If your son or daughter is about to take the SAT and/or ACT, this can either be an enjoyable or stressful time in your life. This post is designed to help make the SAT and ACT process just a little easier for you. Over my years of teaching and tutoring, I have found that most parents and students enter this stage of their lives without any real understanding of what to expect. Here are three things that can make the SAT and ACT process smoother, along with quick tips to make them a reality.
Stamina is often the most overlooked aspect of the SAT and ACT
If there is one thing that parents and students overlook about the SAT and ACT, it is how long these tests are. Clocking in at just under 3 hours without the essay and 3 hours and 40 minutes with the optional essay, the ACT is a marathon for the brain. The SAT is more of the same: 3 hours without the optional essay and 3 hours and 50 minutes with it. The problem is, how often do students commit to working non-stop at such a high level? Usually not often. Students need to train their brains the same way they would train their muscles for a marathon: They need to work their way up to the big day through consistent time management practice.
Tip: As the test gets closer, book out some time on the weekend for the test taker to work his or her way up to testing “strength.” If possible, schedule this on a Saturday morning as students will take the test on a Saturday morning. Studies show that familiarity correlates to increased test scores.
The SAT and ACT focus on test-specific skills
In school, a student’s class average is usually made up of a few parts. For instance, I break my classes down the following way: 65% Tests and Essays, 20% Homework, and 15% Class Participation. However, most students receive very high Homework and Class Participation grades, so their overall averages are higher than their actual test and essay grades. If you eliminate these two categories and take only the grades of essays, reading comprehension tests, and other tests, you will get a much better understanding of what your child’s abilities in the subject really are.
Tip: The SAT and the ACT are only concerned with specific skills that fall within the “Tests and Essays” section. To get a realistic grasp of your child’s skills that are tested on the SAT Reading Test, SAT Writing and Language Test, ACT Reading, and ACT English (grammar) sections, ask to see tests that are reading comprehension based, grammar based, and writing based. To get a good grasp of your child’s skills that are tested on the SAT Math and ACT Math sections, ask to see and review tests that deal with algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Having a realistic understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses can help both the student and the tutor in the quest for high test scores.
Students must commit to practicing the skills they learn from their SAT or ACT tutor
It’s not rocket science: more practice will lead to better results. But, for some, getting teenagers to practice for the SAT and ACT without creating stress for yourself can be more complicated than rocket science.
Success and improvement on the SAT and ACT are the two things that all tutors strive for. Just this past week, a student I tutored received her ACT scores. She scored 36 on the English, 33 on the Reading, 33 on the Science, and 29 on Math. Incredible scores! Prior to working with me, her scores were 30 on English, 27 on Reading, 28 on Science, and 28 on Math. When she told me her new scores I honestly welled up with pride. I am so proud of her because she did it. Jenny is a not a miracle client or a super-genius. She is clearly very smart, don’t get me wrong, but more importantly, she is an incredibly hard worker. She put her time in and worked hard to get those scores. She spent her free periods in school taking and reviewing ACT tests while practicing the skills we worked on. While her friends were hanging out, she was in the library. She deserves every point she scored on that test because she earned it.
The point of this story is that for students to really see success and reach their potential high scores, they have to work. Great scores are attainable, but they won’t come from thin air. Test taking skills usually aren’t taught in school, so students have to make up the missed time on their own. The more they do, the better they get.
Tip: A good deal of success does come from the teacher, but the rest of it comes from the student. To aid in this, set a schedule before the SAT or ACT tutoring or class even begins. (Email me and I’ll send you a short, modified test that you can use to set things in motion). Since many students have trouble organizing their time, establishing a routine for them can lessen their resistance to practice. As students don’t always have the foresight to see how important these tests are to their futures, sometimes a little planning goes a long way.
Hope this helps!
~Laurence Mechanic
Laurence Mechanic is an English teacher and tutor. He lives on Long Island with his wife and two children.
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