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Health & Fitness

Acing The Test—An SAT Expert Explains How to (Calmly) Help Your Child Do His or Her BEST on the SAT or the ACT

Are you and your kid worried about the SAT? An expert offers practical advice on how to prepare, how to stay calm and how parents can calm down and help their kids.

Many students took the PSAT this fall and are nervously facing the SAT this spring. And parents aren’t sure how to help, which test their child should take, how best to help kids prepare on their own, or how to efficiently work with their child’s tutor. I asked to ANDY WHEELER, founder of Wheeler Test Prep for tips that will help you and your child smoothly and successfully navigate this stressful and bewildering challenge.

When should a student take the SAT or ACT?

 "Both tests are offered throughout the school year.  Most students take the SAT in the spring of junior year (there are tests in January, March, May, and June for the SAT and in February, April, and June for the ACT).  Others like to get an early start, taking it in fall of junior year."

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How often should a student take the SAT or ACT?

"Most students take these tests at least twice (usually once or twice in junior year, and once more in fall of senior year), although of course the best-case scenario is to take it once, get the score you want, and get on with life!  If a students does take multiple tests, know that some schools will use the highest overall score, while others will "superscore"; i.e., they will combine your highest section scores (Reading, Math, Writing) from different sittings."

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 How can I know which test is better for my son or daughter – the SAT or ACT?

"The ACT is another college admissions test from another company, and virtually every college in the U.S. accepts either the SAT or ACT.  The easiest way to figure out which test is right for a particular student is to take a sample SAT and ACT.  At Wheeler Test Prep, all of our students take diagnostic SAT and ACT tests before tutoring starts, so that we can diagnose their areas of strength and weakness and determine which test is better for them. It’s important to know which test will highlight a student’s strengths."

What about Subject Tests?

"Some colleges and universities require students to take SAT Subject Tests, one-hour tests in specific subjects.  These are best taken at the end of junior year (May or June) so that they align with AP tests and finals."

What can a student do to prepare?

"Some students prepare on their own with books and practice tests.  For anyone who wants to take this route, I recommend using real tests whenever possible. Practice tests are available at www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org and both the SAT and the ACT publish Official Guides that contain multiple practice tests. There are also many classroom courses available for the SAT and ACT, as well as private tutoring.  We offer one-on-one tutoring because we feel that this is the most efficient and effective way for students to focus in on their weak areas and raise their scores.

But in all cases I recommend 2-4 months of preparation before taking the SAT or ACT for the first time."

 How much can a student expect to improve on the SAT or ACT after serious preparation?

"While every student is different, preparation of any sort should raise scores at least a little.  Students who have taken part in our intensive tutoring program have raised their SAT scores by as much as 500 points; on average, our students’ scores increase 200-300 points on the SAT, and 4 points on the ACT.  As you might expect, there’s a pretty clear relationship between hard work and positive results.  The students who put in the most effort tend to get the best results.  It’s good for students to have a goal, and a good SAT tutor will help students and parents set realistic, achievable goals." 

How do you help kids who are not confident test-takers?  What about kids who are very stressed about SAT/ACT?

"I think that for most people confidence comes from knowledge, and anxiety comes from “fear of the unknown.”  The best way to build a student’s confidence on the SAT is to show him or her that it’s just a test, and a very predictable one at that.  Once students learn the structure and problem types on the test, we recommend that they take several full-length practice tests.  That way they won’t be surprised on test day.

Often, students who “aren’t good test-takers” do themselves harm by continually telling themselves that they “aren’t good test-takers”!  Negative reinforcement can do a lot of damage…  instead of saying “I’m bad at this” or “I hate this” before starting a test, students should find something positive to think.  Maybe “I’m good at Reading Comp” or “I know I can do the math problems if I read carefully” or even “it’s just the SAT”!  Part of helping a student becoming a good test-taker is to help him convince himself that he actually is a good test taker.

Also, I always tell students that some anxiety is normal – and good!  Worry shows that you have something invested in the process and that you care about the outcome.  You just want to make sure that the confidence to nervousness ratio is high."

What can parents do to help kids work with a tutor?

"First, I think that communication is key.  It’s important for parents to stay apprised of how the tutorial is going – for example, is the homework getting completed? Does the student need to take more practice tests? 

Second, a good tutor will establish a rapport with the student – if the student respects the tutor, then the student will work hard for that tutorIn fact, students will often be more likely to listen to and take advice from a respected tutor than from their own parents!  (Ah, the mysteries of the teenaged mind!).

Third, a good tutor will provide a support system for the student – available to answer questions, give pep talks, or even provide “tough love” when appropriate.  A great tutor isn’t just knowledgeable; he or she must also be empathetic and invested in the student’s performance.

By the way, I think that it’s important to find a tutor who specializes in test prep tutoring.  Learning a math concept, for example, is not necessarily the same as learning how to do an SAT math problem.  A good SAT tutor is part teacher, part coach – he or she will teach you the facts you need to know but will also make sure that you are being 'test smart'.  A big part of preparing for these tests is learning how to take them.  At Wheeler Test Prep, we are not “math tutors” or “reading tutors”.  We are 'SAT tutors,' and our goal is simple: to help students achieve their highest possible scores."

This is all very helpful. Any other tips? 

"It’s best to plan ahead and to start preparing early.  That way, if you need to, you’ll have more opportunities to retake the tests and improve your scores.

While preparing, don’t get discouraged when you miss a question.  The best time to miss a question is on practice questions or practice tests.  Look at every mistake as an opportunity to improve!

 Finally, a word of advice to parents:  Remember that stress can be contagious.  Parents can get stressed out because they don’t have control over the situation (after all, it’s the student who’s taking the test).  Because of this, well-meaning parents, in trying to be helpful, actually put unnecessary pressure on the student.  Be supportive but not pushy, and make sure your child has access to all the help he or she needs to do his or her best." 

For more information visit Wheeler Test Prep SAT, ACT and Subject Test Preparation: http://www.wheelertestprep.com/

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