Test Prep

You start taking them in first grade, so it’s not like it’s anything new.  But standardized tests become a more important part of your life once you get to high school.  Whether it’s the PLAN or PSAT (taken early in high school), the ACT or SAT a little later, or even an end of high school, graduation test, “I just don’t test well” is increasingly not an option anymore..

The PLAN and PSAT to help prepare for what’s to come, and ultimately, the ACT and SAT are, collectively, a critical component in your college admission.  Neither is an intelligence test, and too much significance should NOT be placed on either a high or a low score (yours or anyone else’s).  And while I don’t want to contribute to the stress many students feel about these tests, I also don’t want to downplay their importance. Your score(s) is only one of many factors used by colleges to make admission and financial aid decisions.  But what you want yours to do is either validate a high GPA or overcome a low one.  Being knowledgeable about and prepared for the tests becomes critical.

Some basic information and guidance can go a long way toward helping you feel more comfortable.  Below are some suggestions to help:

  1. Take the PLAN or PSAT, or both.  They familiarize you with the format and content, while giving you an idea of areas of relative strength and weakness.
  2. Prep for the test(s) by reading this column, the College Entrance Exams chapter of my book (College Prep 101), visiting www.collegeprep101.com, and DEFINITELY spending a good deal of time on www.act.org andwww.collegeboard.com (there are both free and paid aids on both sites).
  3. Work with your high school counselor and make use of the resources she/he makes available.
  4. Know a few tricks of the trade;
    1. When reading passages about which you’ll be asked questions, read the questions first so you’ll know what you’re looking for.
    2. Blind guessing can help on the ACT, but may hurt on the SAT
    3. If you sometimes get confused when choosing an answer from your choices, cover them up and come up with your own answer, then see which choice is the closest.
    4. Answer the questions you know first and come back to those that will take more time.
    5. Take a watch and manage your time during the test.
    6. Be cautious on questions that contain absolutes or superlatives.
    7. Check over your work.
  5. Do all the little things, like getting a good night’s sleep the night before the test, eating a good breakfast, dressing in layers on test day (in case the room is hot or cold), and taking several #2 pencils, an approved calculator, and Kleenex, among others.
  6. RELAX!  It’ll be over soon, and you can always test again…
For test prep on the SAT, I recommend the following:

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