The more The more YOUYOU know, know, the better the better THEY will do!THEY will do!

Overview of the TestsOverview of the Tests

OGT & its OGT & its successors successors

PSATPSAT PLANPLAN SAT SAT SAT Subject TestsSAT Subject Tests ACTACT AP TestsAP Tests

PSAT – Preliminary SATPSAT – Preliminary SAT

Opportunities for practice prior to the Opportunities for practice prior to the SATSAT

1010thth and 11 and 11thth graders participate graders participate Next administration – Wednesday, Next administration – Wednesday,

October 17, 2012October 17, 2012 National Merit and National Achievement National Merit and National Achievement

Scholarships based on junior PSAT scoresScholarships based on junior PSAT scores

PSAT – Preliminary SAT

Class of 2012, Ohio high schoolsClass of 2012, Ohio high schools– National Merit Semi-Finalists scored National Merit Semi-Finalists scored

214 and above214 and above– Commended Scholars scored 202 to Commended Scholars scored 202 to

213 inclusive213 inclusive

What’s the Score?What’s the Score?

PSAT

PLAN – Preliminary ACTPLAN – Preliminary ACT

Opportunity for practice prior to the Opportunity for practice prior to the ACTACT

Sophomores participateSophomores participate Post- review is criticalPost- review is critical

SATSAT

A measure of critical thinking skillsA measure of critical thinking skills Sections of Critical Reading, Sections of Critical Reading,

Mathematics and Writing Skills Mathematics and Writing Skills Mandatory 25 minute essay on promptMandatory 25 minute essay on prompt Scale of 200–800 for each of the three Scale of 200–800 for each of the three

subject areas; essay scale is 2-12 subject areas; essay scale is 2-12 Total testing time is 3 hours & 45 Total testing time is 3 hours & 45

minutesminutes

What’s the Score?What’s the Score?

SAT

PLAN THE TESTING SCHEDULE WELL IN ADVANCE SO THAT EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DO NOT CONFLICT!!!!

PLAN THE TESTING SCHEDULE SO THAT THE STUDENT TAKES THE SAT IN JANUARY AND/OR IN MAY WHEN FOR AN EXTRA FEE THE TEST BOOKLET WITH STUDENT ANSWERS MAY BE ORDERED. Look for the “QUESTION AND ANSWER” service.

ACTACT

Measures skills achieved in English Measures skills achieved in English grammar & rhetoric, mathematics, grammar & rhetoric, mathematics, reading and sciencereading and science

Juniors MUST register for “ACT with Juniors MUST register for “ACT with Writing” at each administrationWriting” at each administration

Most widely-accepted college entrance Most widely-accepted college entrance exam exam

Scale of 0 to 36 for each subject area and Scale of 0 to 36 for each subject area and for the composite; scale of 2-12 for the for the composite; scale of 2-12 for the essayessay

What’s the Score?What’s the Score?

ACT

PLAN THE TESTING SCHEDULE WELL IN ADVANCE SO THAT EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DO NOT CONFLICT!!!!

PLAN THE TESTING SCHEDULE SO THAT THE STUDENT TAKES THE ACT IN DECEMBER, APRIL OR JUNE WHEN FOR AN EXTRA FEE THE TEST BOOKLET WITH STUDENT ANSWERS MAY BE ORDERED. Look for the “TEST INFORMATION RELEASE” service. For optimum results taking the ACT three or four times may be necessary…

Advanced Placement TestsAdvanced Placement Tests

Curriculum-based testsCurriculum-based tests Used for placement and/or credit Used for placement and/or credit

at some universities at some universities Examinations administered in Examinations administered in

MayMay

SAT Subject TestsSAT Subject Tests Measure of knowledge and skills in Measure of knowledge and skills in

particular subject areasparticular subject areas Five general subject areas: English, Five general subject areas: English,

History & Social Studies, Mathematics, History & Social Studies, Mathematics, Languages, Science Languages, Science

Required or recommended by about Required or recommended by about 15% of universities15% of universities

Scale of 200–800 for each test – Scale of 200–800 for each test –

700+ should be achieved700+ should be achieved Administered on select SAT test dates Administered on select SAT test dates

Learn Learn GOOD test-taking GOOD test-taking skillsskills

•Know the directions ahead of time•Have format familiarity •Read the question carefully•Underline what’s being asked•Underline what is given•SAT means SKIP; ACT means ANSWER•Use the test booklet as scratch paper•Check your work and your answer sheet

SEVEN TYPES SEVEN TYPES

OF QUESTIONS OF QUESTIONS

ON THE PSAT/SATON THE PSAT/SAT

1. Sentence 1. Sentence CompletionsCompletions

““single-blank” – mainly test of vocabularysingle-blank” – mainly test of vocabulary ““double-blank” – test of vocabulary as well double-blank” – test of vocabulary as well

as as critical reading and grammarcritical reading and grammar Context clues:Context clues:

1. Strong words – adjective + noun!1. Strong words – adjective + noun! 2. Punctuation – semicolon/colon 2. Punctuation – semicolon/colon signal signal similar ideas within the similar ideas within the clauseclause

3. Conjunctions – signal cause and 3. Conjunctions – signal cause and effect, effect, contrasting and similar contrasting and similar ideas ideas

2. Critical Reading2. Critical Reading Underline as you read the passage: Underline as you read the passage:

strong words, negative statements, strong words, negative statements, sentences beginning with “and” or “but”sentences beginning with “and” or “but”

Treat the introduction with respect!Treat the introduction with respect! Consider content of at least 5 lines before Consider content of at least 5 lines before

and 5 lines after the referenced line(s).and 5 lines after the referenced line(s). ““Weigh the wording” of the answer Weigh the wording” of the answer

choiceschoices Only section in which the questions are Only section in which the questions are

not in order of difficultynot in order of difficulty Maturity is important!Maturity is important!

