CAN SAT OR ACT SCORES BE HELD BACK?
By Mike Bergin,courtesy http://chariotlearning.com Jan 7, 2019
Millions of high schoolers take the SAT every year, but very few make the news as a result. Kamilah Campbell, however, is making headlines. This Florida teen earned a 900 the first time she took the SAT, then jumped 330 points to a 1230 on her second official test. Rather than ride that impressive score improvement to the college of her dreams, she watched helplessly as College Board invalidated her score on suspicion of cheating. Maybe “helplessly” is the wrong word, because Campbell has fought back, taking on a high-profile attorney and gaining the support of politicians and the NAACP.
Campbell’s story may terrify students and parents who consider the same strategy of taking an official test for a baseline score before prepping. Can College Board hold back SAT scores and ACT hold back ACT scores?
The short answer is, “Yes they can.” Both testing organizations are private entities with great latitude and legal support for protecting the integrity of their exams. In fact, scores are held back more often than people realize. I learned about this practice almost twenty years ago, during my tenure as Director of Exam Prep for Huntington Learning Centers. Since then, I’ve seen several Chariot Learning students tangle with ACT and College Board over suspicious scores. However–and this is very important to realize–I’ve also seen far more students earn huge score increases that were validated without any issue. Avoiding the stress of a contested test score and the potential admissions implications is easier than you’d think:
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR TEST SCORES ARE NOT HELD BACK1. Prep before your first official test.
Setting a baseline for diagnostic purposes makes sense, but making sure that baseline doesn’t become part of the official record also makes sense. After all, nobody takes the road test cold to see what needs to practiced for next time. Test driving begins off road in safe, controlled environments. Practice testing should begin the same way. If you don’t have access to the kind of high quality proctored SATs and ACTswe run all year long in our area, take officially released tests under timed conditions on your own. Save your official testing for when you are ready to deliver your best performance.
2. Take every test seriously.
Many students sit for tests like the PSAT or Pre ACT before they even understand why those tests matter. Teens should fight the understandable urge to underperform on these exams. These preliminary tests may not influence college admissions decisions, but they do provide valid data against which future tests may be compared.
3. Don’t cheat.
Serious score increases attract attention to student performance, but the test makers look at other testing behaviors as well. In fact, Zach Goldberg, a spokesman for The College Board, told CNN that scores are never flagged for score gains, saying that they are celebrated achievements. Goldberg pointed out that Campbell’s letter “never references score gains as a reason for her scores being under review.” That letter, as reported by The Hill, read as follows:
“We are writing to you because based on a preliminary review, there appears to be substantial evidence that your scores … are invalid,” it said. “Our preliminary concerns are based on substantial agreement between your answers on one or more scored sections of the test and those of other test takers. The anomalies noted above raise concerns about the validity of your scores.”
A spokesperson at The College Board told BLACK ENTERPRISE that “we give the benefit of the doubt to the student and we never hold or cancel scores unless there is strong evidence that the scores are invalid.” The College Board went on to list the types of evidence that suggest invalidity:
While each of these factors and others are rare independently, they establish a very strong pattern in combination.
Obviously, having scores held back can be tremendously disappointing, if not traumatic. Since scores are typically held back on exams students take after their initial tests, the timing of these incidents tends to disrupt college admissions decisions. Students are offered opportunities to retest with certain target scores set to reinstate the contested ones. However, in my experience, not every teen rises to the challenge and earns an equivalent score. Kamilah Campbell probably didn’t want the level of scrutiny and stress she is under right now. You probably don’t want that for yourself or your family either. Take the right steps to ensure that you earn full credit for your best scores.
By Mike Bergin,courtesy http://chariotlearning.com Jan 7, 2019
Millions of high schoolers take the SAT every year, but very few make the news as a result. Kamilah Campbell, however, is making headlines. This Florida teen earned a 900 the first time she took the SAT, then jumped 330 points to a 1230 on her second official test. Rather than ride that impressive score improvement to the college of her dreams, she watched helplessly as College Board invalidated her score on suspicion of cheating. Maybe “helplessly” is the wrong word, because Campbell has fought back, taking on a high-profile attorney and gaining the support of politicians and the NAACP.
Campbell’s story may terrify students and parents who consider the same strategy of taking an official test for a baseline score before prepping. Can College Board hold back SAT scores and ACT hold back ACT scores?
The short answer is, “Yes they can.” Both testing organizations are private entities with great latitude and legal support for protecting the integrity of their exams. In fact, scores are held back more often than people realize. I learned about this practice almost twenty years ago, during my tenure as Director of Exam Prep for Huntington Learning Centers. Since then, I’ve seen several Chariot Learning students tangle with ACT and College Board over suspicious scores. However–and this is very important to realize–I’ve also seen far more students earn huge score increases that were validated without any issue. Avoiding the stress of a contested test score and the potential admissions implications is easier than you’d think:
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR TEST SCORES ARE NOT HELD BACK1. Prep before your first official test.
Setting a baseline for diagnostic purposes makes sense, but making sure that baseline doesn’t become part of the official record also makes sense. After all, nobody takes the road test cold to see what needs to practiced for next time. Test driving begins off road in safe, controlled environments. Practice testing should begin the same way. If you don’t have access to the kind of high quality proctored SATs and ACTswe run all year long in our area, take officially released tests under timed conditions on your own. Save your official testing for when you are ready to deliver your best performance.
2. Take every test seriously.
Many students sit for tests like the PSAT or Pre ACT before they even understand why those tests matter. Teens should fight the understandable urge to underperform on these exams. These preliminary tests may not influence college admissions decisions, but they do provide valid data against which future tests may be compared.
3. Don’t cheat.
Serious score increases attract attention to student performance, but the test makers look at other testing behaviors as well. In fact, Zach Goldberg, a spokesman for The College Board, told CNN that scores are never flagged for score gains, saying that they are celebrated achievements. Goldberg pointed out that Campbell’s letter “never references score gains as a reason for her scores being under review.” That letter, as reported by The Hill, read as follows:
“We are writing to you because based on a preliminary review, there appears to be substantial evidence that your scores … are invalid,” it said. “Our preliminary concerns are based on substantial agreement between your answers on one or more scored sections of the test and those of other test takers. The anomalies noted above raise concerns about the validity of your scores.”
A spokesperson at The College Board told BLACK ENTERPRISE that “we give the benefit of the doubt to the student and we never hold or cancel scores unless there is strong evidence that the scores are invalid.” The College Board went on to list the types of evidence that suggest invalidity:
- A student’s answer sheet resembles not only another student’s, but a group of students who have very similar answers, including the same wrong answers.
- The same group includes students whose scores have been canceled for irregularities in the past. The group of students’ answers match not only one another, but an answer key or “cheat sheet” that has been found circulating among students.
- There is an absence of any scratch work in the testing booklet.
While each of these factors and others are rare independently, they establish a very strong pattern in combination.
Obviously, having scores held back can be tremendously disappointing, if not traumatic. Since scores are typically held back on exams students take after their initial tests, the timing of these incidents tends to disrupt college admissions decisions. Students are offered opportunities to retest with certain target scores set to reinstate the contested ones. However, in my experience, not every teen rises to the challenge and earns an equivalent score. Kamilah Campbell probably didn’t want the level of scrutiny and stress she is under right now. You probably don’t want that for yourself or your family either. Take the right steps to ensure that you earn full credit for your best scores.
For many of you who took the SAT test session in June, you may well have been short-changed!
What Happened on the June 2018 SAT??
BY MIKE BERGIN JULY 17, 2018 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREPRespected standardized tests are built upon three core pillars, one of which is reliability. We expect stability or consistency of measurement over time, so that similar raw scores will produce similar scaled scores any place or time a test is administered. Test-retest reliability has always been a bedrock attribute of the SAT. Colleges trust in a high level of exam consistency over different administrations so that scores from one test date can be easily and fairly compared to scores from other dates.
What, then, will colleges do with the scores from the June 2018 SAT?
In case you haven’t heard, the June SAT was easier than most other tests. A certain level of variation in difficulty from section to section and test to test occurs all the time on both the SAT and ACT, but seldom to this extent. The June test was so much easier across all sections that the exam was graded on a steep curve.
How steep was it? One of our students got 43 questions right on the Reading section, 32 right on Writing and Language, and 49 right on Math. On an average SAT, say the first official practice test on the College Board website, that student would have earned 650 Evidence-based Reading and Writing and 690 Math. However, the June 2018 report returned just 590 EBRW and 620 M. A 130-point swing is not normal.
The score volatility was especially pronounced at the upper end of the scale. For example, one of our students got 4 math questions wrong on the August 2017 SAT and earned a 770 M. On the June test, he only answered 1 math question wrong and still got a 770. No wonder students across the country are clamoring to #rescoreJuneSAT.
According to the College Board, everything went as planned: “On occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual. That is why we use a statistical process called equating. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” However, the very fact that College Board has to answer difficult questions about this particular administration indicates that their current system is failing. In fact, the College Board seems to have forgotten how true equating works.
Every SAT and ACT incorporates different levels of difficulty across test sections, but determination of question difficulty is currently flawed. In the past, every official SAT included an equating or experimental section. This section could test any of the standard content areas but was unscored. The equating section worked because each section was the same length as the scored sections, ensuring that students did not know which was unscored. Consequently, the College Board received sufficient high-quality data to rank viable questions on five levels of difficulty and weed out the clunkers. Effective equating produced very reliable tests.
ACT, for some odd reason, traditionally eschews such stringent equating, which explains the disappointing score volatility ACT test takers have grown accustomed to. In adopting so many ACT features for the latest iteration of the SAT, the College Board has chosen a similar path. The precipitous scoring shift on the June 2018 SAT may have raised alarms, but neither test maker–despite their protests to the contrary–incorporates sufficient equating measures to avoid such calamities on future administrations. The #rescoreJuneSAT campaign is not likely to result in a recalibration of scaled scores, but students, parents, and especially colleges should put pressure on both the College Board and ACT to introduce real equating measures for stronger test-retest reliability. Until that occurs, we should expect more scoring debacles like the one in June.
What Happened on the June 2018 SAT??
BY MIKE BERGIN JULY 17, 2018 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREPRespected standardized tests are built upon three core pillars, one of which is reliability. We expect stability or consistency of measurement over time, so that similar raw scores will produce similar scaled scores any place or time a test is administered. Test-retest reliability has always been a bedrock attribute of the SAT. Colleges trust in a high level of exam consistency over different administrations so that scores from one test date can be easily and fairly compared to scores from other dates.
What, then, will colleges do with the scores from the June 2018 SAT?
In case you haven’t heard, the June SAT was easier than most other tests. A certain level of variation in difficulty from section to section and test to test occurs all the time on both the SAT and ACT, but seldom to this extent. The June test was so much easier across all sections that the exam was graded on a steep curve.
How steep was it? One of our students got 43 questions right on the Reading section, 32 right on Writing and Language, and 49 right on Math. On an average SAT, say the first official practice test on the College Board website, that student would have earned 650 Evidence-based Reading and Writing and 690 Math. However, the June 2018 report returned just 590 EBRW and 620 M. A 130-point swing is not normal.
