In this article, I discuss the two families of standardized tests: the PSAT/SAT offered by the College Board and the PLAN/ACT offered by American College Testing. While an increasing number of colleges and universities are moving away from required tests (more than 800 according to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing), the vast majority of schools still require the SAT or ACT.
WHAT COLLEGE ADMISSION PEOPLE LOOK FOR IN APPLICATIONS
In general, colleges look at three sources of information when making their admissions decisions. The first is your academic record; that is, what courses you have taken from freshman to senior year (including how many Honors and AP courses) and what type of grades you earned in those classes.
A second area that college admissions officers look at is who you are as a person. They want to know what you do when you’re not in class, what your interests and passions are, and if you have any special qualities or talents. They are also interested in what you say about yourself in the essays you write.
The third area that colleges are concerned about is the test scores you receive on the SAT and/or ACT. Standardized tests are thought of as a kind of leveling instrument in assessing students from different schools, different regions, and different personal circumstances, although many would argue that these tests favor students from more privileged backgrounds.
THE PSAT/SAT FAMILY
What is the PSAT?
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) is a multiple-choice test consisting of three sections, Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing Skills, given each October. Each of the sections is scored on a scale of 20 to 80 points, and the total of the three sections ranges from 60 to 240.
Some high school sophomores and most juniors take the PSAT. Higher scores on the PSAT may qualify some high school students for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and some colleges. Additionally, the PSAT is considered a rough predictor of the score a student might earn on the SAT. There are really no negative consequences for taking the PSAT, but the PSAT does not affect your college admissions.
What is the SAT?
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is also a multiple-choice test made up of Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing sections that is given seven times a year, in October, November, December, January, March, May, and June. Each test also includes a 25 minute experimental section that does not count. For each section, a student can score from a possible minimum of 200 points to a maximum of 800 points. The highest possible score for all three sections is 2400.
THE PLAN/ACT FAMILY
What’s the plan?
Typically administered in the fall of a student’s sophomore year, the PLAN is the “pre-ACT”. The PLAN structure is slightly different from the PSAT in that it is made up of 4 subject areas, English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. Test takers can score from 1 to 32.
What is the ACT?
ACT, (an abbreviation for American College Testing) is another standardized college admissions test that is equally accepted by college admissions offices.
The ACT is made up of four tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science, and there is also an optional writing test. A total composite score is an average of the four tests and ranges from 1 to 36. Writing scores range from 2 to 12.
PREPARE FOR TESTS OR NOT?
There has been a lot of debate for years about whether preparing for standardized tests is worth it. In our opinion, there is no doubt that it does. In fact, the largest increases in SAT and ACT scores generally occur in students who start with the lowest scores. That is, the higher the score, the less room for improvement there is; the lower the score, the more chance there is to improve.
That being said, there are several ways to prepare for tests, including:
1. SAT/ACT PREP BOOKS are inexpensive, convenient, and usually contain a lot of the information you need. However, it takes a highly motivated student to keep working with a book. And without feedback from someone who knows these tests, students often make the same mistakes over and over again.
2. SAT/ACT COMPUTER SOFTWARE programs for test preparation are also available and tend to be inexpensive, convenient, and easy to use for those who are computer literate. Again, it takes a lot of motivation to stick with the program, so if it’s not a self-initiated computer program, it may not work.
3. SAT/ACT PREP COURSES IN SCHOOLS are another resource. Some are as short as a day or a weekend, while others can last an entire semester. Test preparation in schools is often free and convenient. However, the quality of the preparation varies depending on the knowledge and skill of the test tutor.
4. The Princeton Review and Stanley Kaplan SAT/ACT PREP BUSINESS COURSES are often the resource of choice for students. The advantages are that they have a predictable schedule, tend to keep up with testing trends, and classes are small. On the other hand, they can be very expensive and time consuming. More importantly, since the curriculum is fixed, you can spend the same amount of time in areas where you don’t need to improve as you do in areas where you need a lot.
5. ONLINE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCES FOR THE SAT AND ACT are becoming increasingly popular. They usually cost nothing. Prep materials are often put together by college professors and graduate students, but it takes a lot of self-discipline to do so.
6. INDIVIDUAL SAT/ACT TUTORING is another option. This type of help tends to be very expensive, up to $200 per hour. The quality depends entirely on the knowledge and skill of the tutor, which is sometimes difficult to assess. The advantage, of course, is that if you get the right tutor, he/she focuses on her shortcomings, helps you know how to do your best on tests, which can lead to significantly higher scores.
A May 20, 2009 Wall Street Journal article stated: “…the only effective method of preparing for these admissions tests is to study with a private tutor. While tutors generally cost more than a class or book, their experience and personal service to each student provides a real advantage and will result in higher scores.”
I am not endorsing any particular method, just giving you what the options are. I leave it up to you and your parents to determine which option is best for you.
Like it or not, standardized tests will likely be a part of college admissions for some time. What you need to do is prepare for it in such a way that you can get the most out of a test that you can.
Copyright (c) 2010 Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz
