Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
How to Retain More of What You Study: Better Scores With Less Time!
The traditional, stereotypical ideal of the straight-A student spending countless hours studying at the same desk in the library week after week is not only inaccurate, but actually counterproductive. Too many students think that this is the way to good grades, and to ace the ACT test, but nothing could be farther from the truth. To be sure, studying more is generally better than studying less, but studying that is tedious and boring is not nearly as effective as it could be. It can actually be a waste of time.
How We Remember What We Study
By studying the way the brain works in memory, scientists have been able to determine what best helps us remember things. All the studying in the world is pointless if you don't retain what you're studying, so it is critical to analyze the nitty gritty of memory to find what techniques work best.
What the brain does in learning does is to associate what we are studying with things we already know. Our brain says "oh, I understand this new thing, it's kind of similar to this other thing I already know..." Thus, the more we know, the easier it is to learn because we have more things to associate new learnings with.
New Revelation for a Great Study Technique
A recent study found that it is not just what we already know that helps us remember things, but also the environment and surroundings WHERE we are learning. Specifically, if we study something several times in several different places - let's say a coffee shop, our living room, and at a friend's house - we have much greater retention because the brain has three different locations to tie it all into. It's not just the repetition that helps, but also that we were in three different environments. Even though you won't remember in a month where you learned something, the brain actually used the fact that you studied it in a few different locations to make it easier to retain in its long term memory.
What This Means for ACT Studying
Change your study location. If you have a study partner or study group, see about meeting in different places to review what you went over the last time you studied together. Before you meet with your study group at a coffee shop, for instance, skim the material at home or on the way to or from school. If you can aim for 3 different locations, reviewing the material 3 different times, you will save time over a long cram session and end up doing better.
Divide up your study time. If you have 3 hours to study in a week, then study 20 minutes a day for 6 days. The repetition will help you retain what you are studying.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters or email tips. The more frequently you look at the material, the better.
For a great weekly newsletter and daily 60 Second Video Tips for the ACT, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com and sign up today.
How We Remember What We Study
By studying the way the brain works in memory, scientists have been able to determine what best helps us remember things. All the studying in the world is pointless if you don't retain what you're studying, so it is critical to analyze the nitty gritty of memory to find what techniques work best.
What the brain does in learning does is to associate what we are studying with things we already know. Our brain says "oh, I understand this new thing, it's kind of similar to this other thing I already know..." Thus, the more we know, the easier it is to learn because we have more things to associate new learnings with.
New Revelation for a Great Study Technique
A recent study found that it is not just what we already know that helps us remember things, but also the environment and surroundings WHERE we are learning. Specifically, if we study something several times in several different places - let's say a coffee shop, our living room, and at a friend's house - we have much greater retention because the brain has three different locations to tie it all into. It's not just the repetition that helps, but also that we were in three different environments. Even though you won't remember in a month where you learned something, the brain actually used the fact that you studied it in a few different locations to make it easier to retain in its long term memory.
What This Means for ACT Studying
Change your study location. If you have a study partner or study group, see about meeting in different places to review what you went over the last time you studied together. Before you meet with your study group at a coffee shop, for instance, skim the material at home or on the way to or from school. If you can aim for 3 different locations, reviewing the material 3 different times, you will save time over a long cram session and end up doing better.
Divide up your study time. If you have 3 hours to study in a week, then study 20 minutes a day for 6 days. The repetition will help you retain what you are studying.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters or email tips. The more frequently you look at the material, the better.
For a great weekly newsletter and daily 60 Second Video Tips for the ACT, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com and sign up today.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
How to Choose an ACT Test Date for the 2010 - 2011 School Year
Becoming a junior is exciting - now you're finally an upperclassman! But one of the biggest decisions (even bigger than driver's ed) is when you will take the ACT test. It seems that everyone has their own strategy and what generally happens is that you don't make the decision yourself and the calendar ends up making the decision for you... That's not a strategy for success.
For the 2010 - 2011 School Year, the test dates (and registration deadlines) are as follows:
•October 23, 2011 (register by September 17 to avoid a late registration charge)
•December 11, 2011 (register by November 5th to avoid a late registration charge)
•February 12, 2012 (register by January 7 to avoid a late registration charge)
•April 9, 2012 (register by March 4 to avoid a late registration charge)
•June 11, 2012 (register by May 6 to avoid a late registration charge)
First, Select the Month
The best month to take the test is as early as possible in your junior year. This allows you to have time to study and retake the test if you do poorly and want to increase your score. Ideally, you want to take the test in December or earlier. After you add on three weeks after the test date to get your score report, you will still have plenty of time, if you need to, to study and retake the test in February, April or June.
When making your decision, check your school calendar to see what things might interfere with the test date you want. For instance, a late night homecoming basketball game on the Friday night before the test Saturday morning is not a good idea. Check your exam schedule, prom and other activities.
Second, Register On Time
Register for the test as soon as you can. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a seat if registering just before the deadline, let alone if you are registering late. You may end up having to go to a different test center farther from your house if there is no more room at your preferred test site, and that extra drive means you have to get up earlier before the test, giving you less sleep.
Third, Register for a TIR With NO Reports Sent to Schools
When you register for the December, April or June test dates and take the test at a designated "National Test Center" you can pay a fee of $18 extra to receive a TIR (Test Information Report) that will give you a copy of your test, the answers you selected and the answer key. This is the best possible way to understand why you got questions wrong and what you need to study if you decide to retake the test!
If you aren't sure about how well you are prepared for the test, you can choose to NOT send your scores to the colleges you are applying to. That way, if you didn't do as well as you'd like and intend to retake the test, you can send the scores from the next test (a small additional fee is required). Knowing that nobody will see your score until and unless you send it to them can be a BIG stress reliever on test day!
The best way to prepare for the test is a little bit every day instead of trying to cram. You can do that by subscribing to an email newsletter or a "tip of the day."
For a free month's worth of Video Tips of the Day, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com where you can select either the weekly newsletter, the Daily Video Tips or both.
