Whether you’re a high school student or a student in grades 3 – 8, that is required to take a federally mandated standardized test, the anxiety and stress associated with the pressure of taking a test can be overwhelming.

The following 5 best test taking tips will help get the most out of testing:

1. Do Your Research

• Find out information about the test schedule and format.
• Find out how students are being prepped at school and what is actually being tested and measured.
• Find out if results could affect future placement.
• Inquire about test-taking strategies and how students can prepare or practice at home.
• Determine if hiring a tutor would be beneficial.

2. Prep in Advance

• From the get-go, continue to build and maintain good homework and study habits.
• Communicate regularly with teachers in an effort to stay on top of how the student is performing in school.
• Practice, practice, practice – the more a student is familiar with the test style questions, the better they will feel on test day.
• Review and discuss good test-taking strategies. Those strategies include:

o Understanding the instructions at hand
o Answering questions you know first
o Not spending too much time on questions you don’t know
o Review answers if time is left at the end

3. Maintain Perspective

• Remember that standardized tests are only one measure of academic achievement and performance.
• Don’t stress! Be careful not to transfer your concerns and nervousness to your child; children may become anxious if they are worried about disappointing a parent/guardian.
• Keep in mind that test results help identify strengths as well as areas that are in need of improvement.

4. Be Prepared the Day Before

• Make sure the student is well rested, eats a healthy breakfast, and packs a nutritious snack.
• Pack up the night before so you can have a relaxed morning and arrive early to school to decrease stress.
• Remind your child to relax and follow instructions. Encourage them to do their best.

5. Interpret Test Results and Continue Building Skills

• Request help from your school or your tutor if you are not sure how to read and interpret test-result data.
• Ask and discuss, with your teachers and tutors, the potential reasons for discrepancies between test scores and school performance.
• Provide additional opportunities for your child to enhance learning in low-scoring areas.
• Continue to build good study and homework habits; these skills support and allow for successful test taking.

A large number of schools have a no-homework policy during the weeks tests are given. It’s the perfect opportunity to call your tutor and utilize this stress-free afternoon time to catch up on old materials, revisit missed concepts, and even get ahead of the curve!

Both, the ACT and the SAT, are standardized college entrance exams intended to test students’ readiness for college, and both of them are practically accepted by all four-year universities and colleges in the United States. They also happen to be significantly different in many ways.

So, which test is better to take- the ACT or the SAT? Let’s examine a few of the major differences:

CRITERIA	ACT	SAT
Subject Matter	Curriculum-based: testing a student’s knowledge of the subjects you took in high school	Reasoning-based: designed to measure a student’s literacy, writing skills, and problem-solving abilities
Duration of Test	3 hours and 25 minutes	Slightly longer than 3 hours and 45 minutes
Structure	5 major sections that are always presented in the same order: English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing section. Does not include a “experimental” section.	3 major sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. They are broken into ten1 shorter sections whose order varies from test to test.
Writing Section	Optional2: 30-minute essay	Mandatory: includes multiple choice grammar questions and an impromptu 25-minute essay assignment
Score Range	Score Range of 1 to 36 for each of the four multiple choice sections (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) and a composite score of 1 to 36 that is the average of the four multiple choice sections	Score of 200 to 800 for each of the three sections (Critical Reading, Math, and Writing). The total SAT score is the sum of the scores for the three sections, with a maximum of 2400 points
Test Predictors3	ACT Plan	PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)

1 – One of the ten SAT sub-sections is considered an “experimental” section (which may be critical reading, mathematics, or multiple-choice writing questions) and is not included as part of the score, but it is used to try out new questions and to compare scores from one test with those from earlier tests.
2 – Though the ACT Writing section is optional, many colleges and universities require the ACT Plus Writing as a part of your application.
3 – If you’ve already taken the PSAT in 10th or 11th grade and scored well on it, the SAT may be the right test for you. Similarly, your results from PLAN, ACT Inc.’s test for 10th graders can be a good indicator of how you’ll perform on the ACT.

Which test is right for you?
Though the SAT and ACT are different in many ways, neither test is objectively easier than the other. In fact, many students who take both tests usually end up with comparable scores. That being said, many students find that one test is better suited for their test-taking style and study habits.