The score volatility was especially pronounced at the upper end of the scale. For example, one of our students got 4 math questions wrong on the August 2017 SAT and earned a 770 M. On the June test, he only answered 1 math question wrong and still got a 770. No wonder students across the country are clamoring to #rescoreJuneSAT.
According to the College Board, everything went as planned: “On occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual. That is why we use a statistical process called equating. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” However, the very fact that College Board has to answer difficult questions about this particular administration indicates that their current system is failing. In fact, the College Board seems to have forgotten how true equating works.
Every SAT and ACT incorporates different levels of difficulty across test sections, but determination of question difficulty is currently flawed. In the past, every official SAT included an equating or experimental section. This section could test any of the standard content areas but was unscored. The equating section worked because each section was the same length as the scored sections, ensuring that students did not know which was unscored. Consequently, the College Board received sufficient high-quality data to rank viable questions on five levels of difficulty and weed out the clunkers. Effective equating produced very reliable tests.
ACT, for some odd reason, traditionally eschews such stringent equating, which explains the disappointing score volatility ACT test takers have grown accustomed to. In adopting so many ACT features for the latest iteration of the SAT, the College Board has chosen a similar path. The precipitous scoring shift on the June 2018 SAT may have raised alarms, but neither test maker–despite their protests to the contrary–incorporates sufficient equating measures to avoid such calamities on future administrations. The #rescoreJuneSAT campaign is not likely to result in a recalibration of scaled scores, but students, parents, and especially colleges should put pressure on both the College Board and ACT to introduce real equating measures for stronger test-retest reliability. Until that occurs, we should expect more scoring debacles like the one in June.
How to Use a Semicolon
Some time ago, I wrote about that pesky little comma that can trip you up on the English usage tests on SAT and ACT. Now, learn about the comma's sibling, the semi-colon, the dot on top of the comma that looks like it belongs to Emoji land.
Thanks to MIKE BERGIN , Chariot Learning LLC. Feb. 20, 2018.
In a world where most communication occurs through spoken word and snippets of text, the rules governing effective written communication begin to fade, becoming first esoteric and then inscrutable. Punctuation appears most mysterious to the average English speakers, particularly those marks that appear in the middle of sentences.
Punctuation marks in general serve to add structure and logic to written communication. Often, this role requires making the right connections between independent clauses (those that stand on their own) and dependent clauses (those that cannot stand on their own). While commas, colons, and dashes may be used to connect clauses, none of these operate as easily and simply as the semicolon.
In a world of complexity, semicolon rules are beautifully basic: use a semicolon to connect related independent clauses. That is all.
We generally use terminal punctuation marks like periods and question marks to connect independent clauses by making them sentences. Take your independent clause, put a period at the end, and begin the next one with a capital letter. Nothing could be easier.
Sometimes, however, two independent clauses feel more closely connected than two regular sentences. rather than stop, you just want to keep going. Fortunately, we have marks to signal that association. Other punctuation options may come with strings attached, but the powerful and sometimes profound semicolon gets the job done without complex grammar rules:
1. Do you have two independent clauses?
2. Do you want to connect them without making them separate sentences?
If you can answer “yes” to both questions, you have an ideal showcase for a semicolon. As you’d surmise from the simplicity and applicability of these conditions, semicolons can and are used frequently; in fact, I used one in this very sentence.
Semicolons have other limited applications, particularly in instances of lengthy lists that need more than commas to be logically separated. But the basic role of this mark to connect independent clauses makes it useful in everyday writing. Quite often, we imagine that two clauses connected more closely than they would be as sentences are joined only by a comma. That, however, creates a pernicious grammatical error called a comma splice. Next time you want to make that connection, try a semicolon. Not only will your sentence be structurally sound, but your mastery of punctuation marks will make your overall message that much more effective.
Some time ago, I wrote about that pesky little comma that can trip you up on the English usage tests on SAT and ACT. Now, learn about the comma's sibling, the semi-colon, the dot on top of the comma that looks like it belongs to Emoji land.
Thanks to MIKE BERGIN , Chariot Learning LLC. Feb. 20, 2018.
In a world where most communication occurs through spoken word and snippets of text, the rules governing effective written communication begin to fade, becoming first esoteric and then inscrutable. Punctuation appears most mysterious to the average English speakers, particularly those marks that appear in the middle of sentences.
Punctuation marks in general serve to add structure and logic to written communication. Often, this role requires making the right connections between independent clauses (those that stand on their own) and dependent clauses (those that cannot stand on their own). While commas, colons, and dashes may be used to connect clauses, none of these operate as easily and simply as the semicolon.
In a world of complexity, semicolon rules are beautifully basic: use a semicolon to connect related independent clauses. That is all.
We generally use terminal punctuation marks like periods and question marks to connect independent clauses by making them sentences. Take your independent clause, put a period at the end, and begin the next one with a capital letter. Nothing could be easier.
Sometimes, however, two independent clauses feel more closely connected than two regular sentences. rather than stop, you just want to keep going. Fortunately, we have marks to signal that association. Other punctuation options may come with strings attached, but the powerful and sometimes profound semicolon gets the job done without complex grammar rules:
1. Do you have two independent clauses?
2. Do you want to connect them without making them separate sentences?
If you can answer “yes” to both questions, you have an ideal showcase for a semicolon. As you’d surmise from the simplicity and applicability of these conditions, semicolons can and are used frequently; in fact, I used one in this very sentence.
Semicolons have other limited applications, particularly in instances of lengthy lists that need more than commas to be logically separated. But the basic role of this mark to connect independent clauses makes it useful in everyday writing. Quite often, we imagine that two clauses connected more closely than they would be as sentences are joined only by a comma. That, however, creates a pernicious grammatical error called a comma splice. Next time you want to make that connection, try a semicolon. Not only will your sentence be structurally sound, but your mastery of punctuation marks will make your overall message that much more effective.
3 Testing Questions To Always Ask Colleges
BY MIKE BERGIN / JANUARY 30, 2018
Despite rumors to the contrary, standardized test scores remain essential components of the admissions process at most American colleges and universities. If you’re wondering if the school of your choice requires the SAT or ACT, the answer is almost certainly a resounding “Yes.” And, yes, those scores should be as high as possible… test scores for admitted freshmen are even rising at test-optional schools.
Furthermore, you need not agonize over which college entrance exam to submit, as every school today accepts the SAT and ACT equally. You are free to present whichever scores best enhance your application.
That said, some aspects of these standardized tests matter far more to some schools than others. College admissions offices set policies specific to their schools in order to acquire the testing data they want. Learn those policies in advance to ensure you meet every requirement of your target schools without having to endure superfluous testing:
1. Do you require or recommend the SAT or ACT essay?
Since the latest SAT revision, the essay has become an optional section of both the SAT and ACT. Students can, at least as far as the test makers are concerned, skip the essay with impunity, as neither exam incorporates the essay results in its Composite score. Nonetheless, a number of colleges still require or recommend that students sit for the essay. Don’t skip out on this section until you have assurances that you won’t need it.
2. Do you require or recommend SAT Subject Tests?
Of all the exams that play a role in college admissions, SAT Subject Tests tend to be the least understood. Less prestigious than APs and less influential than the SAT or ACT, the Subject Tests often feel like a secret kept from high schoolers until it’s too late to do anything about them. Find out if Subject Tests matter to your target schools. If so, get smart about which SAT Subject Tests to take and when.
3. Do you superscore the SAT and/or ACT?
Believe it or not, we’ve come a long way from the earliest days of the SAT. For a long time, applicants had no choice but to submit every official test score. These days, we have choice about which scores to send. Even better, colleges have adopted generous new ways to interpret these scores. Many schools will superscore the SAT or ACT, which means they will select the best section scores from multiple submitted tests and piece together the best Composite score based on those sections. However, every college adopts its own policy. Take the time to learn the specific superscore policy for each of your target schools in order to plan how many times you might take the SAT or ACT.
Be advised that school policies regarding these three important components of college applications change from year to year, sometimes even from month to month. Do your research using the most updated tools at your disposal. The College Board Big Future College Search engine offers an extensive clearinghouse of information, as does Naviance for those with school or access. If the number of schools on your list is small, you may prefer to go straight to the source by visiting each college’s Admissions page. Even better, call the school directly: asking smart questions not only puts you in a better position to submit a winning application, but also signals to admissions officers just how smart you really are!
Thanks to Mike Bergin at Chariot Learning TM http://chariotlearning.com/3-testing-questions-to-always-ask-colleges/?mc_cid=68c1197fbf&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
BY MIKE BERGIN / JANUARY 30, 2018
Despite rumors to the contrary, standardized test scores remain essential components of the admissions process at most American colleges and universities. If you’re wondering if the school of your choice requires the SAT or ACT, the answer is almost certainly a resounding “Yes.” And, yes, those scores should be as high as possible… test scores for admitted freshmen are even rising at test-optional schools.
Furthermore, you need not agonize over which college entrance exam to submit, as every school today accepts the SAT and ACT equally. You are free to present whichever scores best enhance your application.
That said, some aspects of these standardized tests matter far more to some schools than others. College admissions offices set policies specific to their schools in order to acquire the testing data they want. Learn those policies in advance to ensure you meet every requirement of your target schools without having to endure superfluous testing:
1. Do you require or recommend the SAT or ACT essay?
Since the latest SAT revision, the essay has become an optional section of both the SAT and ACT. Students can, at least as far as the test makers are concerned, skip the essay with impunity, as neither exam incorporates the essay results in its Composite score. Nonetheless, a number of colleges still require or recommend that students sit for the essay. Don’t skip out on this section until you have assurances that you won’t need it.
2. Do you require or recommend SAT Subject Tests?
Of all the exams that play a role in college admissions, SAT Subject Tests tend to be the least understood. Less prestigious than APs and less influential than the SAT or ACT, the Subject Tests often feel like a secret kept from high schoolers until it’s too late to do anything about them. Find out if Subject Tests matter to your target schools. If so, get smart about which SAT Subject Tests to take and when.
3. Do you superscore the SAT and/or ACT?
Believe it or not, we’ve come a long way from the earliest days of the SAT. For a long time, applicants had no choice but to submit every official test score. These days, we have choice about which scores to send. Even better, colleges have adopted generous new ways to interpret these scores. Many schools will superscore the SAT or ACT, which means they will select the best section scores from multiple submitted tests and piece together the best Composite score based on those sections. However, every college adopts its own policy. Take the time to learn the specific superscore policy for each of your target schools in order to plan how many times you might take the SAT or ACT.
Be advised that school policies regarding these three important components of college applications change from year to year, sometimes even from month to month. Do your research using the most updated tools at your disposal. The College Board Big Future College Search engine offers an extensive clearinghouse of information, as does Naviance for those with school or access. If the number of schools on your list is small, you may prefer to go straight to the source by visiting each college’s Admissions page. Even better, call the school directly: asking smart questions not only puts you in a better position to submit a winning application, but also signals to admissions officers just how smart you really are!