For the 2010 - 2011 School Year, the test dates (and registration deadlines) are as follows:
•October 23, 2011 (register by September 17 to avoid a late registration charge)
•December 11, 2011 (register by November 5th to avoid a late registration charge)
•February 12, 2012 (register by January 7 to avoid a late registration charge)
•April 9, 2012 (register by March 4 to avoid a late registration charge)
•June 11, 2012 (register by May 6 to avoid a late registration charge)
First, Select the Month
The best month to take the test is as early as possible in your junior year. This allows you to have time to study and retake the test if you do poorly and want to increase your score. Ideally, you want to take the test in December or earlier. After you add on three weeks after the test date to get your score report, you will still have plenty of time, if you need to, to study and retake the test in February, April or June.
When making your decision, check your school calendar to see what things might interfere with the test date you want. For instance, a late night homecoming basketball game on the Friday night before the test Saturday morning is not a good idea. Check your exam schedule, prom and other activities.
Second, Register On Time
Register for the test as soon as you can. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a seat if registering just before the deadline, let alone if you are registering late. You may end up having to go to a different test center farther from your house if there is no more room at your preferred test site, and that extra drive means you have to get up earlier before the test, giving you less sleep.
Third, Register for a TIR With NO Reports Sent to Schools
When you register for the December, April or June test dates and take the test at a designated "National Test Center" you can pay a fee of $18 extra to receive a TIR (Test Information Report) that will give you a copy of your test, the answers you selected and the answer key. This is the best possible way to understand why you got questions wrong and what you need to study if you decide to retake the test!
If you aren't sure about how well you are prepared for the test, you can choose to NOT send your scores to the colleges you are applying to. That way, if you didn't do as well as you'd like and intend to retake the test, you can send the scores from the next test (a small additional fee is required). Knowing that nobody will see your score until and unless you send it to them can be a BIG stress reliever on test day!
The best way to prepare for the test is a little bit every day instead of trying to cram. You can do that by subscribing to an email newsletter or a "tip of the day."
For a free month's worth of Video Tips of the Day, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com where you can select either the weekly newsletter, the Daily Video Tips or both.
Friday, August 6, 2010
ACT Test - How and When to Approach the ACT For the Best Possible Score
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| Start Early and Work Smart! |
When to Start Thinking About the ACT Although the ACT is a test for high school juniors, wise students begin to prepare for it in their sophomore year. Currently ten different states administer a test called the PLAN test to sophomores. This is a type of 'mini-ACT' and gives students a report on how well they can expect to do the following year when they take the ACT. It accounts for the fact that there are some subject areas where sophomores are still not proficient, but should be by the time they take the ACT in their junior year. However, the PLAN test is not your only option for an early indicator on how well you can expect to do on the ACT.
Taking Your First ACT Test
If your school does not offer this test, you can still obtain an official ACT practice test from your guidance counselor or download one from the ACT website free of charge. Taking the time on afternoon to take the test, with someone watching the clock, is a wise idea.
All practice tests are not equal, however. Ensure that you have either an official ACT practice test, or one that breaks the Math and English scores down into subscores. This is not the norm with practice tests you buy in ACT study guides at a bookstore, though some do have the subscore breakdown.
Understanding Your ACT Score Report
Whether you get an official score report from an actual ACT test or just score a practice test yourself, analyzing the results will provide you with some very valuable information. You will see in which areas you are strong and in which areas you need to focus some studying. "Just study everything" is a very ineffective plan, and your score report / score results will prevent you from wasting valuable study time in areas that did not negatively affect your score.
Time is on Your Side as a Sophomore!
By beginning in your sophomore year, you can accomplish a lot of preparation with just 5 minutes each day. Subscribe to an ACT mailing list, like the one at http://collegeexamtutor.com/ in order to get weekly or daily practice questions. By breaking it down into bite sized chunks, you can be very prepared and confident when test day comes around.
Now that you know what to do, go to http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ to get free weekly tips and practice questions for the ACT!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
College Tuition - How to Save 40% at a Big University
All college graduates have three things in common. They have a degree, are looking for a job and have just spent a LOT of money on their education, even if they had scholarships or financial aid. For the overwhelming majority of them, it means that they need to get a job to start paying off student loans. But there is a way to enter the work world without as much financial pressure: like 40% less debt because you spent 40% less paying for college.
A Degree From Absolutely Any University at 40% Discount
Think about a big name school, such as Northwestern University or the University of Michigan, which charge around $40,000 per year in tuition. There are two ways to get the same degree; one costs $160,000 for four years and the other will cost you about $90,000. Both options have you walking across the same platform in the same cap and gown with the same leather bound folder with your degree. The difference is $70,000 in savings!
The way to achieve this is by completing all of the general education requirements during the first two years at a local community college and then transferring to the big name university for your junior and senior years. Your degree will be from the big name university, but you will have saved about 40% in tuition.
But Is the Education Quality the Same?
Absolutely. Unless you are majoring in a technical field, such as engineering, most all degree programs have the same basic general education requirements: English, Math, Social Sciences, etc. At the big schools, these freshman level courses are generally taught by teaching assistants and/or have a lecture class format. A lecture class format means that 200 to 300 students sit in a lecture hall and listen to a professor 2 days a week and then, if it is a science class, for instance, they break up into smaller groups for a "lab" that is supervised by a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants may be upperclassmen or graduate students. The fact is that the general education classes are all pretty much the same, regardless of the school. Introduction to Psychology is Introduction to Psychology whether you are at Yale or the Community College of DuPage.
Don't Make a Big Mistake....
It is not always as easy as just taking a freshman English class at a community college and automatically getting granted transfer credit from the big name university. The courses have to be the same. What generally happens is that the school you wish to transfer to will examine your transcripts and look up the course descriptions for the classes you took. Only if the course descriptions match the required courses at their school will they consider that you fulfilled the requirement. An English Composition class is NOT the same as an English Literature class.
For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that you get the actual course descriptions of all the required general education classes from the school you wish to attend and compare them with the course descriptions at the community college. A phone call to an admissions counselor is also a good idea!
One Last Thing
Finally, make sure that you investigate the school's admission requirements for transfer students. You will need to keep a very high GPA to transfer into the more prestigious universities, and their admissions guidelines may also be such that involvement in extra-curricular activities will be required. Investigate what is required and then make a plan to fulfill those requirements. By "beginning with the end in mind" you can fulfill the general education requirements at about a tenth the cost of the university that you will graduate from.
But choosing the school and paying for it are only half the battle. Doing well in the critical first semester is key to ensuring a successful college career. At http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm you will find a great resource to ensure that you hit the ground running at college. It's a one hour DVD course called "7 Keys to College Success" complete with a study guide and checklists to help students arrive on campus Day One prepared to succeed!
A Degree From Absolutely Any University at 40% Discount
Think about a big name school, such as Northwestern University or the University of Michigan, which charge around $40,000 per year in tuition. There are two ways to get the same degree; one costs $160,000 for four years and the other will cost you about $90,000. Both options have you walking across the same platform in the same cap and gown with the same leather bound folder with your degree. The difference is $70,000 in savings!
The way to achieve this is by completing all of the general education requirements during the first two years at a local community college and then transferring to the big name university for your junior and senior years. Your degree will be from the big name university, but you will have saved about 40% in tuition.
But Is the Education Quality the Same?
Absolutely. Unless you are majoring in a technical field, such as engineering, most all degree programs have the same basic general education requirements: English, Math, Social Sciences, etc. At the big schools, these freshman level courses are generally taught by teaching assistants and/or have a lecture class format. A lecture class format means that 200 to 300 students sit in a lecture hall and listen to a professor 2 days a week and then, if it is a science class, for instance, they break up into smaller groups for a "lab" that is supervised by a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants may be upperclassmen or graduate students. The fact is that the general education classes are all pretty much the same, regardless of the school. Introduction to Psychology is Introduction to Psychology whether you are at Yale or the Community College of DuPage.
Don't Make a Big Mistake....
It is not always as easy as just taking a freshman English class at a community college and automatically getting granted transfer credit from the big name university. The courses have to be the same. What generally happens is that the school you wish to transfer to will examine your transcripts and look up the course descriptions for the classes you took. Only if the course descriptions match the required courses at their school will they consider that you fulfilled the requirement. An English Composition class is NOT the same as an English Literature class.
For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that you get the actual course descriptions of all the required general education classes from the school you wish to attend and compare them with the course descriptions at the community college. A phone call to an admissions counselor is also a good idea!
One Last Thing
Finally, make sure that you investigate the school's admission requirements for transfer students. You will need to keep a very high GPA to transfer into the more prestigious universities, and their admissions guidelines may also be such that involvement in extra-curricular activities will be required. Investigate what is required and then make a plan to fulfill those requirements. By "beginning with the end in mind" you can fulfill the general education requirements at about a tenth the cost of the university that you will graduate from.
But choosing the school and paying for it are only half the battle. Doing well in the critical first semester is key to ensuring a successful college career. At http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm you will find a great resource to ensure that you hit the ground running at college. It's a one hour DVD course called "7 Keys to College Success" complete with a study guide and checklists to help students arrive on campus Day One prepared to succeed!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nine Tips to Succeed in College
Learn these 9 things and you won't be caught off guard your freshman year!
1) Expect to be homesick. No matter how much you hated living with your family with all the rules and siblings bothering you, it is normal to miss home and feel lonely. You are in totally different surroundings, with different people and a lot of stress. Don't beat yourself up when homesickness hits; rather expect it and give yourself permission to feel sad and lonely, knowing it will pass.
2) Expect to be overwhelmed. It's okay to feel freaked out. Everything is new and you will feel like you are overloaded with new things. Again, don't worry about it: expect it and it won't take you off guard and knock you off your feet.
3) Remember that it's a totally different game with different rules. It will take a while to learn the ropes, and that's okay.
4) Get plugged in socially. Join a club and watch the bulletin boards for "freshman mixers" or other events that will introduce you to a lot of other people.
5) Find a mentor. If you are living in a dorm, there will be an upperclassman who is an RA (Resident Assistant) whose job it is to give out information and be a contact person for you. Don't be shy about going to the RA with questions, and see if you can find another upperclassman that you can go to with the millions of questions you are going to have.
6) Attend the orientations for freshmen. Yes, they are boring, but they have a lot of important information. You will have enough questions and concerns even if you do attend, so don't blow this off!
7) Plan on everything taking more time than you think it will. If you could crank out a 3 page paper in 3 hours in high school, expect it to take 4 or 5 hours now. Everything is different, and as the saying goes, 'the thing about ignorance is that you don't know what it is that you don't know."
8) Make a friend or acquaintance in every class. If you miss a class or think of a question afterwards, it is important to have someone in the class who you can ask to share notes with.
9) Ask "dumb" questions. Every freshman is intimidated, and many will be glad that you asked the question so that they didn't have to!
Going off to college can be frightening, as there is a huge adjustment to be made. For a great way to prepare academically as well as socially, visit http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm and find out how to get some peace of mind during that difficult and critical first semester.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
ACT Test Timing - Finishing in Time, Answering Every Question
Anyone who is at all familiar with the ACT knows how difficult it can be to finish all the questions before the clock runs out. "Time Management" is one of the most discussed aspects of the ACT, but "hurry up and don't waste time" is really insufficient advice. It's not enough to realize that with 60 questions in 60 minutes for the Math test, for instance, that you should spend no more than one minute per question. What students need is a really detailed, practical way of improving their time management skills.
Step 1: Master the Times / Sections
First and foremost, it's important to know the 4 parts of the ACT, number of questions and minutes AND sections, inside out. Students should be able to rattle off by memory that the English test comes first, followed by Math, a short break, and then Reading and Science are last. Parents can help by asking "how many questions are on the Reading test?" (40) and "how many passages does the Reading test have (4).
Step 2: Know Your Times
The English test has 75 questions and is 45 minutes long. While there aren't really 'sections' as such, the two areas tested (the types of questions) are rhetoric and grammar & punctuation. The Math test has 60 questions, is 60 minutes long and has Algebra, Coordinate Geometry and Plane Geometry, and Trigonometry. The Reading test gives you only 35 minutes to read four passages and answer 10 questions on each. The Science test also lasts 35 minutes and has 40 questions, divided among 7 different sections.
Step 3: Know Your Minutes and Benchmarks
Students need to know ahead of time when they will need to be checking the clock for benchmark times to see if they are behind. For instance, about halfway through the time allotted for the English test (22 minutes), you should be at question 38 to ensure that you are on time. You should complete 15 questions every 15 minutes for the Math test, and complete one Reading test passage every 8 minutes. Finally, for the Science test, you should be done with about 20 questions after 17 minutes.
Step 4: Practice the Calculations
It is surprising to see that many students are not proficient at the math skills necessary to manage the clock, so be prepared to practice this critical technique. For instance, if the clock says it is 8:14 and you are starting the English test, what time will you be halfway through? The answer, 8:36, should be written down on the test booklet before going to the first question so you can look at it and the clock periodically. Be able to instantly calculate the benchmark times from any starting time.
Finally, take practice tests to ensure that you are becoming proficient at completing all the questions in the allotted time. Learn how to just guess on questions that you aren't sure on, or that will take too much time to figure out. By watching the clock, comparing the time to your benchmark times, and having the discipline to move on from questions that could get you bogged down, you will master the Time Management aspect of the ACT and get your best score.
Visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ for more information about the ACT and how to prepare, as well as the "7 Keys to College Success" course on making a successful transition to college.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Test Anxiety - Overcoming the 3 Causes for Doing Poorly on Tests
Countless students are frustrated by the fact that they do great on all their assignments and then when it comes to their tests, they blow it. They are frustrated, discouraged and beat themselves instead of understanding that this is a common phenomenon that CAN be overcome.
The first thing is to have a thorough understanding of the three major causes of Test Anxiety. Next, it is necessary to have a strategy for addressing the specific cause / causes that are holding you back.
Psychological
Although this is the cause that most commonly gets the blame, it is NOT the greatest villain. Most students feel shame about poor test performance because they think it means that they are weak psychologically, choking when the pressure is on. But when you read on, you will discover two more powerful causes that may be in play.
If it does turn out that the Psychological factor is your biggest problem, then the best way to address it is with practice tests and visualization. By vividly imagining yourself doing great, whizzing through the test on test day, while you are completing a practice test, you can retrain your brain to be calm and confident instead of anxious. Having a number of successful practice tests is a very powerful way to curb test anxiety on test day.
Physiological
This is an extremely powerful cause of poor test performance and most commonly overlooked. When a person is under stress, they begin to breathe less. Shallow breathing deprives the brain of oxygen and seriously hurts your ability to perform. (In extreme cases, this causes a person to faint.)
A great example of this is in studies that the Air Force did during World War II to determine the performance of pilots in high altitude environments. They found that very simple tasks, like dealing a deck of cards, became increasingly difficult as they got less oxygen. This happens by flying to higher altitudes, or it happens with shallow breathing brought on by anxiety. You actually cause yourself to be less sharp and resourceful by being nervous. Thus, the psychological cause can trigger a physiological problem!
The great news is that you can beat this with a technique the Army calls "combat breathing." Take 8 deep breaths, inhaling for three seconds through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Count to 3 while inhaling, hold it for 1 second, and count to 3 while exhaling. It will take you only 56 seconds to do this and you will oxygenate your blood to ensure that you are at full intellectual functioning! Do this before a test and even during a test and you will see a huge difference in your performance.
Improper Study Methods
The third cause for poor test performance is the inability to recall what you studied because you didn't study using the correct method. Everyone learns and retains information differently. Some are visual learners who need to see things to remember them, others are auditory learners who do better hearing information, and still others are kinesthetic learners, who need to 'feel' and experience the subject matter.
By taking a Learning Styles Assessment, you can begin to understand how important it is to your test performance that you study in a way that is compatible with the way your are wired intellectually. A digital voice recorder is a great tool for auditory learners, and talking and joking in study groups really accelerates the learning and retention of kinesthetic learners.
The best way to internalize these practical strategies for improving test performance is with further practice. For a four hour online course, go right now to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/ and sign up for the ACT preparation course, whether you are taking the ACT or not. This course begins with a Learning Styles Assessment and focuses on test taking strategies and eliminating test anxiety, which will be a great help to any student.
The first thing is to have a thorough understanding of the three major causes of Test Anxiety. Next, it is necessary to have a strategy for addressing the specific cause / causes that are holding you back.
Psychological
Although this is the cause that most commonly gets the blame, it is NOT the greatest villain. Most students feel shame about poor test performance because they think it means that they are weak psychologically, choking when the pressure is on. But when you read on, you will discover two more powerful causes that may be in play.
If it does turn out that the Psychological factor is your biggest problem, then the best way to address it is with practice tests and visualization. By vividly imagining yourself doing great, whizzing through the test on test day, while you are completing a practice test, you can retrain your brain to be calm and confident instead of anxious. Having a number of successful practice tests is a very powerful way to curb test anxiety on test day.
Physiological
This is an extremely powerful cause of poor test performance and most commonly overlooked. When a person is under stress, they begin to breathe less. Shallow breathing deprives the brain of oxygen and seriously hurts your ability to perform. (In extreme cases, this causes a person to faint.)
A great example of this is in studies that the Air Force did during World War II to determine the performance of pilots in high altitude environments. They found that very simple tasks, like dealing a deck of cards, became increasingly difficult as they got less oxygen. This happens by flying to higher altitudes, or it happens with shallow breathing brought on by anxiety. You actually cause yourself to be less sharp and resourceful by being nervous. Thus, the psychological cause can trigger a physiological problem!
The great news is that you can beat this with a technique the Army calls "combat breathing." Take 8 deep breaths, inhaling for three seconds through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Count to 3 while inhaling, hold it for 1 second, and count to 3 while exhaling. It will take you only 56 seconds to do this and you will oxygenate your blood to ensure that you are at full intellectual functioning! Do this before a test and even during a test and you will see a huge difference in your performance.
Improper Study Methods
The third cause for poor test performance is the inability to recall what you studied because you didn't study using the correct method. Everyone learns and retains information differently. Some are visual learners who need to see things to remember them, others are auditory learners who do better hearing information, and still others are kinesthetic learners, who need to 'feel' and experience the subject matter.
By taking a Learning Styles Assessment, you can begin to understand how important it is to your test performance that you study in a way that is compatible with the way your are wired intellectually. A digital voice recorder is a great tool for auditory learners, and talking and joking in study groups really accelerates the learning and retention of kinesthetic learners.