We recommend that you take practice exams for both the SAT and ACT so you can get familiar with the style of each and find out which test is the right fit for you. For further help and guidance, just call Dolphin Academic Prep and we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation and a diagnostic test.

With these simple 5 easy steps, our students have been able to maximize their tutoring experience!

(1) Form a Plan & Stick to It

• Together we formulate a plan and determine how much and how often tutoring is needed to help achieve your goals. Success is best often achieved when the established plan is followed.

(2) Schedule Regular Appointments

• A steady schedule, where tutoring sessions are regularly set, allows a consistent support system thus allowing you to maximize your potential and reach your goals. It’s always better to pace yourself and be consistent when learning rather than scheduling a session right before your exam in the hopes of cramming for a test. As those who have tried cramming for an exam know, a true understanding of the material makes all the difference.

(3) Set Tutoring as a Priority

• With so much always on our plate and the rigors of daily demands, it’s sometimes easy to just postpone or cancel something to alleviate the load. However, before you cancel a tutoring session, consider the goals you had originally set and determine if it’s in your best interest.

(4) Prepare For Your Tutoring Session

• Before each tutoring session, take a few moments to ensure that you’re set with all your books, assignments, pencils and pens. Thus when your tutor is there, you’re making the most of your time.

(5) Keep in Touch

• As your tutoring progresses, your needs for tutoring may change. Always remember to share any new goals or academic concerns that you may be facing so that your tutoring sessions can reflect your present day needs. If you need to change the frequency or duration of your tutoring sessions, then please let us know as we’re here to ensure your student’s success.

Study: Private Tutors Are Best

A recent study conducted by Northwestern University and the University of Chicago has found that private, in-home tutors are the most proven, effective way to learn. The study compared students in a classroom, small groups of students in a learning center and students that received private, one-on-one, in-home tutoring. It showed that mastery of a subject was found to occur in 20% of students in a classroom setting, 70% in a group learning center setting, and 90% in those students who received private, one-on-one, in-home tutoring respectively.

The study further showed that students who participated in private, personalized, in-home tutoring spent more time on learning tasks due to lack of distractions. The study showed: students in a classroom setting spent 65% of their time learning, students tutored in small group learning centers spent 75% of their time learning, whereas those students who received private, personalized, in-home tutoring, spent 90% of their time actively learning.

Studies such as this and others, have demonstrated time and time again the importance of students receiving one-on-one, private, personalized, in-home tutoring. We, at Dolphin Academic Prep, have perfected the art of in-home tutoring and are here to serve your tutoring needs, so give us a call today!

Recently ACT released its edition of The Condition of College & Career Readiness report based on information collected from 2012 high school graduates taking the ACT college and career readiness exam. A record breaking number of students, more than half of the U.S. graduating class, took the ACT exam. Data shows that more than ¼ didn’t meet any of the four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in English, mathematics, reading and science. Thus, suggesting that these students haven’t been adequately prepared by their respective high schools and hence are likely to struggle in first-year College courses in all four of those subject areas.

Furthermore, the 2012 ACT Report states that 15% of test-takers met only one out of the four benchmarks, while 17% of test-takers met just two benchmarks. In short, a total of 60% of test takers met no more than two of the four benchmarks. Therefore, in all, only ¼ of the students showed the necessary proficiency needed in all four subject areas; something unchanged from the previous year.

Remarking on the report findings, ACT Chief Executive Officer, Jon Whitmore, said that “Far too many high school graduates are still falling short academically”.

This is particularly unsettling because as the U.S. continues to advance in the global economy, more of our students will be competing in the same job market as their better-prepared international counterparts. In order for our students to maintain the long-term economic security of the U.S., our students need to be better prepared.

The College Readiness Benchmarks are empirically derived and based on actual grades earned in college by students who took the ACT. The Benchmarks specify the minimum scored that is needed on each of the four ACT subject tests to indicate that a student has a 75% chance of earning a grade of C or better or a 50% chance of earning a B or better in a typical credit-bearing first year college course in that particular subject area. These benchmarks are a great indicator of college readiness as the ACT continually updates its research to ensure that the Benchmarks are reflective of college success.

Jon Whitmore further stated that, “Our research supports what many educators and parents have long suspected – that the best way to help our students prepare for successful futures is by monitoring their achievement, academic behaviors and goals starting early in their academic careers and providing appropriate help whenever we find they are not on track for success.”