Thanks to Mike Bergin at Chariot Learning TM http://chariotlearning.com/3-testing-questions-to-always-ask-colleges/?mc_cid=68c1197fbf&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
How Hard Is The SAT For The Unprepared?
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 30, 2017 Can you think of the last time someone you know showed up to take a road test without any previous time behind the wheel?
Have you ever heard of a coach who liked to enter the season without any team practice just to get a baseline for performance?
Would you pay for–or even attend–a concert of musicians trying brand new instruments?
We generally recognize that important tasks, events, and challenges in life both demand and deserve preparation. Commitment, effort, and an enduring respect for the power of incremental improvement underscores the approach every scholar, athlete, and artist brings to their respective crafts.
Somehow, though, despite the notorious influence entrance exams like the SAT and ACT play in college admissions, many students still take the tests cold. Teens who consistently study for every minor test in school somehow forget to study for one major one, while athletes who devote 20+ hours a week to their sports fail to recognize the link between practice and performance. Why?!?
Part of the disconnect may relate to the seemingly general nature of these tests. Rather than assessing deep knowledge of natural science or world history, the SAT & ACT challenge specific reading, writing, and math skills. A high schooler who has been reading, writing, and figuring for his entire academic career might be forgiven for a certain degree of overconfidence in these areas. However, arriving unprepared on test day ignores one essential aspect of these exams:
The SAT & ACT are designed to rank students in the same cohort.
Colleges wouldn’t even care about these tests if they just mirrored the criterion-referenced tests school teachers use to measure how much students know about a given subject. The SAT & ACT are norm-referenced tests that allow college admissions officers to better understand each applicant’s place in the normal distribution of graduating, college-bound seniors in a given year. Thus, every significant component of these exams is designed to challenge a test taker’s place in that ranking.
The short answer to the question is that the SAT & ACT are extremely challenging to the unprepared, relative to their general academic ability. Most students with strong academic foundations will outscore those with less general success in school, but they will find that unfamiliarity with test content, structure, and timing will diminish their best efforts. In other words, nearly every test taker will underperform without preparation.
Are there exceptions to this rule? Some students naturally prepare for these types of exams without every intending to, simply by pursuing a lifelong passion in higher-level reading, writing, and problem solving. The right kind of teen sees these high-stakes exams as little more than pleasing puzzles well-suited to their particular skill sets.
As an analogy–which used to be a big deal on the SAT–ask, “How hard is playing the piano for the unprepared?” Obviously, if you are as unmusical as I am, playing any song more complex than Greensleeves on the piano with or without preparation is impossible. However, someone with nimble fingers, perfect pitch, a strong background in music, and an innate sense of rhythm can start tapping out tunes on a piano within hours or even minutes of discovering one. Even then, though, the path to a musician’s best performance lies at the end of hours, days, and years of deliberate practice.
Tests like the SAT & ACT are designed to challenge even those who prepare for them. Don’t take these exams unprepared!!
Articel thanks t our friend, Mike Bergin at Chariot Learning LLC
chariotlearning.com/how-hard-is-the-sat-for-the-unprepared/?mc_cid=c8c4c1e255&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 30, 2017 Can you think of the last time someone you know showed up to take a road test without any previous time behind the wheel?
Have you ever heard of a coach who liked to enter the season without any team practice just to get a baseline for performance?
Would you pay for–or even attend–a concert of musicians trying brand new instruments?
We generally recognize that important tasks, events, and challenges in life both demand and deserve preparation. Commitment, effort, and an enduring respect for the power of incremental improvement underscores the approach every scholar, athlete, and artist brings to their respective crafts.
Somehow, though, despite the notorious influence entrance exams like the SAT and ACT play in college admissions, many students still take the tests cold. Teens who consistently study for every minor test in school somehow forget to study for one major one, while athletes who devote 20+ hours a week to their sports fail to recognize the link between practice and performance. Why?!?
Part of the disconnect may relate to the seemingly general nature of these tests. Rather than assessing deep knowledge of natural science or world history, the SAT & ACT challenge specific reading, writing, and math skills. A high schooler who has been reading, writing, and figuring for his entire academic career might be forgiven for a certain degree of overconfidence in these areas. However, arriving unprepared on test day ignores one essential aspect of these exams:
The SAT & ACT are designed to rank students in the same cohort.
Colleges wouldn’t even care about these tests if they just mirrored the criterion-referenced tests school teachers use to measure how much students know about a given subject. The SAT & ACT are norm-referenced tests that allow college admissions officers to better understand each applicant’s place in the normal distribution of graduating, college-bound seniors in a given year. Thus, every significant component of these exams is designed to challenge a test taker’s place in that ranking.
The short answer to the question is that the SAT & ACT are extremely challenging to the unprepared, relative to their general academic ability. Most students with strong academic foundations will outscore those with less general success in school, but they will find that unfamiliarity with test content, structure, and timing will diminish their best efforts. In other words, nearly every test taker will underperform without preparation.
Are there exceptions to this rule? Some students naturally prepare for these types of exams without every intending to, simply by pursuing a lifelong passion in higher-level reading, writing, and problem solving. The right kind of teen sees these high-stakes exams as little more than pleasing puzzles well-suited to their particular skill sets.
As an analogy–which used to be a big deal on the SAT–ask, “How hard is playing the piano for the unprepared?” Obviously, if you are as unmusical as I am, playing any song more complex than Greensleeves on the piano with or without preparation is impossible. However, someone with nimble fingers, perfect pitch, a strong background in music, and an innate sense of rhythm can start tapping out tunes on a piano within hours or even minutes of discovering one. Even then, though, the path to a musician’s best performance lies at the end of hours, days, and years of deliberate practice.
Tests like the SAT & ACT are designed to challenge even those who prepare for them. Don’t take these exams unprepared!!
Articel thanks t our friend, Mike Bergin at Chariot Learning LLC
chariotlearning.com/how-hard-is-the-sat-for-the-unprepared/?mc_cid=c8c4c1e255&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
Our friend, Mike Bergin, offers a simple solution to doing well on testing ( and other important tasks)
Get More Done… Hide Your Phone
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 20, 2017
Few would dispute the smartphone’s place as one of the true marvels of the modern world. These miracle machines combine instant, on-the-go connectivity with immediate access to the larger part of the sum of accumulated human knowledge. No wonder we take our phones everywhere, even those places nobody wants you to answer their calls.
But in those moments when you wonder, “Is there anything my smartphone can’t do?” we can identify at least one very important shortcoming: your smartphone can’t help you study.
Sure, you can access the web on your phone to look up important information or new vocabulary words. You can even use its timer to implement Pomodoro Technique-style planned breaks. But for all the time these phone functions might save you, the device itself may cost you much, much more.
The key to getting more done in any area of your life is FOCUS. When we focus on single tasks at a time, we achieve better results more quickly. Multitasking, to be blunt, makes us dumber in a measurable sense. Thus, every time someone switches from a given task, even for a moment, to focus on a different task, productivity drops.
Phones are particularly pernicious because of how slavishly attentive we are to any signal of interest. Bad enough FOMO forces us to check our phones every few minutes, but even awareness of an unread email or text can throw us off track. Researchers at Florida State University observed that the attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification can damage task performance:
We found that cellular phone notifications alone significantly disrupted performance on an attention-demanding task, even when participants did not directly interact with a mobile device during the task. The magnitude of observed distraction effects was comparable in magnitude to those seen when users actively used a mobile phone, either for voice calls or text messaging.
So getting more done might be as easy as turning off your cell phone, right? Not quite. Researchers at University of Texas found that the mere presence of smartphones significantly reduces people’s intelligence and attention spans–even when the phones are turned off.
Results from two experiments indicate that even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention—as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones—the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity. Moreover, these cognitive costs are highest for those highest in smartphone dependence.
No wonder exam proctors don’t even want phones in the same room on test day. Take a hint from the pros. Your smart phone can make you smarter, but only if you leave it powered down in a different room!
Courtesy of Chariot Learning:chariotlearning.com/get-more-done-hide-your-phone/
Get More Done… Hide Your Phone
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 20, 2017
Few would dispute the smartphone’s place as one of the true marvels of the modern world. These miracle machines combine instant, on-the-go connectivity with immediate access to the larger part of the sum of accumulated human knowledge. No wonder we take our phones everywhere, even those places nobody wants you to answer their calls.
But in those moments when you wonder, “Is there anything my smartphone can’t do?” we can identify at least one very important shortcoming: your smartphone can’t help you study.
Sure, you can access the web on your phone to look up important information or new vocabulary words. You can even use its timer to implement Pomodoro Technique-style planned breaks. But for all the time these phone functions might save you, the device itself may cost you much, much more.
The key to getting more done in any area of your life is FOCUS. When we focus on single tasks at a time, we achieve better results more quickly. Multitasking, to be blunt, makes us dumber in a measurable sense. Thus, every time someone switches from a given task, even for a moment, to focus on a different task, productivity drops.
Phones are particularly pernicious because of how slavishly attentive we are to any signal of interest. Bad enough FOMO forces us to check our phones every few minutes, but even awareness of an unread email or text can throw us off track. Researchers at Florida State University observed that the attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification can damage task performance:
We found that cellular phone notifications alone significantly disrupted performance on an attention-demanding task, even when participants did not directly interact with a mobile device during the task. The magnitude of observed distraction effects was comparable in magnitude to those seen when users actively used a mobile phone, either for voice calls or text messaging.
So getting more done might be as easy as turning off your cell phone, right? Not quite. Researchers at University of Texas found that the mere presence of smartphones significantly reduces people’s intelligence and attention spans–even when the phones are turned off.
Results from two experiments indicate that even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention—as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones—the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity. Moreover, these cognitive costs are highest for those highest in smartphone dependence.
No wonder exam proctors don’t even want phones in the same room on test day. Take a hint from the pros. Your smart phone can make you smarter, but only if you leave it powered down in a different room!
Courtesy of Chariot Learning:chariotlearning.com/get-more-done-hide-your-phone/
Here are some valuable motivational ideas to help you make it through your exams in high-flying style!
From our friend, Mike Bergin.
Build Your Willpower to Improve Your Scores
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 09, 2017
Anyone who has ever sat down to take a four-hour standardized exam knows all too well that testing is not just an intellectual exercise. Exams like the SAT and ACT are grueling physical and psychological ordeals. If you want your best test scores, you can’t just focus on learning test content: you must also strengthen your body and mind.
Any process that demands commitment over time for true improvement runs on willpower. When your will is strong, you make time to meet with your tutor, to improve your vocabulary every day, and to sit for high-quality practice tests. When your will is strong, you can focus on the task in front of you to derive the most experiential value. And, of course, when your will is strong, you can bring your best to every question on a standardized test, no matter how bored, distracted, or tired you are.
So how do you forge an iron will capable of carrying you through the most trying or tedious tasks? Willpower acts much like any muscle in that you can both improve it through special exercise and fatigue it through overuse. So consider these action steps for superior self-control:
1. Feed Your Will with Sugar
Humans are not so different from the technological tools we rely on in that we require more energy when functioning at higher levels. This analogy makes perfect sense when we think about sports and exercise, but rarely enters our minds when considering school and tests. Yet our greedy brains consume far more energy than any other organ. Researchers have found that even self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source. In essence, willpower runs on sugar, so keep your glucose levels up when testing for optimal performance… a little chocolate at the right moment can work wonders.
