SAT Test Preparation 101

The SAT is arguably the most widely known standardized test in the world. Though the test is intended to measure reasoning ability more than content mastery, the content of the SAT is highly challenging. As students begin to navigate the latest SAT revision, it can be difficult to know where to start: older siblings or classmates become a less reliable source for guidance as conventional wisdom becomes dated. Your tutor will be completely up to speed on the new SAT and ready to help your child navigate it by addressing content and time management and building confidence.

Score Choice

One College Board policy, typically known as “Score Choice,” gives students some control over how SAT and Subject Test scores are reported. But colleges and universities ultimately decide how many scores a student should submit and how those scores will be used in the admissions process.

Superscoring

Many in college admission talk about reading applications holistically and supportively; one way they can do this is by “superscoring” standardized tests. This means that if you take the SAT more than once, the admission office will take the highest section score across test administrations and assign you a new, higher total score. For the ACT, this process generally takes the form of taking your highest test scores across test administrations but may not result in a new Composite score because colleges use test scores individually.

SAT Subject Test Preparation

SAT Subject Tests are required or recommended by many of the most selective colleges. Too often, we find that students and parents treat these exams as afterthoughts to the SAT or ACT. Good timing, especially, is critical to optimal performance. We can give you advice and practice tests so you can decide which subjects to take and when to take them.

We are available for virtually every popular Subject Test, including U.S. History, World History, Literature, Math Level 1, Math Level 2, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish.

What’s a Good Subject Test Score?

College guidebooks rarely discuss Subject Test scores. Despite concordance tables between ACT and SAT scores, no source compares these scores to Subject Test results. Unfortunately, students often judge Subject Test results by percentiles, which happen to be poor indicators of performance.