Six Spontaneous Reactions to the New PSAT
The College Board finally released a full practice PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test in the new format. I’ve deliberately tried to steer clear of the previously released questions so that I might be able to evaluate the new PSAT with fresh eyes. But as I reviewed each section of this new test, I couldn’t help but recognize a lot of familiar features… 1. A 60-minute Reading section seems very long. On the other hand, 47 questions in 60 minutes allows a lot of extra time. 2. The College Board appears to be running as far as possible from its old policy of testing advanced vocabulary words. Not only are Sentence Completions gone, but the contextual vocabulary questions here focus on relatively common words. 3. Graphs seem misplaced in a Writing and Language Test. 4. The College Board drastically underestimates how much anguish the No Calculator Math Test will cause in modern teens.…
Smile! Photo Requirements for the SAT & ACT
Considering the high stakes nature of the SAT & ACT, the number of students who have been caught (or not caught) cheating on their tests over the years hardly comes as a surprise. One of the classic cheats has been to hire a youthful-looking professional to test in one’s place. No wonder the testing organizations have been ramping up their efforts in recent years to ensure that the person taking a test is the person who should be taking it! Of course, heightened security leads to heightened anxiety, particularly when test day already evokes such anxiety. One major source of stress has been the photo submission requirements. Both the College Board and ACT require you to provide a recent photo of yourself in order to complete your test registration. The submitted photo is used for identification and test security purposes. Relieve anxiety on test day by making sure your photo…
Can 529 Funds Be Used to Pay for Test Prep?
529 plans, tax advantaged investment vehicles designed to make it easier to save and pay for college or alternate post-secondary training, have been in the news lately. These plans, otherwise known as qualified tuition programs, have become somewhat popular with families all too aware of the steadily rising cost of a college education. Over the years, a number of clients have come to us requesting documentation so they could use 529 college savings plan funds to pay for their SAT & ACT prep. The practice become so common that we started telling new clients about the 529 option as a matter of course. Good thing we’re in education, not tax services! The last time a client commented to me on how excited she was about the option of using 529 college funds to pay for prep, I decided to consult an actual accountant to confirm what I thought was true.…
5 Minutes to College with Mike Bergin
NextStepU has been running a terrifically informative series of short video interviews called 5 Minutes to College. David Mammano, the CEO/Founder of NextStepU, has spent 5 minutes at a time with admissions consultants, career experts, and college sports pros. At last, he’s turned the camera on an expert in test preparation: yours truly! David and I discuss the following essential points in this video, which you are sure to find informative and possibly even witty: Whether the SAT & ACT are here to stay How the ACT differs from the SAT What 5 steps a student should take to prep for the tests When should a high schooler prepare As you imagine, we needed a little more than 5 minutes to cover these topics, but spare just a little more than 7 minutes, and you’ll learn a lot!
When Should You Take The SAT or ACT?
If a four-year college, especially a competitive one, is in your future, the question is not if you’ll be taking the SAT or ACT, but rather when. Some families want to start planning for test day during the first week of high school. Others, unfortunately, don’t consider testing until midway through senior year. But, as you’ve surely heard, timing is everything. Taking the SAT or ACT at the right time ensures the right levels of readiness while allowing a buffer for retesting. When should a student take the SAT or ACT? In the absence of extenuating circumstances, the best time to take these tests is 11th grade. Junior year is ideal for the tests for many reasons, which ACT has skillfully summarized: You’ve probably completed the coursework corresponding to the test material. You’ll have your test scores and other information in time to help you plan your senior year. (For…
Test Day Nightmares: Deer Attack
We should all follow Denis Waitley’s advice heading into a big test: “Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.” But some test day surprises surpass the bounds of common sense… like deer attacks. This past Saturday morning, a deer crashed the party during an SAT administration at Lockport High School. School Board President John A. Linderman said the deer struck a door in the music wing, damaging a pane on the door, and then ran off. “Some of the kids saw it,” Linderman said. He said no injuries were reported.The pane of glass on the door was broken. Linderman said that despite the drama, the kids were able to complete their testing. This is the first time I’ve heard about a test disrupted by a deer. Have you heard of other test day wildlife encounters?