2. Manage your Cognitive Load
Students tend to struggle with math questions on the SAT and ACT not because of the math concepts, which are usually pretty simple, but because of the complexity of the problems. Inefficient testers ignore the problem-solving aspect of the task and focus instead on attempts to overpower problems with superior calculation skill. As a result, they waste both time and energy, guaranteeing a deficit of both essential resources as they get to the tougher questions at the end of a section. The SAT and ACT are marathons, not sprints. Maintain your peak willpower by seeking to answer the most questions in the least time with the least work.
3. Give In When You Can
Oscar Wilde famously advised, “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” He had a point, as research suggests that self-control, like energy or strength, depends on a limited resource. Exerting too much willpower leads to decision fatigue. Conserve your precious willpower by avoiding temptations and only making necessary decisions before a challenging task. For example, decide the night before a big test exactly what you’re going to wear, eat, and bring to the test site. Also, set your alarm and stick to it. Making simple choices ahead of time keeps you fresh for more challenging ones down the line.
Want to score your best? Then bring your best to every question. Singular focus, the kind of total absorption in a task that elicits our very best work, requires a will strong enough to shut out distractions and maintain commitment no matter what. If you build up your willpower, you’ll build your best scores and so much more.
Courtesy of Chariot Learning: chariotlearning.com/build-your-willpower-to-improve-your-scores
From our friend, Mike Bergin.
Build Your Willpower to Improve Your Scores
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 09, 2017
Anyone who has ever sat down to take a four-hour standardized exam knows all too well that testing is not just an intellectual exercise. Exams like the SAT and ACT are grueling physical and psychological ordeals. If you want your best test scores, you can’t just focus on learning test content: you must also strengthen your body and mind.
Any process that demands commitment over time for true improvement runs on willpower. When your will is strong, you make time to meet with your tutor, to improve your vocabulary every day, and to sit for high-quality practice tests. When your will is strong, you can focus on the task in front of you to derive the most experiential value. And, of course, when your will is strong, you can bring your best to every question on a standardized test, no matter how bored, distracted, or tired you are.
So how do you forge an iron will capable of carrying you through the most trying or tedious tasks? Willpower acts much like any muscle in that you can both improve it through special exercise and fatigue it through overuse. So consider these action steps for superior self-control:
1. Feed Your Will with Sugar
Humans are not so different from the technological tools we rely on in that we require more energy when functioning at higher levels. This analogy makes perfect sense when we think about sports and exercise, but rarely enters our minds when considering school and tests. Yet our greedy brains consume far more energy than any other organ. Researchers have found that even self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source. In essence, willpower runs on sugar, so keep your glucose levels up when testing for optimal performance… a little chocolate at the right moment can work wonders.
2. Manage your Cognitive Load
Students tend to struggle with math questions on the SAT and ACT not because of the math concepts, which are usually pretty simple, but because of the complexity of the problems. Inefficient testers ignore the problem-solving aspect of the task and focus instead on attempts to overpower problems with superior calculation skill. As a result, they waste both time and energy, guaranteeing a deficit of both essential resources as they get to the tougher questions at the end of a section. The SAT and ACT are marathons, not sprints. Maintain your peak willpower by seeking to answer the most questions in the least time with the least work.
3. Give In When You Can
Oscar Wilde famously advised, “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” He had a point, as research suggests that self-control, like energy or strength, depends on a limited resource. Exerting too much willpower leads to decision fatigue. Conserve your precious willpower by avoiding temptations and only making necessary decisions before a challenging task. For example, decide the night before a big test exactly what you’re going to wear, eat, and bring to the test site. Also, set your alarm and stick to it. Making simple choices ahead of time keeps you fresh for more challenging ones down the line.
Want to score your best? Then bring your best to every question. Singular focus, the kind of total absorption in a task that elicits our very best work, requires a will strong enough to shut out distractions and maintain commitment no matter what. If you build up your willpower, you’ll build your best scores and so much more.
Courtesy of Chariot Learning: chariotlearning.com/build-your-willpower-to-improve-your-scores
Is the ACT Math Test Getting Harder?
BY MIKE BERGIN / OCTOBER 07, 2016 The esteemed creators of the ACT have long been admired for their prudence, rarely seeking the spotlight or attracting animosity the way their competitors at the College Board cannot help but do. Circumspection is the word over at the ACT offices in Iowa City, which means that significant changes in a significant exam often go unannounced. They didn’t tell us in advance when they started included paired passages on every test. They didn’t alert us to the gradual but apparently enduring change to six rather than seven passages on the Science section. And, without telegraphing their intention, they appear to be making the ACT Math Test harder.
How can we read the cards held so close to ACT’s proverbial vest? Unfortunately, the bad news is plastered all over The Official ACT Prep Guide, 2016-2017. I would be remiss in hiding my disdain for this book, in which ACT has violated major precepts of standardized test preparation, first and foremost the ironclad law that the best practice tests are previously administered official exams.
On the other hand, ACT’s failure to publish an acceptable selection of practice tests does provide enhanced insight into the organization’s blueprint for future tests. In particular, we learn a lot about the ACT Math Test. The publishers cobbled together the Math Test for each of the three exams in The Official ACT Prep Guide from previous exams, primarily the five from The Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd Edition. Because we know those tests so well, we can more readily observe what appear to be substantial increases in difficulty:
ADVANCED CONTENT
For a time, the ACT was the exam that rewarded advanced math understanding, while the SAT accrued benefits to skilled readers. Last year’s publicized revision to the SAT flipped the script, making the SAT the test of choice for mathletes. Apparently, even though the ACT is very much a reading test, the testmakers don’t seem willing to concede ground on the quantitative side.
We’ve always observed a smattering of advanced math topics on each ACT Math Test, including concepts like logarithms, matrices, and trigonometric graphs. The tests in the current ACT book expand the pool of tested topics to include concepts like factorials, vectors, and complex numbers. Plus, each test included plenty of those excessively wordy word problems people get so worked up about.
RELATIVE DIFFICULTY
The College Board, to its credit, has always taken great pains to share as much information about question difficulty on each section of every SAT, though that may change with this newest iteration. The ACT, on the other hand, has been something of a black box, with most aspects of difficulty assessment and distribution opaque to those outside the organization. As far as ACT Math goes, we’ve always perceived a general increase in difficulty from the beginning of the section to the end. Question #1 should relatively simple, while question #60 is usually one that most students get wrong.
Even though ACT doesn’t tell the public which questions are considered difficult, we’ve been able at Chariot Learning to identify the truly tough questions by paying attention to our own pool of hundreds of students a year. If, while reviewing questions from The Real ACT Prep Guide, we observed that most students answered a certain question incorrectly, we made a special note, which helped guide later test review sessions. Our thorough records raised certain concerns while reviewing the newest practice tests.
For example, #13 in ACT 2 in the new book was #35 in ACT 5 in the old book. In our experience, most students struggled with this geometry word problem. In ACT 3 in the new book, #29 was actually #51 in the old ACT 3, while #32 was #51 in ACT 1 and #36 was #52 in ACT 1. And these were truly challenging questions that even many strong math students got wrong.
The most egregious example of this overall increase in question difficulty can be found in ACT 1 in the new book. #23 appears, at first glance, to be a simple factoring problem. However, this problem was #43 in ACT 1 in the old book and, due to ambiguous wording, most students had no idea what the question even asked. This was easily the toughest question–based on how many students answered it incorrectly–and now it ranks #23 out of #60 in an official representation of the current ACT.
Three tests don’t offer enough information to support definitive declarations about test trends. Nonetheless, anyone paying attention to the direction ACT is taking with the Math Test should be concerned. A broader range of advanced topics might not matter much in the long run, but an overall increase, whether intentional or accidental, in relative question difficulty will matter quite a bit both to the teens who take the test and admissions officers who evaluate the skewed, incomprehensible scores.
Source:
chariotlearning.com/is-the-act-math-test-getting-harder/
BY MIKE BERGIN / OCTOBER 07, 2016 The esteemed creators of the ACT have long been admired for their prudence, rarely seeking the spotlight or attracting animosity the way their competitors at the College Board cannot help but do. Circumspection is the word over at the ACT offices in Iowa City, which means that significant changes in a significant exam often go unannounced. They didn’t tell us in advance when they started included paired passages on every test. They didn’t alert us to the gradual but apparently enduring change to six rather than seven passages on the Science section. And, without telegraphing their intention, they appear to be making the ACT Math Test harder.
How can we read the cards held so close to ACT’s proverbial vest? Unfortunately, the bad news is plastered all over The Official ACT Prep Guide, 2016-2017. I would be remiss in hiding my disdain for this book, in which ACT has violated major precepts of standardized test preparation, first and foremost the ironclad law that the best practice tests are previously administered official exams.
On the other hand, ACT’s failure to publish an acceptable selection of practice tests does provide enhanced insight into the organization’s blueprint for future tests. In particular, we learn a lot about the ACT Math Test. The publishers cobbled together the Math Test for each of the three exams in The Official ACT Prep Guide from previous exams, primarily the five from The Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd Edition. Because we know those tests so well, we can more readily observe what appear to be substantial increases in difficulty:
ADVANCED CONTENT
For a time, the ACT was the exam that rewarded advanced math understanding, while the SAT accrued benefits to skilled readers. Last year’s publicized revision to the SAT flipped the script, making the SAT the test of choice for mathletes. Apparently, even though the ACT is very much a reading test, the testmakers don’t seem willing to concede ground on the quantitative side.
We’ve always observed a smattering of advanced math topics on each ACT Math Test, including concepts like logarithms, matrices, and trigonometric graphs. The tests in the current ACT book expand the pool of tested topics to include concepts like factorials, vectors, and complex numbers. Plus, each test included plenty of those excessively wordy word problems people get so worked up about.
RELATIVE DIFFICULTY
The College Board, to its credit, has always taken great pains to share as much information about question difficulty on each section of every SAT, though that may change with this newest iteration. The ACT, on the other hand, has been something of a black box, with most aspects of difficulty assessment and distribution opaque to those outside the organization. As far as ACT Math goes, we’ve always perceived a general increase in difficulty from the beginning of the section to the end. Question #1 should relatively simple, while question #60 is usually one that most students get wrong.
Even though ACT doesn’t tell the public which questions are considered difficult, we’ve been able at Chariot Learning to identify the truly tough questions by paying attention to our own pool of hundreds of students a year. If, while reviewing questions from The Real ACT Prep Guide, we observed that most students answered a certain question incorrectly, we made a special note, which helped guide later test review sessions. Our thorough records raised certain concerns while reviewing the newest practice tests.
For example, #13 in ACT 2 in the new book was #35 in ACT 5 in the old book. In our experience, most students struggled with this geometry word problem. In ACT 3 in the new book, #29 was actually #51 in the old ACT 3, while #32 was #51 in ACT 1 and #36 was #52 in ACT 1. And these were truly challenging questions that even many strong math students got wrong.
