Podcast About College Testing and Admissions
Have you ever wished for a way to enjoy expert explanations of the most pressing issues in test prep, college admissions, financial aid, and education without having to actually read? If so, your lucky day has arrived. Say hello to Tests and the Rest! Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast, perfect for school counselors, educators, test prep professionals, college consultants, and just about anyone engaged in the college admissions process. You can subscribe to this podcast at the TestBright website or stream it online via leading podcast apps, including iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio. At about 25 minutes per episode, Tests and the Rest can be enjoyed just about any time, and every Tuesday brings a fresh episode. Why am I so excited about Tests and the Rest? I’m one of the hosts 😉 My co-host is the amazing Amy Seeley, president of…
Frequently Asked Questions about Practice Tests
Deliberate practice is the cornerstone of improvement in any endeavor. No wonder we commit so much time and effort into ensuring that motivated students across Upstate New York become test ready through proctored practice tests. Why do practice tests matter so much, and what kind of practice testing delivers the most value? Find the answers to these and other pressing questions about practice tests right here: Why are high-quality practice tests so important? What makes a great practice test? How can someone take a great practice test at home? When should a student take practice tests? How many practice tests do most students take? How do I score tests in The Official SAT Study Guide? Clearly, high quality practice testing is an essential part of standardized test success. If you’re looking for answers to other important questions on what the tests are, why they matter, and what you can and…
Test Makers and Test Prep
Have you heard that ACT is now in the test prep business? The organization that makes the ACT now also sells online programs to prepare students for the ACT. Does that seem right? ACT also offers free online ACT prep. College Board does the same with Khan Academy for free online SAT prep. These laudable resources fall within a test maker’s mandate to reveal in detail the contours of a standardized exam while also promoting each non-profit organization’s mission to support high schoolers on the road to college. Paid prep, however, does not. Ever since I learned about ACT’s portfolio of programs, I’ve been troubled by the implications, which led to my article on LinkedIn titled Should a Test Maker Offer Paid Test Prep? While I didn’t answer the question outright then, I’ll do so now: No, a test maker should not offer paid test prep, and consumers shouldn’t pay…
How Many Practice Tests Do You Plan to Take?
We at Chariot Learning administer a lot of practice tests. Make that a LOT of practice tests, most of them free. That only makes sense, as taking official practice SAT & ACT exams under simulated test conditions is a cornerstone of effective test preparation. Committing so many mornings to proctoring feels worth the effort when we see so many motivated students showing up time after time. With a self-selected population of test takers at hand, I can’t help but conduct surveys at different testing sites. During our Winter 2018 season, we asked “What motivates you to do better on the SAT or ACT?” For the rest of 2018, we focused on a different question: “How many practice tests do you plan to take before the official exam?” From March through November at libraries and other testing sites across Rochester and Syracuse, we elicited responses from 303 SAT & ACT test…
Frequently Asked Questions about Test Preparation
As any parent who has helped a high schooler prep successfully for the SAT or ACT can attest, the adults in this process sometimes have to study as much as their kids! No, you don’t need to master math problem solving or immerse yourself in the fine points of American founding documents and the Great Global Conversation. Instead, your responsibility lies in understanding the why, when, and how (you already know who) of effective test preparation. Where does a busy parent decades removed from his or her own exam experience begin to figure out what questions to even ask about prepping for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and Subject Tests? How about right here? Is preparing for a test even worthwhile? How hard is the SAT or ACT for the unprepared? Is there a secret to score improvement? How does effective test preparation work? Should/can someone study for the ACT and…
What Motivates You To Do Better on the SAT or ACT?
Every season, Chariot Learning administers practice SATs and ACTs to hundreds of high schoolers at libraries, schools, and other facilities. The dedication these teens (generally) show impresses me every time. Yet only recently did I realize the opportunity in front of us: why not ask these teens why they’re giving up a precious weekend morning to take a practice test in the first place? Of course, you might imagine that teens take these tests because they know how absolutely essential high-quality practice is to score improvement. Maybe they’re just curious about what these tests involve. Or perhaps they have no choice in the matter… we do see a lot of students escorted by their parents. While conjecture can be fun, I actually put the question to many of the students testing during our Winter 2018 season: “What motivates you to do better on the SAT or ACT?” The answer, in…