Critical Reading

Answers: 9. (C) 10. (A) 11. (B) 12. (E)

3. Math – Multiple 3. Math – Multiple ChoiceChoice

TRANSLATE among “languages”: English TRANSLATE among “languages”: English language, math language, and language, math language, and diagrammatic languagediagrammatic language

Determine exactly what the problem is Determine exactly what the problem is asking and what is given – underline theseasking and what is given – underline these

Use the test booklet as scratch paperUse the test booklet as scratch paper Know the few formulas required Know the few formulas required Calculator use is permittedCalculator use is permitted

Try these SAT problems:

Answers: 15. (B) 37. 50

4. Math – Grid-Ins 4. Math – Grid-Ins

Some questions can have more than one Some questions can have more than one answer; grid any one of the correct answer; grid any one of the correct answers.answers.

Answers can be only Answers can be only positivepositive numbers numbers and zero.and zero.

Check your work! This section has a high Check your work! This section has a high incidence of error due to carelessness.incidence of error due to carelessness.

5. Writing Skills - 5. Writing Skills - Improving Improving SentencesSentences Remember that answer choice “A” Remember that answer choice “A”

always repeats the underlined portion.always repeats the underlined portion.

Look for most common grammatical Look for most common grammatical problems in sentences: subject-verb problems in sentences: subject-verb agreement, parallelism, placement of agreement, parallelism, placement of modifiers and use of relative clauses.modifiers and use of relative clauses.

Answers: 17. (E) 18. (E) 19. (D) 20. (C)

6. Writing Skills –6. Writing Skills – Identifying Sentence Identifying Sentence ErrorsErrors

Select the error and mentally correct it.Select the error and mentally correct it.

Common errors: subject-verb Common errors: subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, adjective and adverb agreement, adjective and adverb confusion, modification, idioms, passive confusion, modification, idioms, passive voice, fragments and run-ons, voice, fragments and run-ons, comparisons.comparisons.

Writing Skills – Identifying Sentence ErrorsWriting Skills – Identifying Sentence Errors

7. Writing Skills - 7. Writing Skills - Improving ParagraphsImproving Paragraphs Read the entire essay quickly to Read the entire essay quickly to

determine its overall meaning.determine its overall meaning.

Questions will ask about how Questions will ask about how each sentence relates to the each sentence relates to the other sentences and to the essay other sentences and to the essay as a whole. Be certain that your as a whole. Be certain that your answer makes sense in context of answer makes sense in context of the essay.the essay.

FOUR CONTENT FOUR CONTENT AREASAREAS

ON THE PLAN/ACT ON THE PLAN/ACT English, MathEnglish, Math

Reading Reading

and and SCIENCESCIENCE……..……..

1. English Usage and 1. English Usage and RhetoricRhetoric

Passage-based format Passage-based format ““No change” = phrase as underlined in No change” = phrase as underlined in

passagepassage Some questions ask for the best place Some questions ask for the best place

to move a word or a sentence to move a word or a sentence Some questions ask how the addition or Some questions ask how the addition or

deletion of a word affects meaningdeletion of a word affects meaning

Answers: 17. C. 18. J 19. B. 20. G. 21. B 22. J.

ACT English Test –usually only one concept tested at a time.

2. Math2. Math

Formulas must be memorized—Formulas must be memorized—especially slope. especially slope.

Use ample margins for computations. Use ample margins for computations. Look at the answer choices: Look at the answer choices:

sometimes you can identify the correct sometimes you can identify the correct answer after working part of the answer after working part of the problem problem

Calculators are permittedCalculators are permitted

Try these ACT problems:Try these ACT problems:

Answers: 33. D 34. J 35. D

3. Reading 3. Reading ComprehensionComprehension

Underline as you read the passage: strong Underline as you read the passage: strong words, negative statements, sentences words, negative statements, sentences beginning with “and” or “but” and all dates beginning with “and” or “but” and all dates and listsand lists

Treat the introduction with respect!Treat the introduction with respect! Consider content of at least 5 lines before Consider content of at least 5 lines before

and 5 lines after the referenced line(s).and 5 lines after the referenced line(s). ““Weigh the wording” of the answer choicesWeigh the wording” of the answer choices Maturity is important!Maturity is important!

4. Science4. Science

Tests reading comprehension and chart Tests reading comprehension and chart analysis rather than basic science analysis rather than basic science knowledgeknowledge

Time management is critical: 70% of Time management is critical: 70% of test-takers do not finish all the test-takers do not finish all the questionsquestions

Read the explanations about the Read the explanations about the experiments; underline important words experiments; underline important words in the question in the question

Calculators are not permittedCalculators are not permitted

Answers: 25. D. 26. J. 27. C. 28. J. 29. A.

BOTTOM LINE –BOTTOM LINE –

Prepare, prepare, Prepare, prepare, prepare!prepare!

Practice testsPractice tests Word of the DayWord of the Day Collegeboard.orgCollegeboard.org ACTstudent.orgACTstudent.org Pre- and post- Pre- and post-

test reviewstest reviews Flash cardsFlash cards CoursesCourses

Eat and Eat and sleep well! sleep well!

Have a Have a POSITIVEPOSITIVE AttitudeAttitude

Now Now YOUYOU know more; know more; THEY THEY WILLWILL do do better!better!

ContactMartha Geller

satteach@one.netwww.educationfortesting.com