The most egregious example of this overall increase in question difficulty can be found in ACT 1 in the new book. #23 appears, at first glance, to be a simple factoring problem. However, this problem was #43 in ACT 1 in the old book and, due to ambiguous wording, most students had no idea what the question even asked. This was easily the toughest question–based on how many students answered it incorrectly–and now it ranks #23 out of #60 in an official representation of the current ACT.
Three tests don’t offer enough information to support definitive declarations about test trends. Nonetheless, anyone paying attention to the direction ACT is taking with the Math Test should be concerned. A broader range of advanced topics might not matter much in the long run, but an overall increase, whether intentional or accidental, in relative question difficulty will matter quite a bit both to the teens who take the test and admissions officers who evaluate the skewed, incomprehensible scores.
Source:
chariotlearning.com/is-the-act-math-test-getting-harder/
Why is reading the problem the most important step in solving it? Advice from Mike Bergin
Understanding the Problem
“It is foolish to answer a question that you do not understand. It is sad to work for an end that you do not desire. Such foolish and sad things often happen, in and out of school…”
Into every life, it is said, a little rain must fall. Farmers and firefighters may take comfort in the inevitability of precipitation, but most others see an unanticipated deluge for what it is: a problem. Everywhere you look–on tests, in school, throughout life–you find problems.
Problems, by their very nature, require solving. Unfortunately, many of us don’t really have a strategy to solve problems apart from painful trial and error. Those who study heuristics, however, have a distinct advantage. A heuristic can be any practical approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery.
George Pólya, the Hungarian master of heuristics, systematized problem solving with unparalleled lucidity. His influential work, How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method, describes four powerful principles of problem solving of great value to anybody. The most direct value from this methodology accrues to anyone tackling problems of the mathematical variety.
Pólya’s first key insight relates to the primary but oft-neglected step in dealing with a dilemma of any sort: understanding the problem:
“First of all, the verbal statement of the problem must be understood… the student should be able to state the problem fluently. The student should also be able to point out the principal parts of the problem, the unknown, the data, the condition.
“The student should consider the principal parts of the problem attentively, repeatedly, and from various sides… There is another question which may be useful in this preparatory stage provided that we do not expect a definitive answer but just a provisional answer, a guess: Is it possible to satisfy the condition?”
Basically, the first step in solving a problem–mathematical or otherwise–is to understand what the problem really is. Anyone taking standardized tests should take this advice to heart: if you don’t know what a question really asks, your chances of intentionally getting it right are infinitesimal.
Understanding the Problem
“It is foolish to answer a question that you do not understand. It is sad to work for an end that you do not desire. Such foolish and sad things often happen, in and out of school…”
Into every life, it is said, a little rain must fall. Farmers and firefighters may take comfort in the inevitability of precipitation, but most others see an unanticipated deluge for what it is: a problem. Everywhere you look–on tests, in school, throughout life–you find problems.
Problems, by their very nature, require solving. Unfortunately, many of us don’t really have a strategy to solve problems apart from painful trial and error. Those who study heuristics, however, have a distinct advantage. A heuristic can be any practical approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery.
George Pólya, the Hungarian master of heuristics, systematized problem solving with unparalleled lucidity. His influential work, How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method, describes four powerful principles of problem solving of great value to anybody. The most direct value from this methodology accrues to anyone tackling problems of the mathematical variety.
Pólya’s first key insight relates to the primary but oft-neglected step in dealing with a dilemma of any sort: understanding the problem:
“First of all, the verbal statement of the problem must be understood… the student should be able to state the problem fluently. The student should also be able to point out the principal parts of the problem, the unknown, the data, the condition.
“The student should consider the principal parts of the problem attentively, repeatedly, and from various sides… There is another question which may be useful in this preparatory stage provided that we do not expect a definitive answer but just a provisional answer, a guess: Is it possible to satisfy the condition?”
Basically, the first step in solving a problem–mathematical or otherwise–is to understand what the problem really is. Anyone taking standardized tests should take this advice to heart: if you don’t know what a question really asks, your chances of intentionally getting it right are infinitesimal.
Talk Yourself Through Tough Tasks
Yes, you can talk your way into mastering skills and knowledge! A word of advice from Mike Bergin
BY MIKE BERGIN / JULY 28, 2017
As I get older, I find the temptation to talk to myself growing stronger every day. Am I just desperate for intelligent conversation? More likely, experience is revealing to me what many researchers have started to recognize: talking to yourself can be very helpful.
What’s so special about sharing aloud the incessant internal dialogue that runs through most minds? External self-talk works precisely because the practice moves the chatter from inside our heads to outside of them, providing a crucial sense of perspective. Plus, effective self-talk has purpose, either motivational or instructional. Carrying on a conversation of one about your favorite sports team isn’t helping anyone!
The very idea of talking to yourself aloud may sound too silly to take seriously, but external self-talk has been linked to all kinds of desirable outcomes, from deeper learning of unfamiliar material to better passing and shooting on the basketball court. If you’re willing to give self-talk a shot, make the most of your efforts with a few powerful guidelines:
1. There is no “I” in self-talk
Apparently, talking to yourself is more effective when you pretend that someone else is doing the talking. A team of researchers found that using non-first-person pronouns and one’s own name–as opposed to first-person pronouns–during introspection enhances self-distancing, which leads to better outcomes.
TAKEAWAY: Talk to yourself in the second- or third-person.
2. Instructional, not motivational
Self-talk should always be positive and supportive. But mere motivational speech impacts physical performance more than mental mastery. According to the New York Times, “talking to yourself out loud in an instructional way can speed up cognitive abilities in relation to problem-solving and task performance.”
TAKEAWAY: Instructional self-direction helps with tasks involving focus, strategy and technique.
3. If you can’t teach someone else, teach yourself
Teaching material to others has proven time and again to be a highly effective route to knowledge retention. But what if you can’t find a study group? Talk it out anyway: research suggests that people who verbally explain ideas to themselves learn almost three times more than those who stay mum.
TAKEAWAY: When studying solo, learn lots by acting as both teacher and student
Obviously, coaching yourself out loud through a challenging math problem on test day can become the surest route to being unceremoniously ejected from the test center. But any task that requires learning and study–from schoolwork to test prep–can benefit from a willingness to verbally talk yourself through the toughest parts to ensure they don’t stay tough. If you’re embarrassed, feel free to stay quiet about your methods!
Source:
chariotlearning.com/talk-yourself-through-tough-tasks/?mc_cid=c1ce7db1b5&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
Yes, you can talk your way into mastering skills and knowledge! A word of advice from Mike Bergin
BY MIKE BERGIN / JULY 28, 2017
As I get older, I find the temptation to talk to myself growing stronger every day. Am I just desperate for intelligent conversation? More likely, experience is revealing to me what many researchers have started to recognize: talking to yourself can be very helpful.
What’s so special about sharing aloud the incessant internal dialogue that runs through most minds? External self-talk works precisely because the practice moves the chatter from inside our heads to outside of them, providing a crucial sense of perspective. Plus, effective self-talk has purpose, either motivational or instructional. Carrying on a conversation of one about your favorite sports team isn’t helping anyone!
The very idea of talking to yourself aloud may sound too silly to take seriously, but external self-talk has been linked to all kinds of desirable outcomes, from deeper learning of unfamiliar material to better passing and shooting on the basketball court. If you’re willing to give self-talk a shot, make the most of your efforts with a few powerful guidelines:
1. There is no “I” in self-talk
Apparently, talking to yourself is more effective when you pretend that someone else is doing the talking. A team of researchers found that using non-first-person pronouns and one’s own name–as opposed to first-person pronouns–during introspection enhances self-distancing, which leads to better outcomes.
TAKEAWAY: Talk to yourself in the second- or third-person.
2. Instructional, not motivational
Self-talk should always be positive and supportive. But mere motivational speech impacts physical performance more than mental mastery. According to the New York Times, “talking to yourself out loud in an instructional way can speed up cognitive abilities in relation to problem-solving and task performance.”
TAKEAWAY: Instructional self-direction helps with tasks involving focus, strategy and technique.
3. If you can’t teach someone else, teach yourself
Teaching material to others has proven time and again to be a highly effective route to knowledge retention. But what if you can’t find a study group? Talk it out anyway: research suggests that people who verbally explain ideas to themselves learn almost three times more than those who stay mum.
TAKEAWAY: When studying solo, learn lots by acting as both teacher and student
Obviously, coaching yourself out loud through a challenging math problem on test day can become the surest route to being unceremoniously ejected from the test center. But any task that requires learning and study–from schoolwork to test prep–can benefit from a willingness to verbally talk yourself through the toughest parts to ensure they don’t stay tough. If you’re embarrassed, feel free to stay quiet about your methods!
Source:
chariotlearning.com/talk-yourself-through-tough-tasks/?mc_cid=c1ce7db1b5&mc_eid=a1c5070fd4
Does a Comma Matter?
By Norbert Weinberg,
One of the nuisances you have to deal with on the two college entrance exams, the SAT and the ACT, is that pesky comma.
You might wonder why acceptance to the college of your choice could depend on something smaller than a millimeter. However, a misplaced comma not only can create a “comma splice” or a ‘dangling participial “. It can also cost in the multi-millions.
Here is a legal case in point:
“A Maine court ruling in a case about overtime pay and dairy delivery didn’t come down to trucks, milk, or money. Instead, it hinged on one missing comma.
Delivery drivers for local milk and cream company Oakhurst Dairy have been tussling with their employers over whether they qualify for overtime. On March 13, a US court of appeals determined that certain clauses of Maine’s overtime laws are grammatically ambiguous. Because of that lack of clarity, the five drivers won their appeal and were found eligible for overtime. The case now can be heard in a lower court.
The profoundly nerdy ruling is also a win for anyone who dogmatically defends the serial comma.”
(https://qz.com/932004/the-oxford-comma-a-maine-court-settled-the-grammar-debate-over-serial-commas-with-a-ruling-on-overtime-pay-for-dairy-truck-drivers)
That comma cost an estimated $10,000,000!
Now, to be perfectly clear, the rule on commas is split. Thus, the AP Stylebook, which guides most press, states:
“ When the last item in a series is connected by a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, or, but, nor, for, yet, so), do not use a comma before the conjunction. Example: I enjoy golf, football and boxing.
(http://www.grammaruntied.com/blog/?p=1196)
That is what I was taught in high school.
However, and a big “however”, the SAT and ACT people have decided to follow the Oxford University Press style guide, as did the court, which ruled that it was necessary to avoid confusion.
What confusion?
“In an impressively geeky retort, the drivers responded that all the other exempted activities were listed as gerunds, words ending with “-ing”: Canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing. The word “distribution,” they argued, was therefore not intended to be one of the items in the list.”( ibid.)
This is another trouble spot that appears on both the ACT and SAT exams, parallelism. In a series, nouns follow nouns, verbs follow verbs, gerunds follow gerunds, and so forth.
Yes, precision in language counts heavily, both in the court of law and on your exams!
