approach the test with confidence (especially if you checked off the entire list above).