Michelle, Test Prep Tutor

New (Third) Edition of The Real ACT Prep Guide (AKA “Red Book”) = FIVE+ PRACTICE TESTS!

You know you’re a test prep nerd when you stumble upon a new edition of an important test prep book and are super excited about it! Embarrassingly excited about it? Whatever!

The Real ACT Prep Guide (aka “Red Book”) has been a staple in ACT prep for years. Similar in concept to the SAT’s Blue Book, the Red Book also contains authentic practice material and is an invaluable study tool for students. However, the current (second) edition of the Red Book only contains three official full-length practice tests. This number pales in comparison with the ten full-length tests one finds in the Blue Book.

Fortunately, internet sleuths over the past few years have uncovered several authentic ACT practice tests. In case you are unfamiliar with those practice tests, here are the four FREE online ACT exams that I know of:

• 2011-2012 Preparation Book / 2009-2010 Preparation Book (both are the same)
• 2007-2008 Preparation Book /2008-2009 Preparation Book (both are the same)
• 2005-2006 Preparation Book
• ACT Online Sample Test - Split by section and can only be completed online (not straightforward to print), so not great if you want to practice the test under realistic conditions or take the entire exam in one sitting

A few days ago while clicking around Amazon.com, I discovered this: The Real ACT, 3rd Edition (Real ACT Prep Guide)

[caption id=”attachment_431” align=”aligncenter” width=”150” caption=”The Real ACT Prep Guide (3rd Edition)”][/caption]

The release date of the the Red Book’s third edition is slated for September 6, 2011. SO if you are considering taking the ACT anytime after the test’s next administration date (September 10, 2011), then you may want to postpone your Red Book purchase until after the third edition’s release date.

WHY? Well, the main difference between the third and second editions of the Red Book appears to be the addition of two tests. So instead of offering students three full-length practice exams, the new third edition of the Red Book will offer students FIVE full-length tests!

But the five tests probably won’t all be new. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the the three tests from the second edition all appear in the third edition, thus leaving you with only two new tests to work from (that is, if you were already familiar with the second edition). But stranger things have happened. Maybe there will be more new material in addition to two new tests. For reference:  When the CollegeBoard updated the SAT Blue Book from the first to the second edition, the CollegeBoard reused seven tests from the older edition and then added three new tests to the more recent edition.

I also wonder whether or not the new tests in the third edition of the Red Book will include any of the four tests that are currently online. If not, then students will have NINE unique full-length ACT tests with which they can practice! And that’s not counting the two tests found in the ACT’s official online prep course (which I doubt will overlap with the two tests in the Red Book’s third edition since the online prep costs money). Now, that’s exciting!

And while I’m at, don’t forget that the ACT also has a Question of the Day feature, much like the SAT’s!

Original Article

SAT Self-Study Resources - Part 5 - Going Extra Digital & Mobile

There are many ways to study for the SAT beyond the use of traditional methods such as books. In past posts, I advocated the use of various internet resources. Other tools can range from the silly (like this shower curtain full of vocabulary words) to the more practical (like the SimuGator Virtual SAT Proctor that allows you to test yourself using strict and reliable time limits). Two things I had not previously  mentioned:  you should practice with and bring on test day a calculator with which you feel comfortable using (I love my TI-89 graphing calculator and my TI-36 scientific calculator) and a standard cube eraser of your choice (great for helping you erase mistakes, draw a straight line, and estimate lengths). I always tell my students to treat these items as secondary tools. That said, these tools have the potential to be a great help for some.

Additionally, I failed to discuss digital SAT programs and mobile SAT apps, both of which have been proliferating at a rapid rate. I am not a huge fan of these programs, as most poorly mimic questions found on the SAT and are unable to accurately recreate test conditions (after all, the exam is taken with paper and pencil). I have toyed around with a few of these programs and apps, but cannot offer a full review on any since I admittedly lost interest and did not spend an extensive amount of time with each one.

I know that these digital study methods appeal to many students, so I wanted to include several of the most well-regarded programs and apps. I strongly suggest that you only use these digital tools in addition to a more substantial study program that includes The Official SAT Study Guide. If you have any opinions about them or if you would like to add one that you have used and liked, feel free to leave a comment below!

PROGRAMS

Knewton - Currently offered at $150, Knewton is the most expensive program of the ones I have listed. It utilizes adaptive learning technology in order to tailor questions and sessions to your needs. Although the program includes  questions created by the company, the site also endorses the use of the Official SAT Study Guide.

Number2 - This free program gets pretty mixed reviews, especially in terms of its accuracy. However, several students swear by it since it sends emails on a regular basis and can hook you up with a “coach.” Admittedly, many other programs also do this as well but Number2 has been around for many years and has become a trusted name in this arena.

Grockit - Mike at PWN the SAT wrote a comprehensive review on this program, and Debbie at Perfect Score Project may or may not pen a review in the near future but left a comment suggesting that she was less than impressed with it. Still, students across the internet have left praise for the program here and there. Otherwise, I would not have included it in this post!

MOBILE APPS (note:  I wish there were more quality apps for other platforms like Android!)

SAT Ladder - (free, for iPhone) You can compete against others or go “solo.” Questions cover Critical Reading (both Sentence Completion and Reading Comprehension), Writing, and Math questions.

SAT Vocab Challenge - ($4.99, iPhone) This app from The Princeton Review offers a fun way to study vocab and comes in two different sets (500 words total).

Adapster - ($9.99, iPhone) Although somewhat pricey, this app may help you enhance your math skills.

Original Article

SAT Self-Study Resources: Math (Part 3/4)

This is Part Three of a resource guide for those ambitious students who have decided to take matters into their own hands and self-study for the SAT. The books cost money. The rest is free and readily available on the internet.

This guide has four parts to it: General Info/Intro, Critical Reading, Writing, and Math (this!). I will present each part in its own separate post. As you can see, this is a work in progress!

Did I forget something? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email!

Before I continue, I urge you to peruse my general/intro post on the SAT. It includes resources such as the Sparknotes Test Prep website and will help you build solid test-taking technique across each section of the SAT. The resources I list below only build on the info from that post. Okay? Okay!

The math portion of the SAT is comprised of multiple choice questions and a few grid-ins.

The Bad News:  For the most part, questions are not very straightforward in terms of their presentation. They appear in the form of puzzling or long-winded questions that may seem to require many steps or more time than allowed.

The Good News:  This section is fairly limited in terms of which mathematical concepts it tests. With the exception of a few questions, the test does not depart far from mathematical concepts that most students encounter while in middle school. Furthermore, many question types are repeated and can become easy to discern. It is therefore worthwhile to learn useful strategies and time-saving approaches while attempting to successfully tackle the SAT math section. It just requires some time and practice.

How would you like to prepare?

(1) BOOKS

(2) INTERNET

(1) BOOKS

There are a great deal of books on the market, and each one promises to help students raise their scores on the SAT. Below, I have listed my two favorite books:  The New Math SAT Game Plan by Philip Keller and Richard Corn’s Math Study Guide for the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests. Both books will help you complete questions more quickly and with greater success than ever before.

In addition to these two books, there are a few others that have well-respected reputations. Gruber’s SAT Math Workbook gives students a thorough workout, while Dr. Chung’s SAT Math and Math SAT 800 are ideal for the student aiming for 750+ on the math section. Of those two books, I prefer Dr. Chung’s SAT Math.

(2) INTERNET

I’ve mentioned this blog before, but PWN the SAT really is fun to read and includes practice questions as well as explanations. It is an excellent resource!

And I know, I know — I’ve also mentioned The Khan Academy before, but it truly is a great site that offers detailed explanations to the math section questions from the 1st ed. of the Blue Book (remember, 1st edition tests #2-8 = 2nd edition tests #4-10, respectively). Another previously-mentioned site offers both text and video explanations to the math section questions in the 1st ed. of the Blue Book tests (remember, same BB1->BB2 conversion).

The Exam Dude created practice sections comprised of math problems modeled after actual SAT questions.

ErikTheRed’s “Tutor” page features a few different math worksheets and a quiz. This site is great if you need to brush up on some basic formulas and concepts.

Instructor Phil McCaffrey’s website stands out for its math worksheets. The site also has some other content (sentence completion and vocab), but math is where it shines.

Original Article

SAT Self-Study Resources: Critical Reading (Part 2/4)

This is Part Two of a resource guide for those ambitious students who have decided to take matters into their own hands and self-study for the SAT. The books cost money. The rest is free and readily available on the internet.

This guide has four parts to it: General Info/Intro, Critical Reading (this!), Writing, and Math. I will present each part in its own separate post. As you can see, this is a work in progress!

Did I forget something? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email!