If you have any doubts, see the popular parable below, about the value of seemingly insignificant things:
For Want of a Nail
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
####
Faster Math for the SAT & ACT
BY MIKE BERGIN / MAY 25, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREP
Math on exams like the SAT and ACT has always been tough and seems to be getting tougher. Every year, we’re seeing more advanced concepts from Algebra 2, trigonometry, and statistics added to the tests with very little of the core arithmetic, algebra, and geometry being removed. Plus, both tests continue to emphasize math conceptual understanding and problem solving. What is a college-bound high schooler to do?
Obviously, careful attention during math class over the extent of a student’s academic career will build the foundation for strong test scores. Furthermore, exceptional test preparation will close faulty gaps in knowledge and understanding. But test takers looking for every advantage on test day need to embrace any strategy that can help manufacture points under pressure. We don’t just want accuracy… we want speed. How can you save precious seconds on every question to ensure a decent shot at every point on the math section of the SAT or ACT?
Master Mental Math
Today’s sophisticated calculators can do so much, assuming you know how to use one. But they can’t tell you how to answer a question. Plus they don’t always work and you can’t always use them when you need them, such as on the ACT Science and SAT Math-No Calculator sections. Whether you have access to your calculator or not, you’ll work much faster if you can do some reckoning in your head. You don’t need to be able to multiply six digit numbers on the fly, but you’ll be much better off knowing the following:
Of all the concepts tested on the math sections of these exams, few carry as much enduring real-world value as percents. If you’ve yet to be convinced of this fact, trust us: you’ll be calculating percents at work, while shopping, and any time you have to leave a tip. So learn how to calculate quick percents by moving the decimal one place to the left to get 10%, then multiplying as needed for higher percentages. This should be quick and easy work.
Learn Shortcuts
The way you learned to answer problems in math class doesn’t always lead to the fastest or most certain points on the SAT or ACT. Many standardized test math problems are designed to permit multiple solution methods. Master the magical arts of picking numbers to make abstract problems concrete or working backwards from the answer choices. Neither strategy make sense every time, but in those instances where they do apply, they’ll carry you to the answer quickly, easily, and accurately. What more can you ask for?
Cultivate Answer Awareness
The quickest points come when you avoid calculation entirely. Sometimes, a problem will tell you enough about what kind of answer you’re looking for without having to do any work. Estimate and eliminate answer choices judiciously. Once you eliminate three (SAT) or four (ACT) wrong answers, you’re stuck with the right one!
BY MIKE BERGIN / MAY 25, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREP
Math on exams like the SAT and ACT has always been tough and seems to be getting tougher. Every year, we’re seeing more advanced concepts from Algebra 2, trigonometry, and statistics added to the tests with very little of the core arithmetic, algebra, and geometry being removed. Plus, both tests continue to emphasize math conceptual understanding and problem solving. What is a college-bound high schooler to do?
Obviously, careful attention during math class over the extent of a student’s academic career will build the foundation for strong test scores. Furthermore, exceptional test preparation will close faulty gaps in knowledge and understanding. But test takers looking for every advantage on test day need to embrace any strategy that can help manufacture points under pressure. We don’t just want accuracy… we want speed. How can you save precious seconds on every question to ensure a decent shot at every point on the math section of the SAT or ACT?
Master Mental Math
Today’s sophisticated calculators can do so much, assuming you know how to use one. But they can’t tell you how to answer a question. Plus they don’t always work and you can’t always use them when you need them, such as on the ACT Science and SAT Math-No Calculator sections. Whether you have access to your calculator or not, you’ll work much faster if you can do some reckoning in your head. You don’t need to be able to multiply six digit numbers on the fly, but you’ll be much better off knowing the following:
- Multiplication tables from 2-12
- Fraction to decimal conversions
- Perfect squares from 2-13
- Divisibility shortcuts
Of all the concepts tested on the math sections of these exams, few carry as much enduring real-world value as percents. If you’ve yet to be convinced of this fact, trust us: you’ll be calculating percents at work, while shopping, and any time you have to leave a tip. So learn how to calculate quick percents by moving the decimal one place to the left to get 10%, then multiplying as needed for higher percentages. This should be quick and easy work.
Learn Shortcuts
The way you learned to answer problems in math class doesn’t always lead to the fastest or most certain points on the SAT or ACT. Many standardized test math problems are designed to permit multiple solution methods. Master the magical arts of picking numbers to make abstract problems concrete or working backwards from the answer choices. Neither strategy make sense every time, but in those instances where they do apply, they’ll carry you to the answer quickly, easily, and accurately. What more can you ask for?
Cultivate Answer Awareness
The quickest points come when you avoid calculation entirely. Sometimes, a problem will tell you enough about what kind of answer you’re looking for without having to do any work. Estimate and eliminate answer choices judiciously. Once you eliminate three (SAT) or four (ACT) wrong answers, you’re stuck with the right one!
The Case for the August SAT
BY MIKE BERGIN / JUNE 23, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREPThe traditional academic year spanning from around Labor Day to well past Memorial Day feels like a marathon designed to test the endurance and focus of any participant (students and teachers alike!) Today’s high schoolers juggle so many academic, extracurricular, volunteer, family, social, and even work commitments that every hour in a week becomes scheduled far in advance. Adding insult to injury, college bound teens have to carve out time during the school year to take–and hopefully also prep–for SAT and/or ACT exams that are only administered from September through June.
At least, that is, until now.
The College Board may not elicit much praise from the teens who feel compelled to take the organization’s array of standardized tests, but who could complain about a new August administration of the SAT and SAT Subject Tests? I consider an August SAT the best news–and best option–we’ve received in a long time, well worth sacrificing the largely-ignored January SAT for. In fact, most rising juniors and seniors should strongly consider sitting for the August SAT for two compelling reasons:
1. You can test before school starts, or at least really starts.
2. You can prep before school starts.
While schools in the warmer regions of the United States convene in August, most others open around the beginning of September. How exciting is the prospect of getting a big test out of the way before classes even start? If you aren’t sure, the answer is very exciting.
Even better, though, is the option to connect summer prep to a summer test. The months of July and August have always been among the best times for test prep, with the one downside that the first SAT of the academic year didn’t arrive until October. Now students can prepare and practice right up to the exam without the distraction of school. Fall athletes may struggle to focus, but everyone else can enjoy a clear path to test readiness.
A secondary benefit of the August test date accrues to those who don’t discover until midsummer that their target colleges require SAT Subject Tests. These special exams are best taken in May or June, but August may be the next best option to test before you completely forget what you learned the previous school year.
The case for the August SAT becomes even more persuasive when you consider that both juniors and seniors have reason to set for this test. That suggests that the inaugural August administration will be extremely popular, which might lead to trouble considering how few high schools may be serving as test centers. In the Rochester area, only a handful of schools are hosting.
Any high school student entering junior or senior year who has at least some time to study this summer should strongly consider prepping, registering (ASAP), and sitting for the August SAT. Play your cards right and you could be done with this big test before your first little quiz of the new school year!
BY MIKE BERGIN / JUNE 23, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREPThe traditional academic year spanning from around Labor Day to well past Memorial Day feels like a marathon designed to test the endurance and focus of any participant (students and teachers alike!) Today’s high schoolers juggle so many academic, extracurricular, volunteer, family, social, and even work commitments that every hour in a week becomes scheduled far in advance. Adding insult to injury, college bound teens have to carve out time during the school year to take–and hopefully also prep–for SAT and/or ACT exams that are only administered from September through June.
At least, that is, until now.
The College Board may not elicit much praise from the teens who feel compelled to take the organization’s array of standardized tests, but who could complain about a new August administration of the SAT and SAT Subject Tests? I consider an August SAT the best news–and best option–we’ve received in a long time, well worth sacrificing the largely-ignored January SAT for. In fact, most rising juniors and seniors should strongly consider sitting for the August SAT for two compelling reasons:
1. You can test before school starts, or at least really starts.
2. You can prep before school starts.
While schools in the warmer regions of the United States convene in August, most others open around the beginning of September. How exciting is the prospect of getting a big test out of the way before classes even start? If you aren’t sure, the answer is very exciting.
Even better, though, is the option to connect summer prep to a summer test. The months of July and August have always been among the best times for test prep, with the one downside that the first SAT of the academic year didn’t arrive until October. Now students can prepare and practice right up to the exam without the distraction of school. Fall athletes may struggle to focus, but everyone else can enjoy a clear path to test readiness.
A secondary benefit of the August test date accrues to those who don’t discover until midsummer that their target colleges require SAT Subject Tests. These special exams are best taken in May or June, but August may be the next best option to test before you completely forget what you learned the previous school year.
The case for the August SAT becomes even more persuasive when you consider that both juniors and seniors have reason to set for this test. That suggests that the inaugural August administration will be extremely popular, which might lead to trouble considering how few high schools may be serving as test centers. In the Rochester area, only a handful of schools are hosting.
Any high school student entering junior or senior year who has at least some time to study this summer should strongly consider prepping, registering (ASAP), and sitting for the August SAT. Play your cards right and you could be done with this big test before your first little quiz of the new school year!
Does English Count? Can English Count to 10?
By Norbert Weinberg
A few days ago, my eyes fell on the lead news column, a piece about a terrible attack in Paris, in the New York Times; that is one of this country’s most prestigious and professional newspapers, whose famous motto is “ All the News That’s Fit to Print”.
" Terrorism is Feared As Gunman Kills Officer in Paris"
Here, in a paper of record, is a phrase that would fail both the English and Writing sections of the SAT and ACT exams. The writing sections of both tests look for clear and concise wording; the job of the headline writer is to be concise to the extreme, but it often comes at the cost of “Clarity”.
We have an example of tautology, of “ a needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word” ( Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Terror, in that same dictionary, is defined as “ a state of intense fear”.
To state that “ Terror is Feared” is to belabor the obvious.
Presumably, the headline writer, who is trained in the The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage, knows this well, and intended, instead, to say, “ Terror is Presumed”. The writer probably was constrained by the fact that he or she needed to use a certain number of characters at a certain font size and for a certain number of lines.
This is the least of the worst. Newspaper headlines often say the ‘darndest’ things:
“ Mexico governor says Chihuahua too weak to fight cartels.” ( Small breed dogs should be a good match for El Chapo,”Shorty”.)
“ Brain is more active than thought.” (Thought is done by something else, perhaps the kidneys.)
“PharmaNet breach compromises personal information of 7,500 B.C. residents, says province”. ( Proof that stone age people used on-line ccounts.)
“ Pets are a child’s best friend, not their siblings.” ( I always thought my dog was my sibling!)
(An online search yeilds numerous examples. These headline fails are courtesy of http://badheadlines.tumblr.com . Comments are the author’s)
Don’t trip over double entendre, malapropism, pleonasm and similar linguistic stumbling blocks on these exams!
