Important ACT/SAT and Standardized Testing Dates
by WHS Guidance Counselor Terry Kopish
Click HERE to view the ACT and SAT registration deadlines and test dates for 2010-2011.
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My College QuickStart
My College QuickStart is an easy-to-use, online, personalized college and career planning kit available free of charge to all students who take the PSAT/NMSQT exam. The information and answers your child provided when they took the test are incorporated into this useful tool, and it presents their data back to them in four main parts:
* My Online Score Report: an enhanced score report that allows students to review each test question, the student's answer, and the correct answer with answer explanations.
* My SAT Study Plan: a customized SAT study plan based on student PSAT/NMSQT test performance, highlighting skills for review and practice.
* My College Matches: a starter list of colleges based on the student's state and indicated choice of major.
* My Major and Career Matches: major and career matches that are compatible with the student's general interests and personality type.
Access is available using the access code printed on the student's paper score report, and the tool can be utilized throughout high school. Using My College QuickStart together with your child is a great way to introduce and guide your child through important aspects of the college-going process.
CLICK HERE FOR A PARENT TUTORIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE 2007 PSAT/NMSQT RESULTS.
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2007 PSAT/NMSQT SCORE REPORT TUTORIAL (FOR 9TH & 10TH GRADE STUDENTS).
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Taking EXPLORE in 8th or 9th grade tells you things you need to know--to plan your high school courses, prepare for the ACT, or choose a career direction. This web site explains everything you need to know about this assessment.
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Taking PLAN as a 10th grader is a great way to prepare for the ACT--and helps you get ready to succeed in college and beyond! This web site explains everything you need to know about this assessment.
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THINK AHEAD TO RELIEVE TEST-TAKING STRESS
When you head off to take the ACT, don't let forgetfulness or inattention surprise you with something unexpected and affect your test-taking abilities. Here are some true stories of unexpected events:
*One student bought a new calculator the night before the test. He didn't use it before entering the test room, only to find out it didn't work when he sat down to take the test.
*One student didn't look at her test admission ticket until the day before the test, only to find out that she wasn't taking the test at her school but an hour away. She had to rethink how her test day would go and factor in time to drive to the test.
*One student didn't look to see what type of calculator was allowed during testing. She came to the test with a banned calculator and had to take the test without a calculator.
*One student arrived at the test center without a photo ID card. He had to run home before the test started to get his driver's license.
*One student left the lights on in a borrowed car he drove to the test. He worried throughout the test and found a dead battery when the test was over.
Obviously, unexpected events happen in our lives over which we have no control. But if you can take a few steps to prepare for test day, you'll be comfortable knowing you're prepared and you may even avoid an unwelcome surprise or two. Read your testing information from ACT early and visit www.actstudent.org/testprep to get familiar with test day procedures and what is allowed in the testing room. And don't forget to try out that new calculator before heading to the test.
TEST PREP--IS IT A GOOD IDEA?
Many parents and students express concern about whether their student should do a test preparation for college entrance tests like the PSAT/NMSQT, the ACT or the SAT. The answer is yes. But, it’s also important for students to take tough classes in core areas: English, Math, Science and Social Studies, and do well in these classes since the tests revolve around what students actually learn in class and can apply to these national entrance tests.
Just like students get to know their classroom teacher and the types of questions and information the teacher expects to be answered on quizzes and tests, ACT, Inc. (ACT) and the College Board (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT) recognize the importance of “getting to know the teacher’s testing style”. Hence, both organizations provide some type of free test prep materials.
The cheapest and easiest test prep, it to get a free test prep booklet from your counselor, or download one from the testing organization’s website. Testing organizations generally provide a free download of their test prep booklet as well as online test questions. They will also offer additional test prep resources for a price.
Test prep booklets generally include basic testing information (e.g., types of calculators that can be used, etc.) along with a “retired” version of the national test for the student will take.
The ACT has four tests: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning, and an optional Writing test. The PSAT and SAT both have: two sections of Critical Reading, two sections of Math and a Writing Skills test.
