Wy \i pb ddabdsbdbaddA bl pec ho ob Abo bh bobo ad [| News Test-Taking Tips For College-Bound Students (NAPSA)—With more than three million college admissions tests administered in 2001, the number of nervous students and parents keeps increasing. Since the SAT and the ACT are two of the most important exams that a high school student will ever take, every student should be well prepared for these high-stakes tests. Keys to successful SAT and ACT preparation include becoming familiar with the style and types of questions found on these unique tests, boosting college-level reading andvocabulary skills, learning specific process of elimination strategies for each type of question, and improving general test-taking, timing, and guessing skills. Aboveall, students need to work through as many practice questions and tests as possible in the weeks and months leading up to the real exam. To give students a sampling of strategies that they should know on the day of the big test, Sylvan Learning Center offers the following tips: * Unlike the SAT, the ACT has no scoring penalty for incorrect answers, so never leave an ACT question blank. On the SAT, by eliminating at least two incorrect answers on every question you’re unsure about, you will mathematically beat the odds of the test and raise yourscore. Since the test’s instructions will not change, don’t waste time reading the instructions on the day of the test, you should already know them. Never spend too much time on any single question—it’s just not worth it. It’s better to lose one point on a difficult question than to lose 10 points because you ran out of time on the last part of a section. e If you are unsure of a ques- tion, circle it and comebackto itif time permits. Work at a good pace, but don’t rush. Keep track of time Successful preparation for the SAT should result in reduced anxiety, increased confidence and self-esteem, and most importantly, higher scores. remaining for each section. Trust your instincts on the easy questions and never leave an easy question blank. * Don’t get bogged down on the difficult questions before you have racked up as many points as possible on the easy and medium questions. e Although you are allowed to use a calculator on the math sections of the SAT and ACT, some math problemsare actually easier to answer without a calculator. The bottom line is that onehalf of the Verbal portion of the SAT is simply a vocabularytest. The more SAT-type vocabulary words you learn, the more questions you'll get correct. Students who are interested in an SAT/ACT test prep course can visit www.sylvanprep.com orcall 1-800-EDUCATE to learn more about SAT and ACT preparation programs. Sylvan SAT Prep and Sylvan ACT Prep, offered exclusively through Sylvan Learning Centers, provide proven test-taking strategies, state-of-the-art course materials and content review in small team environments that give students the confidence and personalized attention to succeed.