The best way to internalize these practical strategies for improving test performance is with further practice. For a four hour online course, go right now to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/ and sign up for the ACT preparation course, whether you are taking the ACT or not. This course begins with a Learning Styles Assessment and focuses on test taking strategies and eliminating test anxiety, which will be a great help to any student.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
ACT - How To Get Your Best Score
Begin With the End in Mind
The best way to approach the ACT is like an efficiency expert or a troubleshooter. Before you do anything, take a practice test to see where you are. Only then should you start studying in earnest, so you know exactly where to focus your efforts.
Far too often, students approach the ACT without a good strategy that will give them the maximum results with the minimum effort. It's kind of like throwing a whole bowl of spaghetti against the wall to see what will stick! A smiliar approach is also advocated by many Test Prep companies, who can justify charging $600 to $1500 because their curriculum is so long and involved. This is great for them, but not so great for the student.
By taking a practice test first, a student will be able to get an idea of a realistic expectation for a score that they can achieve, while also narrowing down which areas they need to work on. Before you can set a target, you need to know how far away that target is.
Caution: All Practice Tests Are Not The Same!
Bookstores are chock-full of ACT study books that have several free practice tests included. They are everywhere - and can be found online without even paying for a book. However, they are not all the same. While any practice test can give you a general idea of how well you will score, only those tests with a breakdown of the scores into subscores will give you what you need to zero in on the areas where you need to study.
Like the official ACT Score Report sent out after you take the ACT, the most helpful practice tests will have the Math and English portions broken down into subscores. (The Reading is also broken down into subscores, but that is not nearly as helpful). These subscores will enable you to save the time, effort and frustration that are wasted when you just try to "study everything." Just as a mechanic would never try to fix a car without proper diagnostic tools, a serious student will not want to invest time studying until getting a detailed diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses.
The College Exam Tutor ACT Prep course teaches the detailed strategy for diagnosing an ACT score in order to get the maximum results in the minimum time. For more information, visit www.CollegeExamTutor.com and learn more about the 4 hour course that helps you work smart and not just hard!
The best way to approach the ACT is like an efficiency expert or a troubleshooter. Before you do anything, take a practice test to see where you are. Only then should you start studying in earnest, so you know exactly where to focus your efforts.
Far too often, students approach the ACT without a good strategy that will give them the maximum results with the minimum effort. It's kind of like throwing a whole bowl of spaghetti against the wall to see what will stick! A smiliar approach is also advocated by many Test Prep companies, who can justify charging $600 to $1500 because their curriculum is so long and involved. This is great for them, but not so great for the student.
By taking a practice test first, a student will be able to get an idea of a realistic expectation for a score that they can achieve, while also narrowing down which areas they need to work on. Before you can set a target, you need to know how far away that target is.
Caution: All Practice Tests Are Not The Same!
Bookstores are chock-full of ACT study books that have several free practice tests included. They are everywhere - and can be found online without even paying for a book. However, they are not all the same. While any practice test can give you a general idea of how well you will score, only those tests with a breakdown of the scores into subscores will give you what you need to zero in on the areas where you need to study.
Like the official ACT Score Report sent out after you take the ACT, the most helpful practice tests will have the Math and English portions broken down into subscores. (The Reading is also broken down into subscores, but that is not nearly as helpful). These subscores will enable you to save the time, effort and frustration that are wasted when you just try to "study everything." Just as a mechanic would never try to fix a car without proper diagnostic tools, a serious student will not want to invest time studying until getting a detailed diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses.
The College Exam Tutor ACT Prep course teaches the detailed strategy for diagnosing an ACT score in order to get the maximum results in the minimum time. For more information, visit www.CollegeExamTutor.com and learn more about the 4 hour course that helps you work smart and not just hard!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
College Success in the First Semester
Why do so many college freshmen get low grades their first semester? Many parents think that it just all the "freedom" with nobody around to supervise them, but there is something else far more important.
No matter how well a student did in high school, college is a totally different experience, with totally different expectations. Unless a student learns the specific skills ahead of time, the first semester will be their frustrating learning curve experience. That CAN be avoided.
Preparation for on-campus success should begin a few weeks before the student arrives in the Fall. It should include preparations for the social as well as academic aspects of college. There are quite a few specific things that students can do that don't require much time in order to arrive on campus the first day well on their way to being plugged in socially and poised academically to a successful first semester.
For more information, visit http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm
No matter how well a student did in high school, college is a totally different experience, with totally different expectations. Unless a student learns the specific skills ahead of time, the first semester will be their frustrating learning curve experience. That CAN be avoided.
Preparation for on-campus success should begin a few weeks before the student arrives in the Fall. It should include preparations for the social as well as academic aspects of college. There are quite a few specific things that students can do that don't require much time in order to arrive on campus the first day well on their way to being plugged in socially and poised academically to a successful first semester.
For more information, visit http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm
ACT Math - Why Students Struggle
The Three Sections
The math portion of the ACT is divided into three parts, basically corresponding to freshman, sophomore and junior math. Interestingly enough, the freshman math is where many students do poorly, as this math is two years old for them and not 'fresh' in their minds! The good news is that a quick brush up is generally all that is needed to bring up this part of their math score.
There are 60 questions on the math test, and they are divided as follows:
The biggest fear that most students have is that they will not know how to do the problems on the test. With the math test, the culprit is trigonometry. However, worrying about 4 questions out of 60 does not make sense. Instead, students should focus on the area that has the largest number of questions, which is algebra ! Once they are very confident in that area, geometry is the next priority.
The Best Strategy
In the algebra area, the most mistakes are generally made with figuring out how to set up the equations for the word problems. So this is the best opportunity for studying that will give the greatest return on your score!
Do as many practice tests as you can, focusing on algebra equations and you will see your score rise quickly. Most mistakes made on this, the biggest portion of the math test, are made in determining from the word problem what the formula should be! That's right, the majority of the time that students are punching numbers into their calculator, they are on the wrong path. The reason that they don't realize it is that the multiple choice answers always provide options for the most common errors. Students complete the problem, see their answer as one of the five options and move on to the next problem never realizing that they got the question wrong!