The best practice for a test prep is to review all testing tips and information, then take a portion of a test (e.g., the English or Critical Reading section) score it, and analyze the reason for any questions missed and do what’s necessary to “fix” it.
If a student cannot figure out why s/he missed a question, then going to a teacher in that discipline (e.g. English) with the test booklet and answer sheet to ask for help in discovering what the right answer is and why, is part of doing a good test prep.
Other test prep options include using the services of private organizations like those of Baylor Test Prep, Kaplan, the Assistance League of Omaha, Sylvan, or other university options (e.g., Creighton University, which offers a test prep for the October test date only). These programs meet for a number of sessions, which may be over a week, or a number of weeks. The cost varies -- running from about $50 to hundreds of dollars.
Wahoo High School teachers provide a test prep for students in the Wahoo area once a year; about a month prior to the ACT April test date. More information is provided in early February regarding the dates/time and cost of this test prep.
Data from ACT, Inc. and the College Board indicates that any test prep is likely to help a student feel more at ease and do better on the actual test. Students who don’t do an initial test prep, and then decide to do one, generally raise their scores two to four points. This is typical, whether the student does the test prep booklet on his/her own, or spends weeks completing an expensive test prep program.
ACT, Inc. indicates that about 50% of students increase their composite test score if the student takes the test a second time. This may be due to additional information learned in core classes and/or being more relaxed because students know what to anticipate on test day.
Some of the popular test prep options available include the following:
* ACT Test Prep information may be found at www.actstudent.org.
* Assistance League of Omaha (Westside HS) offers test prep, one-week prior to ACT test dates. They also offer one PSAT/NMSQT test prep in October prior to the PSAT. For information, go to www.omaha.assistanceleague.org.
* College Board offers test prep resources for SAT, SAT Subject Tests and the PSAT/NMSQT. Information may be found at www.collegeboard.com.
* Creighton University ACT Test Prep for October 23, 2010 ONLY. To learn more go to http://cpd.creighton.edu.
* John Baylor Test Prep offers test prep online and sites generally in Lincoln. For information, go to www.baylortestprep.com.
* Kaplan Test Prep offers live classroom and live online classroom test preps. For more information go to www.kaptest.com.
* Sylvan Tutoring offers personalized small group test prep settings. For more information go to http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com.
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USING YOUR EXPLORE®, PLAN® AND ACT® TEST SCORES
If you're like most students, you see tests as something to take, get over and move quickly past. But EXPLORE and PLAN give you information to help plan for your future—and they can help you prepare for the next test you take. If you're going to take the ACT, you'll want to know what these tests can tell you.
First, you should know that EXPLORE, PLAN and the ACT were designed to work together to help students make educational and career plans starting in 8th grade and through high school and beyond. Most students take EXPLORE in 8th grade or at the beginning of 9th grade. PLAN is for 10th graders and the ACT is for 11th and 12th graders.
Each of these programs includes a test with four parts—English, math, science and reading—and each offers an interest inventory. The inventory leads to career information for students based on their interests, abilities and work preferences.
You can use the test scores to find out how well you know the subject matter and what you need to learn next. This will help you prepare for college and do better on the ACT.
But here's the best-kept secret. When you get your EXPLORE results, you will get a predicted score range for PLAN. This predicted score range assumes that you will take additional coursework and have some academic growth. The same thing goes for the PLAN results. You will get a predicted ACT score range on your PLAN report, again assuming academic growth. (The EXPLORE scores, however, do not predict ACT scores. There's just too much of a spread in the content level and the expected amount of learning between the tests.)
Don't let the counselor and admissions officers be the only ones who use your score information.
Source: ACT's News You Can Use
Issue 48, November 2007
Copyright © 2007 by ACT
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For more information, please contact the Guidance Department of Wahoo High School at (402) 443-4332, ext. 3229, or email Ms. Kopish at tkopish@esu2.org.
