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ASK MR. TEST PREP
JUST HOW MUCH OF A SCORE IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE?
If it’s your day, the sky is the limit. I have witnessed many students achieve remarkable test scores: 500, 600 even 1000 point increases. This type of experience is equivalent to the zone experiences that many athletes encounter: the pitcher’s perfect game, the golfers 10 birdies. Maybe it’s the weekend warrior who makes all his shots at the basketball game. It could be a great jazz solo, a great run, or a great conversation. We’ve all had episodes of transcendent inspiration. Sometimes they happen on Saturday mornings from 8: 30 to 1:30 on the SAT or the ACT. It has happened before; it will happen again. Maybe it will happen to you.
WHAT DO MIKE TYSON, THE SAT AND THE ACT HAVE IN COMMON ?
Mike Tyson was one of the most feared heavyweight prize fighters in history. Before his first loss, he had a record of 27 and 0.; 24 of his wins were by knock-out, and most of those knockouts occurred in the first few rounds. Mike Tyson confessed recently that he should have been beaten much sooner because his skills had deteriorated dramatically; however, he continued to win because of his reputation. Essentially, his opponents thought he was much tougher than he was.
Many students struggle with the SAT or ACT because they misjudge the difficultly of the test they are dealing with. If you want to perform to the best of your abilities, then you must free yourself from the false and disempowering perspective that the test is impossibly tough and terrible. Really bright kids will struggle if they misperceive the nature of the test, and students of average ability will succeed if they perceive it properly. Buster Douglas, the fighter who beat Mike Tyson, was only a modest talent, but he truly believed he could win. You never want to underestimate your opponent, but overestimation can be just as big a mistake. I work very hard with each student on this idea. You must go into this experience with the right mindset: this test is easier than it looks, and I can do this!
WHEN SHOULD MY STUDENT TAKE THE ACT OR THE SAT FOR THE FIRST TIME ?
Testing schedules should be tailored to the student. The more precocious the student, the sooner he or she should begin sitting for the test. However, this is not a one size fits all scenario. It is possible to take the SAT too soon, and a disappointing score can be emotionally devastating, leaving the student further from achieving the desired results. In the NFL, not all first year quarterbacks are ready to succeed. Often coaches keep their young stars out of the action because failure on the biggest of stages can seriously undermine confidence, and confidence is key. Hall of Fame Quarterback and Bay Area legend Joe Montana was initially kept out of the lineup for just this reason, and things worked out great. On the other hand, Michelle We, a young golfer who tried playing on the men’s tour at age 15, has not faired well and many experts believe that the damage to her confidence may be irreversible. Some kids can hit it out of the park right away. Some can fail and it’s no big deal. Others fail and it can wreak havoc. When to take the test is a very important decision, and it needs to be treated as such.
IS IT O.K. TO TAKE PRACTICE TESTS AT HOME?
Practicing in your house is akin to singing in the shower; there is no guarantee that your performance level will hold steady in more stressful settings. You must practice the test in a group situation to acclimate to the challenges a group presents: foot tapping; gum chewing; sneezing; someone you can’t stand sitting next to you. Practice in a group environment is all that’s required to mitigate the adverse effects of such annoyances, because these distractions just take some getting used to. Don’t rely solely on in-home practice. Doing so decreases your likelihood of being properly prepared for the real test.
THE TEST ARE OFFERED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. ARE THEY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME?
Not all tests are the same, so some tests are just better for certain students. Sometimes a reading passage is taken from a book you are currently reading or, even better, enjoying. Sometimes you get an extra math section and you love math. Sometimes many of the words you spent all that time making flash cards for show up in the vocabulary section. The more tests you sit for, the more chances you having of getting a user-friendly test. The more tests you sit for, the more chances you have at a peak performance experience. When user-friendly test and peak performance converge, that’s when really special things happen. You don’t need all the tests you take to go well. You just need one of them to go really well. Start preparing early and sit for the test multiple times.
IT LOOKS LIKE I'M BETTER AT THE SAT. SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER WITH THE ACT ?
Many students benefit from preparing for the ACT even if they are not as strong on this test. First off, the reading section of the ACT has tougher time limits, and getting used to those tougher time limits allows students to feel much more relaxed when they take the SAT reading section. I often see a significant critical reading score bump on the SAT from students who take the ACT prior to taking the SAT. Sitting for the ACT also provides another advantage: you have already sat for a real standardized test before the SAT. When you take the SAT for the first time, you will be more familiar with test day: waking up early on a Saturday morning; finding your seat; filling out forms; remembering your calculator; etc. The more experience you have with real test settings, the more comfortable you will be in them, and the more comfortable you are, the greater your likelihood of success. Additionally, you just never know on a multiple choice test. I have seen kids do shockingly better on the ACT than on the SAT even though in practice sessions 9 times out of 10 the SAT was a better test for them. If it goes well, great. If not, you have nothing to lose because colleges only see the score you want them to see. It may make sense to pass on the ACT if you ace the SAT right out of the gate or if you have an overwhelming work load and are noticeably better at the SAT, but more often than not, its worthwhile to give the ACT a shot.
ALTHOUGH MANY STUDENTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPER SCORES, NOT MANY STUDENTS KNOW IT!
WHAT DO MIKE TYSON, THE SAT AND THE ACT HAVE IN COMMON ?
Mike Tyson was one of the most feared heavyweight prize fighters in history. Before his first loss, he had a record of 27 and 0.; 24 of his wins were by knock-out, and most of those knockouts occurred in the first few rounds. Mike Tyson confessed recently that he should have been beaten much sooner because his skills had deteriorated dramatically; however, he continued to win because of his reputation. Essentially, his opponents thought he was much tougher than he was.
Many students struggle with the SAT or ACT because they misjudge the difficultly of the test they are dealing with. If you want to perform to the best of your abilities, then you must free yourself from the false and disempowering perspective that the test is impossibly tough and terrible. Really bright kids will struggle if they misperceive the nature of the test, and students of average ability will succeed if they perceive it properly. Buster Douglas, the fighter who beat Mike Tyson, was only a modest talent, but he truly believed he could win. You never want to underestimate your opponent, but overestimation can be just as big a mistake. I work very hard with each student on this idea. You must go into this experience with the right mindset: this test is easier than it looks, and I can do this!
WHEN SHOULD MY STUDENT TAKE THE ACT OR THE SAT FOR THE FIRST TIME ?
Testing schedules should be tailored to the student. The more precocious the student, the sooner he or she should begin sitting for the test. However, this is not a one size fits all scenario. It is possible to take the SAT too soon, and a disappointing score can be emotionally devastating, leaving the student further from achieving the desired results. In the NFL, not all first year quarterbacks are ready to succeed. Often coaches keep their young stars out of the action because failure on the biggest of stages can seriously undermine confidence, and confidence is key. Hall of Fame Quarterback and Bay Area legend Joe Montana was initially kept out of the lineup for just this reason, and things worked out great. On the other hand, Michelle We, a young golfer who tried playing on the men’s tour at age 15, has not faired well and many experts believe that the damage to her confidence may be irreversible. Some kids can hit it out of the park right away. Some can fail and it’s no big deal. Others fail and it can wreak havoc. When to take the test is a very important decision, and it needs to be treated as such.
IS IT O.K. TO TAKE PRACTICE TESTS AT HOME?
Practicing in your house is akin to singing in the shower; there is no guarantee that your performance level will hold steady in more stressful settings. You must practice the test in a group situation to acclimate to the challenges a group presents: foot tapping; gum chewing; sneezing; someone you can’t stand sitting next to you. Practice in a group environment is all that’s required to mitigate the adverse effects of such annoyances, because these distractions just take some getting used to. Don’t rely solely on in-home practice. Doing so decreases your likelihood of being properly prepared for the real test.
THE TEST ARE OFFERED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. ARE THEY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME?
Not all tests are the same, so some tests are just better for certain students. Sometimes a reading passage is taken from a book you are currently reading or, even better, enjoying. Sometimes you get an extra math section and you love math. Sometimes many of the words you spent all that time making flash cards for show up in the vocabulary section. The more tests you sit for, the more chances you having of getting a user-friendly test. The more tests you sit for, the more chances you have at a peak performance experience. When user-friendly test and peak performance converge, that’s when really special things happen. You don’t need all the tests you take to go well. You just need one of them to go really well. Start preparing early and sit for the test multiple times.
IT LOOKS LIKE I'M BETTER AT THE SAT. SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER WITH THE ACT ?
Many students benefit from preparing for the ACT even if they are not as strong on this test. First off, the reading section of the ACT has tougher time limits, and getting used to those tougher time limits allows students to feel much more relaxed when they take the SAT reading section. I often see a significant critical reading score bump on the SAT from students who take the ACT prior to taking the SAT. Sitting for the ACT also provides another advantage: you have already sat for a real standardized test before the SAT. When you take the SAT for the first time, you will be more familiar with test day: waking up early on a Saturday morning; finding your seat; filling out forms; remembering your calculator; etc. The more experience you have with real test settings, the more comfortable you will be in them, and the more comfortable you are, the greater your likelihood of success. Additionally, you just never know on a multiple choice test. I have seen kids do shockingly better on the ACT than on the SAT even though in practice sessions 9 times out of 10 the SAT was a better test for them. If it goes well, great. If not, you have nothing to lose because colleges only see the score you want them to see. It may make sense to pass on the ACT if you ace the SAT right out of the gate or if you have an overwhelming work load and are noticeably better at the SAT, but more often than not, its worthwhile to give the ACT a shot.
ALTHOUGH MANY STUDENTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPER SCORES, NOT MANY STUDENTS KNOW IT!
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