It’s college application preparation season, with students narrowing down their school selections and studying as well as they can for the entrance exam scores required.
For many students and parents, this involves seeking out a structured test-preparation program, as these can mean up to a 100-point increase in students’ scores, depending on the level of commitment they put into it.
Even as available preparation programs work to keep up with ever-changing technology, entrance exams still hold key importance to admissions officers at many top-choice colleges and universities. Students today are lucky there are many exam-preparation programs from which to choose from, from books, in-person tutoring and online courses with live instructors. It’s no secret that those who take test-preparation courses and adopt strong study skills have a leg up in achieving a better score.
Along with impacting whether a student gets into one of their top-choice schools, the exam can determine the amount of financial aid and scholarships a student may get.
The SAT involves a reading comprehension and math section, each of which are worth up to 800 points for a possible score of up to 1600, along with a separate, optional essay scored on an eight-point scale on the dimensions of reading, analysis and writing.
Organizations such as Kaplan Test Prep and Princeton Review offer various start dates for course programs in order to coincide with exam dates. Students typically start preparing and taking practice tests before their junior year of high school.
In 2017, the SAT is being given in August, October, November and December; and in 2018, in March and May. The ACT is being given once in September, October and December of 2017, as well as February, April, June and July of 2018.
Most preparation courses focus on the curriculum and comprehension aspects of the math and verbal sections of the test, as well as answering strategy. These courses teach students how to approach certain questions, and work with wrong-answer penalties and time constraints, while taking practice tests on their own.
According to James Murphy, director of national outreach for Princeton Review, while most test-preparation companies would agree that teaching the curriculum far outweighs potential benefits of “tips and tricks” to outsmart the test questions, it’s important to teach students confidence and stamina, as most school classes and adult jobs don’t require you to remain seated for nearly four hours straight without breaks, thinking hard about specific concepts.
“The important thing that we offer is a live person, whether it’s online or in person, there in the room with students, keeping them moving and motivated,” Murphy said. “A human being makes all the difference to build students’ confidence and hold them accountable, helping them believe in themselves while also learning the material.”
Both Kaplan Test Prep and Princeton Review representatives recommend students take a course 12-20 weeks before their scheduled exam, depending on how much time and by how many points they want to improve. This gives them time to take up to four practice tests at home. There are various test-prep options and sites in the Houston area, including full-prep courses both in classrooms and online, as well as individual and small group tutoring, both in person and online.
“Every family has different needs and expectations of how much score improvement their student may need,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions and K-12 programs at Kaplan Test Prep. “This is why we do not put a cap on how much a student should improve after using Kaplan’s programs. Kaplan offers a score guarantee, meaning if students didn’t improve as much as they had hoped, they can take the course again for free, and if they are still not satisfied, they can get their money back.”
[“source-chron”]
