yin AAD OQ pid doa DL \bbobbdooddboaabbddaa |_| EducationNews Making Exams “STR ESS FREE” (NAPSA)—Oneof the greatest challenges many high school students face is the SAT or ACT, the entrance examsscrutinized by more than 90 percent of colleges and universities. With the College Board’s decision to revise the SAT (effective in 2005), parents and students are already scrambling to find out how to best prepare for the newtest. “Preparation is key for taking these exams,” said Richard Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “Students need a solid foundation of | reading, writing and math skills which will then allow them to zero in on the specific challenges of the test. The ‘quick-fix’ cram is no longer appropriate as these tests shift their focus from testing student aptitude to testing student achievement.” To help, Sylvan Learning Center offers these “STRESS FREE”tips: Skip a question. If you don’t know the answer and can’t eliminate any bad answerchoices, skip the question and only go back if time permits. Trust yourself. Rely on your instincts. Never leave an easy question blank. Easy questions have easy answers. Read, read, read. Read the questions and answerscritically. Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, make an educated guess. Stop and check. Every few questions, make sure the question number on the answer sheet corresponds with the question being answered in the question booklet. Save your time. Don’t spend too much time on any single question. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as When taking standardized tests, stop every now and then to be sure the question and answer numbers match. possible, in order to rack up as many points as possible. Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don’t fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough. Rushing only hurts you. Work at a good pace and keeptrack of the time remainingfor each section. Enter the exam with confidence. If you know the instructions for each section before you begin the test, you won’t have to waste time reading them during the exam. End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn’t answer. Students who are interested in a SAT/ACT test prep course can call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.sylvanprep.com/info.