Before I continue, I urge you to peruse my general/intro post on the SAT. It includes resources such as the Sparknotes Test Prep website and will help you build solid test-taking technique across each section of the SAT. The resources I list below only build on the info from that post. Okay? Okay!

The Critical Reading Section of the SAT contains two distinct question types:

(1) SENTENCE COMPLETIONS

(2) READING COMPREHENSION

(1) SENTENCE COMPLETIONS

In my experience, most students get sentence completion questions wrong due to limitations in their vocabulary. While it is true that the SAT reuses several words from test to test, it is also true that it is impossible to accurately predict which words will appear come test day. I therefore recommend that in addition to practicing a few different test-taking strategies with these question types, that students also spend some time studying vocabulary words and learning Greek and Latin word parts (namely roots and prefixes) as they go along. I recommend that students create and review flashcards, and I believe that regularly reading high-level material will only improve  a person’s vocabulary (among other benefits).

• Direct Hits

I am a huge fan of the Direct Hit books written by Larry Krieger. Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT: Volume 1 is a great starter, while Direct Hits Toughest Vocabulary of the SAT: Volume 2 is a worthy addition. These books work well because they include fun and interesting blurbs to help readers learn words in context. The books also emphasize important word parts every now and again, and recycles key words to help readers retain them more quickly.

• Internet

Writing flashcards by hand increases word retention more so than solely studying with electronic flashcards. However, if you are in a bind then you can certainly create or study SAT-related vocab flashcards online. For example, this set features Direct Hits words!

If it helps you to approach vocab as though it were a game, check out Vocabulary.com. If you want to test your vocab chops and help a good cause, then you should visit the Free Rice website. Warning:  you may find yourself addicted.

Similarly, there are countless resources online to help students learn roots/prefixes, including pre-made electronic flash cards and website lists. This one includes fun images. I caution students not to get too wrapped up in studying word parts. Usually, it’s easiest to learn new word parts while you learn new words.

And finally, SilverTurtle’s SAT Guide and FamilyEducation.com feature a few handy sentence completion tips and practice questions for you to try.

(2) READING COMPREHENSION

Reading Comprehension on the SAT has a pretty bad reputation, because it can be quite tricky. It can also take a long period of time and practice for a student to achieve any noticeable point increase. In my opinion, actively reading journals and newspapers will help a student improve his or her score on this part of the test. Many people specifically recommend reading op-ed sections.

Of course, there are other things you can do to boost your score. Reading high-level material alone will not necessarily help you gain points. In my opinion, each test-taker must develop his or her own approach to reading comprehension passages and questions. I do not think that any singular approach works for everyone. So take all advice with a grain of salt, and practice different techniques until you find a rhythm that works best for you.

• Books

Test prep books frequently receive criticism for their departures from the real SAT. Test prep companies hire writers to create questions that mimic those found on the SAT, but oftentimes these writers create content that falls short of the real thing. This critique is more or less true in every section of the SAT, but it is glaringly apparent when test prep company writers try to emulate reading comprehension passages and questions. My advice? Practice, practice, practice with whatever general aid you have chosen and especially with the Blue Book.

However, one worthy book is Outsmarting the SAT by Elizabeth King. This book is written in a refreshingly friendly tone, and the author offers useful advice on all sections of the SAT. The one downside (and why I would not recommend it alone for general prep) is that it does not provide much practice. Nonetheless, the author’s advice on reading comprehension is very smart and may work well for you.

• Internet

College Confidential forum user Noitaraperp penned a post on an effective way to “attack” the reading comprehension section. This approach many not work for everyone, but it has been lauded by many.

SAT Ninja wrote a series of helpful posts that you should check out. They are fairly detailed and offer some sound advice.

FamilyEducation has a basic yet informative run-down of the Reading Comprehension section, complete with advice on strategy.

If you poke around the Ultimate SAT Verbal Blog, then you will find some valuable advice on the reading comprehension section. You should check out this useful page, in addition to following the “SAT Reading Strategies” tag, the “SAT Reading Tips” tag, and the “SAT Reading Passages” tag (yes there is overlap, but I wanted to be thorough).

Finally, the author of PWN the SAT has hinted that he plans on adding more content related to the reading comprehension section. Here is a link to the blog’s “Reading” tag.

Original Article

SAT Self-Study Resources: General/Intro (Part 1/4)

Greetings, autodidacts! This is Part One of a resource guide for those ambitious students who have decided to take matters into their own hands and self-study for the SAT. The books cost money. The rest is free and readily available on the internet.

