The ACT with Writing and the SAT are 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time alone; not to mention–given on a Saturday morning, requiring teenagers to arrive at the testing center by 7:45 am, and can be a 5 hour endeavor with the standard breaks and registration checks. Plus, these can seem like “the rest of my life depends on my score” to a teen test taker, given the test scores are part of most college admissions processes. Whew. It’s no wonder students report “blanking on answers”.
So, given these test taking circumstances, how do students prepare? Approaching the SAT or ACT as a regular high school test and only reviewing content alone may not be enough to improve scores. Including a revision and learning new test taking skills will compliment any preparation for the SAT and ACT. In our experience at Creative Marbles, students’ content knowledge is available, once they learn the process of answering questions in a timed situation and become familiar with the types of questions being asked. Also, practice builds students’ stamina for the 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time; no different than marathon runners train for months before the big race.
Here’s advice from a graduating senior, who worked with Creative Marbles on her college essays, about SAT/ACT preparation:
Don’t bother with ACT/SAT prep courses if you’re motivated enough to work on your own. It was all about learning how the test writers think, which you can only really do by taking practice tests.
SAT and ACT prep may be the last priority on any teen’s ‘to-do’ list. For parents, understanding the testing circumstances and the “rest of my life rides on these scores” perspective, plus a willingness to be the “bad cop” will help continue to motivate your student to practice before the test day.
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Jill Yoshikawa, Ed M, is a University of California and Harvard trained educator and Partner at Creative Marbles Consultancy. She advises families and schools, as they make complex educational choices. You can contact Jill at [email protected] or, read her short biography.