The math portion of the ACT is divided into three parts, basically corresponding to freshman, sophomore and junior math. Interestingly enough, the freshman math is where many students do poorly, as this math is two years old for them and not 'fresh' in their minds! The good news is that a quick brush up is generally all that is needed to bring up this part of their math score.
There are 60 questions on the math test, and they are divided as follows:
- Pre-Algebra / Algebra - 24 questions (basically freshman math)
- Intermediate Algebra / Coordinate Geometry - 18 questions (basically sophomore math)
- Plane Geometry - 14 questions / Trigonometry - 4 questions (basically junior math)
The biggest fear that most students have is that they will not know how to do the problems on the test. With the math test, the culprit is trigonometry. However, worrying about 4 questions out of 60 does not make sense. Instead, students should focus on the area that has the largest number of questions, which is algebra ! Once they are very confident in that area, geometry is the next priority.
The Best Strategy
In the algebra area, the most mistakes are generally made with figuring out how to set up the equations for the word problems. So this is the best opportunity for studying that will give the greatest return on your score!
Do as many practice tests as you can, focusing on algebra equations and you will see your score rise quickly. Most mistakes made on this, the biggest portion of the math test, are made in determining from the word problem what the formula should be! That's right, the majority of the time that students are punching numbers into their calculator, they are on the wrong path. The reason that they don't realize it is that the multiple choice answers always provide options for the most common errors. Students complete the problem, see their answer as one of the five options and move on to the next problem never realizing that they got the question wrong!
The Main Thing
No matter what portion of the test you are working on, just as in life, you want to focus on the most important, high value things first. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing! And in the math test, it is algebra!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Guessing is KEY to the ACT
When should I Guess?
Unlike the SAT, there is no penalty on the ACT for getting an answer wrong. Therefore, it is absolutely a waste to leave any question unanswered. If there is only 5 minutes left and you have 20 questions to go, it is best to just guess on all of them and then use the time to go back and read some of the questions to try and get the best answer. This will ensure that the clock doesn't run out and you have unanswered questions! You will get zero points for a question that you didn't answer, but you have a shot at getting a point if you guess the correct one.
What are my Odds?
The English, Science and Reading tests all have 4 answers to choose from, so your odds are one in four, or 25%. That means in our scenario above, where you just randomly guess on 20 questions, you could expect to get 5 of them right! The Math test is a bit different, with 5 answers to choose from, so you have a 20% chance of guessing the right answer. Either way you slice it, 20% or 25% is much better than zero percent for a question left unanswered!
How do I Increase my Odds?
Guessing is not just for last minute desperation. Unless you are one who will get a perfect score, there will be a LOT of answers that you aren't sure of. The good news is that you can turn this into a positive instead of a negative. Instead of focusing on the fact that you didn't know the answer, see if you can eliminate one or two obviously wrong answers and then guess from the remaining choices. If you eliminate 1 Math answer from among the 5, you will have increased your guessing odds from 20% to 25%. That is something to focus on, because it is a victory, however small, and can keep you from becoming demotivated during the test.
Remember that almost no students in America will know the answer to every single question. If you go into the test expecting that, then you are less likely to get discouraged during the test. Take away a small victory from every question.
1) Increase your odds by narrowing down the possible answers.
2) If you have to just guess without having a clue, focus on how much time you just saved by quickly moving on to the next question! Get those questions that you don't know out of the way and save your time and energy for the ones you can solve.
With the ACT, it's all about managing your attitude. The more positive you remain, the better your score will be!
Unlike the SAT, there is no penalty on the ACT for getting an answer wrong. Therefore, it is absolutely a waste to leave any question unanswered. If there is only 5 minutes left and you have 20 questions to go, it is best to just guess on all of them and then use the time to go back and read some of the questions to try and get the best answer. This will ensure that the clock doesn't run out and you have unanswered questions! You will get zero points for a question that you didn't answer, but you have a shot at getting a point if you guess the correct one.
What are my Odds?
The English, Science and Reading tests all have 4 answers to choose from, so your odds are one in four, or 25%. That means in our scenario above, where you just randomly guess on 20 questions, you could expect to get 5 of them right! The Math test is a bit different, with 5 answers to choose from, so you have a 20% chance of guessing the right answer. Either way you slice it, 20% or 25% is much better than zero percent for a question left unanswered!
How do I Increase my Odds?
Guessing is not just for last minute desperation. Unless you are one who will get a perfect score, there will be a LOT of answers that you aren't sure of. The good news is that you can turn this into a positive instead of a negative. Instead of focusing on the fact that you didn't know the answer, see if you can eliminate one or two obviously wrong answers and then guess from the remaining choices. If you eliminate 1 Math answer from among the 5, you will have increased your guessing odds from 20% to 25%. That is something to focus on, because it is a victory, however small, and can keep you from becoming demotivated during the test.
Remember that almost no students in America will know the answer to every single question. If you go into the test expecting that, then you are less likely to get discouraged during the test. Take away a small victory from every question.
1) Increase your odds by narrowing down the possible answers.
2) If you have to just guess without having a clue, focus on how much time you just saved by quickly moving on to the next question! Get those questions that you don't know out of the way and save your time and energy for the ones you can solve.
With the ACT, it's all about managing your attitude. The more positive you remain, the better your score will be!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Understanding the ACT: A Parent's Guide
What is the ACT?
The ACT is a nationwide standardized test that many colleges use as a guide to determine admission. The test takes about 4 hours and has sections on English, Math, Reading and Science. Scores range from 1 to 36, with 20 being about the national average score. Doing well on this test, along with a good grade point average, is necessary to gain admission to most of the prestigious colleges and universities. Many scholarships also consider this in determining who will be awarded money.
Who Takes the ACT
Each year over 1.5 million high school students take the ACT. Most students take this test in their Junior year, but many wait until the Fall of their senior year. Although t he ACT used to be taken just by college bound students, the following states now require all students to take the test, in order to comply with the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind:
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Kentucky
• North Dakota
• Wyoming
What is the PLAN Test?