Here is the link to my essay published on the blog site of Chariot Learning TM
chariotlearning.com/does-grammar-count-can-english-count-to-10/
It's May already? Think about June
The Case for the June SAT & ACT
BY MIKE BERGIN / MAY 01, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREP
Of all the test administrations of the year, the ones in June present the most problems. Many high schools have already flipped the CLOSED sign while others are facing finals and other culminating tests. Even worse, students have to contend with a host of other distractions:
Yet, a case for the June SAT & ACT can and should be made. Three different groups of students benefit from blocking out the first two weekends of the month for testing:
1. Juniors who have already prepped but haven’t earned the scores they want
Look at test preparation as you would any practice for a sport or a skill. There is a seasonal aspect to testing, in the sense that you begin practicing at a certain date to be ready for the big day of the official exam. Athletes may work on conditioning and club sports all year long, but the season is sacrosanct. Teens who prepared for exams in April or May have already laid the foundations for success, even if their most recent scores fell short. Keeping that momentum going into June requires less effort than restarting almost from scratch in mid-summer.
2. Juniors who haven’t prepped yet but still can
Very few people find high stakes testing relaxing. On the contrary, with so much riding on test scores, many teens succumb to varying levels of test anxiety. Test day stress creates pressure that can impair performance, so one of the keys to better test scores is reducing anxiety. Testing in junior year minimizes stress because students know they’ll have opportunities to improve scores later if they don’t reach their goals. But the first round of senior year tests are usually the last ones acceptable for early action/early decision applications. The October and November exams tend to the last ones usable for general admission to competitive schools. All this explains why teens are likely to be more relaxed at a test in June than in October. Take advantage of the lower stress of the spring dates.
3. Sophomores in advanced classes expecting a very busy junior year
Most 10th graders aren’t thinking about the SAT or ACT, nor should they. Better to finish sophomore year strong, maybe with a couple of SAT Subject Tests. But some students are on a fast track with an eye towards a junior year packed with AP and other advanced classes along with a full slate of extracurricular activities. Honors students who have already completed Algebra 2/Trigonometry might consider preparing for and taking June tests.
If you don’t feel mentally exhausted at the end of an academic year, you probably didn’t work as hard as you should have. Nonetheless, one last push to earn your best test scores in June can lead to a much easier and more enjoyable summer!
The Case for the June SAT & ACT
BY MIKE BERGIN / MAY 01, 2017 / PUBLISHED IN TEST PREP
Of all the test administrations of the year, the ones in June present the most problems. Many high schools have already flipped the CLOSED sign while others are facing finals and other culminating tests. Even worse, students have to contend with a host of other distractions:
- Playoffs and championships for spring sports
- Prom
- Exhaustion
- That summer feeling wafting through the classroom windows…
Yet, a case for the June SAT & ACT can and should be made. Three different groups of students benefit from blocking out the first two weekends of the month for testing:
1. Juniors who have already prepped but haven’t earned the scores they want
Look at test preparation as you would any practice for a sport or a skill. There is a seasonal aspect to testing, in the sense that you begin practicing at a certain date to be ready for the big day of the official exam. Athletes may work on conditioning and club sports all year long, but the season is sacrosanct. Teens who prepared for exams in April or May have already laid the foundations for success, even if their most recent scores fell short. Keeping that momentum going into June requires less effort than restarting almost from scratch in mid-summer.
2. Juniors who haven’t prepped yet but still can
Very few people find high stakes testing relaxing. On the contrary, with so much riding on test scores, many teens succumb to varying levels of test anxiety. Test day stress creates pressure that can impair performance, so one of the keys to better test scores is reducing anxiety. Testing in junior year minimizes stress because students know they’ll have opportunities to improve scores later if they don’t reach their goals. But the first round of senior year tests are usually the last ones acceptable for early action/early decision applications. The October and November exams tend to the last ones usable for general admission to competitive schools. All this explains why teens are likely to be more relaxed at a test in June than in October. Take advantage of the lower stress of the spring dates.
3. Sophomores in advanced classes expecting a very busy junior year
Most 10th graders aren’t thinking about the SAT or ACT, nor should they. Better to finish sophomore year strong, maybe with a couple of SAT Subject Tests. But some students are on a fast track with an eye towards a junior year packed with AP and other advanced classes along with a full slate of extracurricular activities. Honors students who have already completed Algebra 2/Trigonometry might consider preparing for and taking June tests.
If you don’t feel mentally exhausted at the end of an academic year, you probably didn’t work as hard as you should have. Nonetheless, one last push to earn your best test scores in June can lead to a much easier and more enjoyable summer!
Should I Study for the ACT and SAT at the Same Time?
Our one on one and our group programs cover material for both tests. My colleague, Mike Bergin , explains:
The challenges the SAT and ACT pose come at us all at once. Sure, each exam is administered often throughout the academic year, but, basically, when you have room in your schedule for one, you’ll probably want to take both for more than simply logistical reasons.
Some sources suggest studying for these exams sequentially, which strikes me as a terrible waste of time because of the tremendous overlap between the two. Our approach has always been to prepare students for both tests at once, with exceptions, of course. This process not only saves time but also helps determine more quickly whether students have advantages on one of the two tests worth focusing on. But while we are able to explain the basis of our philosophy to the families we work with, students and parents outside our orbit keep hearing the same misconceptions. So, in an effort to correct the record when someone on Quora asked, “Should I study for the ACT and SAT at the same time?“, I answered as follows:
Absolutely. The two tests have never been as similar as they are right now. In fact, if you compare the English section of the ACT to the Writing and Language section of the SAT side-by-side, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same grammar and writing rules.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same math concepts and problem solving skills.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same passage-based reading skills, mostly through non-fiction passages.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same ability to manage time, anxiety, and energy over an extended, high-stakes exam.
Of course the two have specific differences, which you can and should focus on through high-quality practice testing and targeted review. But whether you think so or not, prepping for one can’t help but prepare you to a certain extent for the other.chariotlearning.com/should-i-study-for-the-act-and-sat-at-the-same-timeSave
Our one on one and our group programs cover material for both tests. My colleague, Mike Bergin , explains:
The challenges the SAT and ACT pose come at us all at once. Sure, each exam is administered often throughout the academic year, but, basically, when you have room in your schedule for one, you’ll probably want to take both for more than simply logistical reasons.
Some sources suggest studying for these exams sequentially, which strikes me as a terrible waste of time because of the tremendous overlap between the two. Our approach has always been to prepare students for both tests at once, with exceptions, of course. This process not only saves time but also helps determine more quickly whether students have advantages on one of the two tests worth focusing on. But while we are able to explain the basis of our philosophy to the families we work with, students and parents outside our orbit keep hearing the same misconceptions. So, in an effort to correct the record when someone on Quora asked, “Should I study for the ACT and SAT at the same time?“, I answered as follows:
Absolutely. The two tests have never been as similar as they are right now. In fact, if you compare the English section of the ACT to the Writing and Language section of the SAT side-by-side, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same grammar and writing rules.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same math concepts and problem solving skills.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same passage-based reading skills, mostly through non-fiction passages.
The SAT and ACT test substantially the same ability to manage time, anxiety, and energy over an extended, high-stakes exam.
Of course the two have specific differences, which you can and should focus on through high-quality practice testing and targeted review. But whether you think so or not, prepping for one can’t help but prepare you to a certain extent for the other.chariotlearning.com/should-i-study-for-the-act-and-sat-at-the-same-timeSave
Need Some Good Motivationals?
With winter on the wane, most students still have plenty of time before the big tests at the end of the academic year. But success later depends on what you do right now! If you need motivation to get moving towards your goals in a big way, here are some of our favorite recent inspirational tips from TestBeast… ( by Mike Bergin)
http://chariotlearning.com/miracles-dont-happen-sweat-happens/
With winter on the wane, most students still have plenty of time before the big tests at the end of the academic year. But success later depends on what you do right now! If you need motivation to get moving towards your goals in a big way, here are some of our favorite recent inspirational tips from TestBeast… ( by Mike Bergin)
http://chariotlearning.com/miracles-dont-happen-sweat-happens/
LA MARATHON IS COMING UP NEXT MONTH-WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM IT?
I want to share this very useful guideline for getting into college posted by Casey Crowley, Director of College counselling for Beverly HIlls High School:
collegecounselorrowley.com/2017/02/13/applying-to-college-is-a-marathon/
I want to share this very useful guideline for getting into college posted by Casey Crowley, Director of College counselling for Beverly HIlls High School:
collegecounselorrowley.com/2017/02/13/applying-to-college-is-a-marathon/
Are All Practice Tests Equal?
Curious why we insist on only actual tests released by the College Boards and ACT?
BY MIKE BERGIN Over a very long career in test prep, I’ve organized a LOT of practice tests in different formats at different locations. Even today, I often proctor practice tests personally just about every week. Why am I so committed to making high quality practice SATs and ACTs available for everyone in my community? Because high quality practice tests make all the difference in the world in unlocking our best scores.
So what does “high quality” mean when looking at practice tests anyway?
TESTS
The first aspect to consider when evaluating the quality of a practice test is the test itself. Are you taking an official exam released by the test maker? If not, the quality of this practice test is suspect. Kaplan and The Princeton Review, both of whom offer free practice tests in many markets, pour considerable resources into making their own tests. However, no matter how closely someone might try to model official test material, nobody can match the meticulously standardized real thing. Even worse are these new hybrid instruments that purport to diagnose whether a student is better suited to the SAT or ACT; the only truly accurate way to assess that would be to take high quality practice tests in both.
TAKEAWAY: Look for real practice material. Tests released by the test makers are the gold standard. When taking practice SATs and ACTs on your own, you should take tests from The Official SAT Study Guiden and The Real ACT Prep Guide respectively.
http://chariotlearning.com/are-all-practice-tests-equal
Curious why we insist on only actual tests released by the College Boards and ACT?
BY MIKE BERGIN Over a very long career in test prep, I’ve organized a LOT of practice tests in different formats at different locations. Even today, I often proctor practice tests personally just about every week. Why am I so committed to making high quality practice SATs and ACTs available for everyone in my community? Because high quality practice tests make all the difference in the world in unlocking our best scores.
So what does “high quality” mean when looking at practice tests anyway?
TESTS
The first aspect to consider when evaluating the quality of a practice test is the test itself. Are you taking an official exam released by the test maker? If not, the quality of this practice test is suspect. Kaplan and The Princeton Review, both of whom offer free practice tests in many markets, pour considerable resources into making their own tests. However, no matter how closely someone might try to model official test material, nobody can match the meticulously standardized real thing. Even worse are these new hybrid instruments that purport to diagnose whether a student is better suited to the SAT or ACT; the only truly accurate way to assess that would be to take high quality practice tests in both.
TAKEAWAY: Look for real practice material. Tests released by the test makers are the gold standard. When taking practice SATs and ACTs on your own, you should take tests from The Official SAT Study Guiden and The Real ACT Prep Guide respectively.
http://chariotlearning.com/are-all-practice-tests-equal
Why Practice Tests Matter So Much
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 04, 2016
Have you ever met someone who planned to take her road test without first logging as much time as possible behind the wheel? Do you know any athletes that expect to play if they miss practice? How about actors who perform without ever rehearsing?