This guide has four parts to it:  General Info/Intro (this!), Critical Reading, Writing, and Math. I will present each part in its own separate post. As you can see, this is a work in progress!

Did I forget something? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email!

(1) BOOKS

(2) INTERNET – LEARNING THE BASICS

(3) INTERNET – PRACTICE

(4) VIDEOS

(1) BOOKS

• An Official Must-Have:  The “Blue Book”

If you can only purchase one book, then I recommend that you buy The Official SAT Study Guide. This book is published by the Collegeboard and offers the best practice money can buy (IMHO). The book shares some basic tips and strategies, but I use the book almost exclusively for its practice tests. The Official SAT Study Guide is also known as the “Blue Book” or “BB” for short. The most recent publication to date (2nd ed.) includes ten tests, while the 1st ed. has eight tests. Note1: The tests numbered 2-8 in the first edition are the same seven tests (in respective order) as the ones numbered 4-10 in the 2nd edition. Note2: Click here for the errata (list of corrections). Note3: Solutions and explanations can be found here.

• My Favorite Test Prep Guide

When I tutor a student, I use a test prep book alongside the Blue Book in order to cover key content, fill in gaps, and practice strategy. My personal favorite is Maximum SAT. There has been a great deal of debate over whether or not a person should use a book other than the Blue Book to prepare for the test. In my opinion and in my experience, a solid test prep book allows students to both master content and practice various test-taking strategies. I love Maximum SAT, because it provides students with an excellent base in each section of the SAT and encourages practice with real problems from the Blue Book (although it assigns problems from the 1st ed. and not the most recent 2nd ed.). I rely on these two books for the majority of the SAT test prep process, although as a tutor I also build upon the content and go beyond what is written in each book to help each student raise his or her score. I read as many SAT-related books and internet posts as I possibly can in order to enhance the help I give to each student.

• Other Solid Test Prep Review Books

If Maximum SAT just isn’t working for you, then there are other books you can try, including Barron’s SAT, The Ultimate SAT Tutorial, and Rocket Review. A wildly expensive (but also quite popular) prep book is Grammatix. There is a free PDF of it online, but I have a feeling that it would not be legal for me to link to it. In my opinion, these are the best overall SAT prep books, along with Maximum SAT. PR’s Cracking the SAT is good if you score in the low-to-mid-range.

• Blue Book Solutions/Explanations

If you plan on studying alone, then you will probably benefit from taking advantage of a few other resources. For example, you may want to invest in a comprehensive solutions manual so that you can understand how to solve problems that you got wrong (or only got right by chance). As much as I love the Blue Book, it fails in this respect. And the online solutions aren’t so great either. Lucky for you, there are a few books that fit the bill. Tutor Ted seems to be an internet favorite, but I much prefer the Ultimate SAT Supplement. Why? Well, the answers are much more detailed and will help you accurately pinpoint which kinds of questions you are getting wrong as well as which techniques to use.

• Section-Specific Books (Coming Soon to a Post Near You)

You should also consider purchasing section-specific books. If you are in a time crunch, then get the one that corresponds to your weakest section (Critical Reading, Writing, or Math). I occasionally use section-specific books with students, depending on how much time we have together, their progress, and their target score. In this guide’s remaining three posts, I will share the titles of my favorite section-specific books.

Not sure which section is your weakest one? Take a practice test in the Blue Book!

(2) INTERNET – LEARNING THE BASICS

Enough about books. Let’s talk about the internet and how it’s an amazing resource! Everything I talk about here is FREE.

• The College Confidential Forum
  

If you haven’t already, visit the website College Confidential (CC). One of the site’s main features is a popular forum frequented by hundreds of high schoolers and their parents. They ask questions and share information about many subjects, including the test prep process and college admissions. In high school, I was addicted to the CC forum and found it very helpful. Still, the forum can be overwhelming at times. Take any advice you read there with a grain of salt.

I recommend that you focus on this post, as it features the most helpful SAT-related posts: “Best of SAT Prep Forum & Facts.”

In particular, CC-poster SilverTurtle wrote an SAT guide is nothing short of amazing. Thank you, SilverTurtle, wherever you are. The guide is understandably lacking in the Math Section, but otherwise it is fantastic. Another CC-er, Xiggi, has a well-respected general SAT guide.

• Sparknotes

Next up is the Sparknotes Test Prep Website. Sparknotes provides just enough detail in each section to flesh out key SAT subject matter. This is a good way to learn some of the ins and outs of the exam and brush up on unfamiliar content. It amazes me that this is free!