The PLAN test is a “mini-version” of the ACT taken in the sophomore year of high school. It is designed to give students some experience taking this type of test and the results are meant to be a predictor as to how well students can expect to do on the ACT the following year. The PLAN test is administered by all schools in the following states:
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
Format of the Test
Although there is an optional Writing Test, the majority of students just take the English, Math, Reading and Science portion of the test. Each is multiple choice format and is timed. The English section has 75 questions in 45 minutes, the Math section has 60 questions in 60 minutes, and both the Reading and Science sections have 40 questions in 35 minutes. Each question has four answers to choose from, with the exception of the Math section, which offers 5 choices.
What’s All This About Guessing?
Unlike the other national college test, the SAT, the ACT doesn’t penalize students for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to guess on questions that they are not sure of.
Isn’t This Just the Same as the SAT?
Not at all. In addition to the fact that guessing is not penalized on the ACT, the SAT tests three areas: reading, writing and math. There is no science section on the SAT.
Why is Timing So Important?
The most common problem that students experience with the ACT is running out of time before they have answered all the questions. Obviously, for a question that you don’t answer, you have a zero percent chance of getting the question correct, so keeping an eye on the clock and proper pacing is key to doing well on this test. If a student sees that they are almost out of time, it is best to just guess on the remaining answers in the hopes of getting
How is the ACT Just Like Life?
Because in life there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. And, like in the business world, you must prioritize where you will get the biggest bang for the buck. It makes no sense to spend 5 minutes on one math problem, when instead you could get three or four others answered.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
The ACT is a nationwide standardized test that many colleges use as a guide to determine admission. The test takes about 4 hours and has sections on English, Math, Reading and Science. Scores range from 1 to 36, with 20 being about the national average score. Doing well on this test, along with a good grade point average, is necessary to gain admission to most of the prestigious colleges and universities. Many scholarships also consider this in determining who will be awarded money.
Who Takes the ACT
Each year over 1.5 million high school students take the ACT. Most students take this test in their Junior year, but many wait until the Fall of their senior year. Although t he ACT used to be taken just by college bound students, the following states now require all students to take the test, in order to comply with the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind:
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Kentucky
• North Dakota
• Wyoming
What is the PLAN Test?
The PLAN test is a “mini-version” of the ACT taken in the sophomore year of high school. It is designed to give students some experience taking this type of test and the results are meant to be a predictor as to how well students can expect to do on the ACT the following year. The PLAN test is administered by all schools in the following states:
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
Format of the Test
Although there is an optional Writing Test, the majority of students just take the English, Math, Reading and Science portion of the test. Each is multiple choice format and is timed. The English section has 75 questions in 45 minutes, the Math section has 60 questions in 60 minutes, and both the Reading and Science sections have 40 questions in 35 minutes. Each question has four answers to choose from, with the exception of the Math section, which offers 5 choices.
What’s All This About Guessing?
Unlike the other national college test, the SAT, the ACT doesn’t penalize students for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to guess on questions that they are not sure of.
Isn’t This Just the Same as the SAT?
Not at all. In addition to the fact that guessing is not penalized on the ACT, the SAT tests three areas: reading, writing and math. There is no science section on the SAT.
Why is Timing So Important?
The most common problem that students experience with the ACT is running out of time before they have answered all the questions. Obviously, for a question that you don’t answer, you have a zero percent chance of getting the question correct, so keeping an eye on the clock and proper pacing is key to doing well on this test. If a student sees that they are almost out of time, it is best to just guess on the remaining answers in the hopes of getting
How is the ACT Just Like Life?
Because in life there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. And, like in the business world, you must prioritize where you will get the biggest bang for the buck. It makes no sense to spend 5 minutes on one math problem, when instead you could get three or four others answered.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Parents: How to Motivate Your Kids to Study for the ACT
Nothing is more frustrating than seeing your child doing something that you know will hurt them in the long run. When our kids fail to take the ACT seriously, we cringe because we know how important this is. Yet as parents, we sometimes do things that are very counterproductive to helping our kids study more and study more effectively.
First Rule: Understand Your Child's Study Style
Believe it or not, everyone has a different study / learning style. Not everyone studies like you do. Some are more visual; some are more auditory. The hardest style to deal with is the kinesthetic, or "tacticle." Instead of learning through seeing or hearing, these students need to 'feel' or experience' in order to retain knowledge. They are also ususally fidgety and have short attention spans. These students learn best if they are involved in a study group, discussing facts and figures while tossing a football or moving around, and tend to stop doing well after 20 minutes or so. If you child is one of these kinesthetic learners, you need to help them adapt their study time accordingly.
Second Rule: Don't Nag
Nagging never works anyway. The last thing you want to do is connect negativity with the ACT; it is stressful enough.
Third Rule: Get Some Help
Unless your student is a great test taker who loves to study by just sitting alone for long hours reading, then you would do well to have a quick assessment of their learning style and help them craft their study time accordingly. You will be amazed at the transformation. They will avoid studying less and retain much more, and will be on their way to improved grades and a more successful work life as well.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
First Rule: Understand Your Child's Study Style
Believe it or not, everyone has a different study / learning style. Not everyone studies like you do. Some are more visual; some are more auditory. The hardest style to deal with is the kinesthetic, or "tacticle." Instead of learning through seeing or hearing, these students need to 'feel' or experience' in order to retain knowledge. They are also ususally fidgety and have short attention spans. These students learn best if they are involved in a study group, discussing facts and figures while tossing a football or moving around, and tend to stop doing well after 20 minutes or so. If you child is one of these kinesthetic learners, you need to help them adapt their study time accordingly.
Second Rule: Don't Nag
Nagging never works anyway. The last thing you want to do is connect negativity with the ACT; it is stressful enough.
Third Rule: Get Some Help
Unless your student is a great test taker who loves to study by just sitting alone for long hours reading, then you would do well to have a quick assessment of their learning style and help them craft their study time accordingly. You will be amazed at the transformation. They will avoid studying less and retain much more, and will be on their way to improved grades and a more successful work life as well.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
ACT Practice Tests: Get the Most Benefit Without Paying a Dime
For high school students wishing to get a good score on the ACT, practice tests are both an invaluable and misunderstood tool. The first thing to know is that you should never pay for a practice test, as you can get them for free very easily from a high school guidance counselor or at http://www.actstudent.org/. The second thing to know is how to use a practice test to improve your score; simply taking a lot of practice tests won't help you much unless you are using them to diagnose your shortcomings.