Of course not! Athletes and artists alike agree that practice makes perfect. So does your Driver’s Ed teacher
So why would anyone want to sit for the SAT, ACT, or any other high stakes exam without as much high-quality practice time as possible? Standardized exams, by their very nature, test the same material in the same predictable ways over and over again. The more tests you see, the more prepared you’ll be for the one that counts.
Why do perfect practice tests matter so much? Consider some of the challenging aspects of taking standardized tests that are improved through practice:
CONTENT
When most teens think (or worry) about the SAT and ACT, they tend to focus on the content of the tests: math formulas, grammar rules, and vocabulary words. What surprises most first timers is how disconnected these tests are from 11th and 12th grade course material. You definitely can and should learn the content of a test in advance, but you won’t truly recognize gaps in your knowledge base until you actually take a test.
QUESTION TYPES
First time test takers may fret about content, but experienced testers are much more focused on the diabolical ways in which that content is tested. The SAT & ACT earn their reputations as tricky and trappy by subjecting students to an onslaught of opportunities, both blatant and subtle, to get questions wrong. The only path to overcoming the cunning snares set by the test makers is practice and review, to make sure that you only ever fall for a trick once!
TIMING
Most standardized exams, especially the SAT and ACT, offer too little time to answer too many questions. Students taking these tests for the first time can expect to struggle with pacing, either moving so quickly that they don’t give questions enough attention or, more likely, missing a number of questions at the end of the section. But with practice, you learn through experience how to best allocate your precious time. Even better, if you’ve been taught effective strategies for different question types, practice internalizes those techniques, accelerating your overall performance.
DIFFICULTY
If you’ve ever taken a test (and if you haven’t, why start now?) you know that some questions are harder than others. Difficulty, of course, is relative, but any standardized exam worth its salt calculates and quantifies difficulty with meticulous attention. Most of us, to our detriment, don’t know difficulty patterns of questions going into a test for the first time. However, just as cross country runners learn the hills and flats of each course by running them over and over, you can learn the rhythms of easy, medium, and hard questions on each section of any test. More important, by knowing difficulty distribution, you can feast on the points that are easiest for you to earn.
ENERGY
Did you know that a trained marathoner can run over 26 miles in less time than you’ll need to take a standard-length SAT or ACT? A racer can run and win the Indy 500 before an extended-time test ends. Imagine how drained you’ll feel after one of these epic exams? Unfortunately, questions at the end of a test count just as much as the ones in the beginning, so savvy test takers learn to manage their energy to stay fresh when everyone else is wilting. High-stakes testing is an endurance sport, so develop your endurance through practice.
ANXIETY
Do you suffer from test anxiety? If so, you know you’re not alone. But most test anxiety manifests in response to lack of knowledge about what’s on a test combined with lack of confidence in how you’ll do. The simple prescription for improving both issues is practice. Taking a great simulated practice test is just like rehearsing a big speech or running through your killer guitar solo one more time before the audience arrives: practice soothes your nerves so you can achieve peak performance.
BY MIKE BERGIN / NOVEMBER 04, 2016
Have you ever met someone who planned to take her road test without first logging as much time as possible behind the wheel? Do you know any athletes that expect to play if they miss practice? How about actors who perform without ever rehearsing?
Of course not! Athletes and artists alike agree that practice makes perfect. So does your Driver’s Ed teacher
So why would anyone want to sit for the SAT, ACT, or any other high stakes exam without as much high-quality practice time as possible? Standardized exams, by their very nature, test the same material in the same predictable ways over and over again. The more tests you see, the more prepared you’ll be for the one that counts.
Why do perfect practice tests matter so much? Consider some of the challenging aspects of taking standardized tests that are improved through practice:
CONTENT
When most teens think (or worry) about the SAT and ACT, they tend to focus on the content of the tests: math formulas, grammar rules, and vocabulary words. What surprises most first timers is how disconnected these tests are from 11th and 12th grade course material. You definitely can and should learn the content of a test in advance, but you won’t truly recognize gaps in your knowledge base until you actually take a test.
QUESTION TYPES
First time test takers may fret about content, but experienced testers are much more focused on the diabolical ways in which that content is tested. The SAT & ACT earn their reputations as tricky and trappy by subjecting students to an onslaught of opportunities, both blatant and subtle, to get questions wrong. The only path to overcoming the cunning snares set by the test makers is practice and review, to make sure that you only ever fall for a trick once!
TIMING
Most standardized exams, especially the SAT and ACT, offer too little time to answer too many questions. Students taking these tests for the first time can expect to struggle with pacing, either moving so quickly that they don’t give questions enough attention or, more likely, missing a number of questions at the end of the section. But with practice, you learn through experience how to best allocate your precious time. Even better, if you’ve been taught effective strategies for different question types, practice internalizes those techniques, accelerating your overall performance.
DIFFICULTY
If you’ve ever taken a test (and if you haven’t, why start now?) you know that some questions are harder than others. Difficulty, of course, is relative, but any standardized exam worth its salt calculates and quantifies difficulty with meticulous attention. Most of us, to our detriment, don’t know difficulty patterns of questions going into a test for the first time. However, just as cross country runners learn the hills and flats of each course by running them over and over, you can learn the rhythms of easy, medium, and hard questions on each section of any test. More important, by knowing difficulty distribution, you can feast on the points that are easiest for you to earn.
ENERGY
Did you know that a trained marathoner can run over 26 miles in less time than you’ll need to take a standard-length SAT or ACT? A racer can run and win the Indy 500 before an extended-time test ends. Imagine how drained you’ll feel after one of these epic exams? Unfortunately, questions at the end of a test count just as much as the ones in the beginning, so savvy test takers learn to manage their energy to stay fresh when everyone else is wilting. High-stakes testing is an endurance sport, so develop your endurance through practice.
ANXIETY
Do you suffer from test anxiety? If so, you know you’re not alone. But most test anxiety manifests in response to lack of knowledge about what’s on a test combined with lack of confidence in how you’ll do. The simple prescription for improving both issues is practice. Taking a great simulated practice test is just like rehearsing a big speech or running through your killer guitar solo one more time before the audience arrives: practice soothes your nerves so you can achieve peak performance.
Remember, Test Taking is a Strategic Game
Do the SAT and ACT exams test you on knowledge about language arts, reading and math? Clearly, you need to know essential skills in these areas.
But- these exams also challenge your test-taking skills, your ability to think strategically when approaching any question.
MULTIPLE CHOICE TIPS FOR EVERYONE
chariotlearning.com/multiple-choice-tips-for-everyone/
Do the SAT and ACT exams test you on knowledge about language arts, reading and math? Clearly, you need to know essential skills in these areas.
But- these exams also challenge your test-taking skills, your ability to think strategically when approaching any question.
MULTIPLE CHOICE TIPS FOR EVERYONE
chariotlearning.com/multiple-choice-tips-for-everyone/
You gotta go for the gold! Motivations from the Olympians
Olympic Athletes Know Test Prep
BY MIKE BERGIN / THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST 2016 / PUBLISHED IN PSYCHOLOGYIf you ever doubt the burning will to exceed all limits inherent in all of us, just wait until the next Olympics rolls around. No spectacle captures the world’s imagination on such a grand scale. But we’re not tuning in to catch up on air rifle or luge or any of the other hundreds of sometimes obscure events (race walking… really?) we somehow ignore every other week of the year. No, we thrill to the competition, the effort, and the unquenchable commitment to win.
Everyone on the path to their best test scores can learn what being the best really requires from those who have paid the costs and reaped the rewards–including Gold Medals and enshrinement on boxes of Wheaties–of enduring excellence…
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
— Jesse Owens, four-time Olympic gold medalist
“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.”
— Michael Phelps, most decorated Olympian of all time
“Practice creates confidence. Confidence empowers you.”
— Simone Biles, Olympic gold medalist
“If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.”
— Mark Spitz, Jesse Owens, nine-time Olympic gold medalist
“I’ve worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals. I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down.”
— Mia Hamm, two-time Olympic gold medalist
“I didn’t set out to beat the world; I just set out to do my absolute best.”
— Al Oerter, Olympic gold medalist
Olympic Athletes Know Test Prep
BY MIKE BERGIN / THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST 2016 / PUBLISHED IN PSYCHOLOGYIf you ever doubt the burning will to exceed all limits inherent in all of us, just wait until the next Olympics rolls around. No spectacle captures the world’s imagination on such a grand scale. But we’re not tuning in to catch up on air rifle or luge or any of the other hundreds of sometimes obscure events (race walking… really?) we somehow ignore every other week of the year. No, we thrill to the competition, the effort, and the unquenchable commitment to win.
Everyone on the path to their best test scores can learn what being the best really requires from those who have paid the costs and reaped the rewards–including Gold Medals and enshrinement on boxes of Wheaties–of enduring excellence…
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
— Jesse Owens, four-time Olympic gold medalist
“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.”
— Michael Phelps, most decorated Olympian of all time
“Practice creates confidence. Confidence empowers you.”
— Simone Biles, Olympic gold medalist
“If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.”
— Mark Spitz, Jesse Owens, nine-time Olympic gold medalist
“I’ve worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals. I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down.”
— Mia Hamm, two-time Olympic gold medalist
“I didn’t set out to beat the world; I just set out to do my absolute best.”
— Al Oerter, Olympic gold medalist
How the ACT results can show if you are ready for college
MIKE BERGIN / FRIDAY, 03 JUNE 2016
Has college admissions testing ever been this competitive? I’m not speaking from the test taker’s perspective, though today’s teens seem to fighting harder than ever for seats at name-brand colleges. But the test makers are under massive pressure from each other, traditional testing opponents, and even upstarts trying to break into the lucrative admissions exam market. Economists assure us that competition benefits consumers by driving performance and innovation. One way ACT, Inc. seeks to maintain the top position in the admissions test arms race is by delivering more value in the basic ACT score report.
Here is the full article:
chariotlearning.com/act-readiness-range
/4/16 The ACT is a Reading Test
Just when you think you have the SAT and ACT figured out, the testmakers can still surprise you. Our two estimable college entrance exams have never seemed more alike, and yet certain dramatic differences between the two have emerged. In the past, students who identified as avid readers tended to prefer the SAT, where Sentence Completions rewarded the prodigious vocabularies that result from growing up with your nose in a book. But the SAT has abandoned explicit vocabulary questions and the pendulum has now swung the other way: students who are stronger in reading and writing than in math will flock to the ACT in droves. This makes sense, because the ACT has always been a reading test. For the rest, follow the link:
http://chariotlearning.com/the-act-is-a-reading-test/
Just when you think you have the SAT and ACT figured out, the testmakers can still surprise you. Our two estimable college entrance exams have never seemed more alike, and yet certain dramatic differences between the two have emerged. In the past, students who identified as avid readers tended to prefer the SAT, where Sentence Completions rewarded the prodigious vocabularies that result from growing up with your nose in a book. But the SAT has abandoned explicit vocabulary questions and the pendulum has now swung the other way: students who are stronger in reading and writing than in math will flock to the ACT in droves. This makes sense, because the ACT has always been a reading test. For the rest, follow the link:
http://chariotlearning.com/the-act-is-a-reading-test/