• Dome SAT Review
  

Dome SAT Review features various online guides, worksheets, and practice tests aimed at increasing your SAT score. Everything is free, and some of the information is very helpful. Unlike many other online resources, this site shares strategies for specific question types.

• MindFish

MindFish’s section on SAT Prep is dedicated to teaching readers about each different type of SAT question. The site is informative, well-organized, and well worth a look. But beware:  The website really wants you to sign up for a paid program.

• FamilyEducation.com

The FamilyEducation website is filled with annoying ads, but it features some helpful test prep tips for each section of the SAT. It uses excerpts from the Rocket Review book to help students build a foundation in each section.

• Blogs

Believe or not, hundreds of SAT blogs exist out here on the internet. I’ll refer to a few specialized ones in future posts, but for now here is a great one that focuses mainly on math, a fair amount on writing, and a little bit on critical reading: PWN the Sat. It’s written by an SAT tutor and is definitely fun to read.

(3) INTERNET – PRACTICE

• More Official Practice

If you have completed all of the questions in the Blue Book and are sick of revisiting old problems, then you can turn to the internet for even more CollegeBoard-sanctioned practice! Note: Most of the info below is from this super useful thread.

• 2007-08 Official Practice Test (aka March 2005 SAT)- Preparation Booklet for ‘05-‘06 & ‘07-‘08
  • Pgs. 1-36 = practice/section&question explanations, Pgs. 37-83 = test, pgs. 84-87 = answers&scoring

• 2008-09 Official Practice Test (aka October 2005 SAT)- Preparation Booklet for ‘06-‘07, ‘08-‘09, & ‘10-‘11
  • Pgs. 1-36 = practice/section&question explanations, Pgs. 37-83 = test, pgs. 84-87 = answers&scoring (2nd link)

• 2009-10 Official Practice Test (aka January 2006 SAT)- Preparation Booklet for ‘11-‘12 &’09-‘10
  • Pgs. 1-49 = test, Pgs. 50-54 = answers&scoring

You should know that the Collegeboard publishes a new SAT Question of the Day online everyday. You should also know that someone compiled a significant number of those questions into a searchable database. I’m not sure if it’s still updated, but this is a great way to practice even more real SAT questions:  SAT Question of the Day Archive Search. If you click on the “Advanced” link under the search field, you can filter your search for questions by level of difficulty and by section.

• Comprehensive Math Solutions

This site offers both text and video explanations to the math section questions in the 1st ed. of the Blue Book tests (remember, 1st edition tests #2-8 = 2nd edition tests #4-10, respectively). There, you will also find some vocab lists, essay prompts, and test-taking tips. The Blue Book Blog also tackles explanations to the BB’s math sections but focuses on the 2nd edition (currently the most recent edition).

• MajorTests.com

MajorTests.com has a few free sample tests that you can take online, with questions across each section.

• TestKicker.com

TestKicker.com is new and still adding content, but it offers free practice problems for you try in each section of the SAT.

(4) VIDEOS

• YouTube

Okay, okay, so I guess this technically still counts as the internet. Several users on YouTube have uploaded videos that teach SAT content and explain how to solve questions in the Blue Book. To be quite honest I haven’t watched many of those videos, so I encourage you to search around. Sometimes it’s just easier to listen to a human being explain something than to read it in a book.

• Khan Academy

The Khan Academy has explanations to the math section questions from the 1st ed. of the Blue Book (remember, 1st edition tests #2-8 = 2nd edition tests #4-10, respectively).

• ShowMe SAT

So far, ShowMe SAT has posted explanations for most of the questions (across every section) in tests 1-3 in the Blue Book. I hope more explanations will be up soon, because I think this is a great site.

• Mystery Tutor

One of the most controversial SAT tutors is Mystery Tutor. His videos are on YouTube, although his websites have all mysteriously disappeared (at least, all of the ones that existed under that particular persona). Generally speaking, viewers seem polarized in their opinion of him. I think that he often has great ideas, but I also feel that at times he misses the mark in a big way. See for yourself, if you’re interested. This website does a commendable job of organizing the videos, although it was created by a different tutor whom I assume is a Mystery Tutor admirer.

And that is it for now! Stay tuned for Part 2!

And seriously, let me know if I’ve failed to mention any other useful general SAT prep resources by leaving a comment or sending an email.

Original Article