Many expensive ACT prep courses use the lure of a diagnostic ACT practice test to generate income from parents with deep pockets, and even have the nerve to charge a couple hundred dollars to administer the test and interpret the results. Since you can get the tests for free, the only thing you need to do is interpret the results. That is very straightforward.
While many free tests abound, the test that is the most helpful will break your score down into subscores for Math, English and Reading. The tests you get from ACT will have this breakdown.
The Math test has 60 questions, basically divided into elementary, intermediate and advanced math, loosely corresponding to freshman, sophomore and junior year math classes. Since the free practice tests provided by the ACT organization break the results down for you into these three categories, you can very easily determine what you need to study to increase your score.
Many students are surprised to find that they did better on the more advanced math and poorly on the elementary math. This is because they haven’t seen the freshman math problems in two or three years, and just requires some brushing up. As far as Trigonometry goes, the ACT has only 4 questions on this, so if you haven’t yet taken Trig, don’t worry too much.
The English test score is also broken down into two categories: rhetoric and usage/mechanics. Rhetoric is basically your abilities at writing and identifying good writing, which is difficult to improve quickly. The usage/mechanics portion tests grammar and punctuation and since these skills can be improved much more quickly, this is where you should focus your efforts.
The subscores provided for the Reading test are really of little value and the Science test has no subscores. However, by taking the time to see if you missed questions of a certain type on each test, you can identify areas where you can improve your score. For instance, did you miss Reading questions that asked you to identify persons, places or things in the passage? If so, then underlining these items when you read each passage will help you improve.
While each of the four tests on the ACT seem to be quite different, there are methods to approaching questions that students can learn that will apply to all four, saving time and quickly raising their score.
More information about the ACT and test taking tips are available at http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ where you will find a newsletter and also a four hour video course available either online or on DVDs.
Many expensive ACT prep courses use the lure of a diagnostic ACT practice test to generate income from parents with deep pockets, and even have the nerve to charge a couple hundred dollars to administer the test and interpret the results. Since you can get the tests for free, the only thing you need to do is interpret the results. That is very straightforward.
While many free tests abound, the test that is the most helpful will break your score down into subscores for Math, English and Reading. The tests you get from ACT will have this breakdown.
The Math test has 60 questions, basically divided into elementary, intermediate and advanced math, loosely corresponding to freshman, sophomore and junior year math classes. Since the free practice tests provided by the ACT organization break the results down for you into these three categories, you can very easily determine what you need to study to increase your score.
Many students are surprised to find that they did better on the more advanced math and poorly on the elementary math. This is because they haven’t seen the freshman math problems in two or three years, and just requires some brushing up. As far as Trigonometry goes, the ACT has only 4 questions on this, so if you haven’t yet taken Trig, don’t worry too much.
The English test score is also broken down into two categories: rhetoric and usage/mechanics. Rhetoric is basically your abilities at writing and identifying good writing, which is difficult to improve quickly. The usage/mechanics portion tests grammar and punctuation and since these skills can be improved much more quickly, this is where you should focus your efforts.
The subscores provided for the Reading test are really of little value and the Science test has no subscores. However, by taking the time to see if you missed questions of a certain type on each test, you can identify areas where you can improve your score. For instance, did you miss Reading questions that asked you to identify persons, places or things in the passage? If so, then underlining these items when you read each passage will help you improve.
While each of the four tests on the ACT seem to be quite different, there are methods to approaching questions that students can learn that will apply to all four, saving time and quickly raising their score.
More information about the ACT and test taking tips are available at http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ where you will find a newsletter and also a four hour video course available either online or on DVDs.
Friday, June 4, 2010
The ACT: Which Month Should HS Juniors Take the Test?
There are a few differing opinions on when Juniors should take their ACT. One school of thought is that the best time is the last test of the year, as this has given you time to take more classes before taking the test. Another school of thought says that it is best to take the ACT early in the year so that you have time to retake it in case you do poorly.
The most advantageous time is December! This gives you plenty of time to retake the ACT if you do poorly. However, most importantly, for an additional fee of under $20, you can get a Test Information Release, which will be an invaluable tool to help you increase your score should you decide to retest! According to the official website, www.actstudent.org, :
“If you order and pay for Test Information Release (TIR) and test at a national test center on a national test date that offers this service, you will receive a list of your answers, a copy of the multiple-choice test questions used to determine your score, the answer key, and scoring instructions.”
By taking the ACT in December at a location designated a ‘National Test Center’ you will be able to get a TIR and be well positioned to increase your score on a retake. In addition, do NOT designate any colleges to receive your score results at this time, even though it is free to send the score report to several schools. If you are satisfied with your score, you can pay an additional charge to have the scores sent later.
This way you will be less stressed, because you know that even if you do bomb on the test, nobody will see the results unless you choose to send them. Plus, with the TIR you will receive, you will be well equipped to figure out how to improve your score on a retake.
College Exam Tutor offers an ACT prep course that takes only 4 hours, has guaranteed results, and can be taken online or with DVDs. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/3-ACT-Mistakes.htm
The most advantageous time is December! This gives you plenty of time to retake the ACT if you do poorly. However, most importantly, for an additional fee of under $20, you can get a Test Information Release, which will be an invaluable tool to help you increase your score should you decide to retest! According to the official website, www.actstudent.org, :
“If you order and pay for Test Information Release (TIR) and test at a national test center on a national test date that offers this service, you will receive a list of your answers, a copy of the multiple-choice test questions used to determine your score, the answer key, and scoring instructions.”
By taking the ACT in December at a location designated a ‘National Test Center’ you will be able to get a TIR and be well positioned to increase your score on a retake. In addition, do NOT designate any colleges to receive your score results at this time, even though it is free to send the score report to several schools. If you are satisfied with your score, you can pay an additional charge to have the scores sent later.
This way you will be less stressed, because you know that even if you do bomb on the test, nobody will see the results unless you choose to send them. Plus, with the TIR you will receive, you will be well equipped to figure out how to improve your score on a retake.
College Exam Tutor offers an ACT prep course that takes only 4 hours, has guaranteed results, and can be taken online or with DVDs. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/3-ACT-Mistakes.htm
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