Do Not Take the Same Test Over and Over
We at Chariot Learning administer a lot of practice tests throughout the greater Rochester area. A LOT of tests. During our busiest weekends, we’ve run three or more at different schools, libraries, and other locations. I actually proctor many of these tests myself as a way of meeting students and observing trends. One trend that doesn’t seem to be going away is that of the “repeat offender”–the student who comes to take the same test over and over. Why would someone sit for the same exam multiple times? Usually, the reason can be traced to poor planning or failure to recognize that we administer the same SAT or ACT at every location. But some students commit to grinding out a better score, no matter how inefficient their efforts may be. This leads to a mindset that suggests taking the same test over and over is better than not testing at…
Dress for Success on Test Day
Clothes, it is often said, make the man. But can the right clothes make the man test better? If we accept that our best scores come from managing every aspect of the testing experience we can, then even something as prosaic as wardrobe choice can impact performance. Dressing for success of test day involves more than remembering your lucky socks–though you can wear them too if that will help! When laying out your wardrobe (along with all those other test day necessities) the night before a big test, your main concern should be COMFORT. Consideration of comfort should include a few important factors: Freedom from distractions You don’t proctor as many practice tests a year as we do without seeing lots and lots of hoodies and sweatpants. Why are sweats so popular? When sitting in place for hours on end, teens intuitively favor apparel that is non-binding and free flowing.…
Do I Qualify for a National Merit Scholarship?
The PSAT that high school juniors take every October offers more than just a glimpse at the actual SAT. This test may not directly impact college admissions, but top scorers can earn special recognition and even scholarship. That is why that 11th grade test (not the PSAT 10 or PSAT 8/9) is known as the PSAT/NMSQT. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT are automatically screened for the National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. All kinds of opportunity is on the table for students who score high enough. Thus, the obvious question is, “How high do I have to score for National Merit Scholarship recognition?” If only the answer was that easy. National Merit Scholarship recognition is based on a student’s Selection Index, which is based on a student’s PSAT score, which is similar but not the same as an SAT score. Simple, right? The SAT is…
The Case for the October SAT & ACT
For high schoolers, the academic year roars in with early opportunities to take the SAT & ACT. October no longer serves as the first chance to take either test–those honors accrue to the August SAT and September ACT. However, the month of fall foliage and Halloween treats is still one of the best times to take either test. What’s so great about October, besides pumpkin spice lattes? Classes haven’t really ramped up yet so early in the school year, which affords busy students a bit of breathing room to prep for the big tests. Most extracurricular activities, with the notable exception of fall sports, are equally slow to start. Thus, students can actually focus on the tests in October. However, other important benefits sweeten the deal for October: SENIORS, even those late to the college admissions party, enter October feeling the pressure to finalize applications. The October SAT dates is…
Quick Points About The Digital SAT
If you’re interested in learning all the details about the digital SAT and PSAT, we’ve got you covered with our new Meet the Digital SAT series of articles. If, instead, you want two minutes of important points about the tests, we’ve got you covered with that as well! I was interviewed on the topic in early August 2023 by WBRC FOX6 News out of Birmingham, AL: Expert shares changes coming to new digital SAT format “The digital SAT that we’re going to be seeing, actually that’s being administered now overseas, is a section-adaptive test,” said Mike Bergin, the president of the National Test Prep Association and the founder of Chariot Learning. “The first reading-writing section sets your baseline and if you do well, you perform at a certain level on the first reading-writing, your next reading-writing section will be harder and you have the potential for a higher score. If you don’t do…
Meet The Digital SAT: MATH
Until 2015, the SAT was considered the test for students with strong reading ability, while the ACT catered to those with more of a math focus. The last revision, however, reversed the calculus by creating a math-forward assessment that emphasized more advanced topics, graphical literacy, and no-calculator math than ever. The revision was also intended to align the SAT with the Common Core philosophy of testing fewer topics in greater depth than prior assessments. To be fair, College Board ran from the politically unpalatable Common Core curriculum alignment not long after launch and never made good on the promise of fewer math topics anyway; on the contrary, the more recent version of the test required knowledge of more concepts and formulas than ever. Interestingly, the digital SAT appears, at least in its earliest days, to be making a more earnest commitment to mathematical depth rather than breadth: Interestingly, the content…