Ample emphasis is placed on the SAT and ACT for high school seniors. These are touted as the “biggest” exams of a student’s life. However, for the private school pupil, the High School Placement Test (HSPT) proves a major undertaking. What is the HSPT? The HSPT has existed for five decades. It is used to assess an eighth grade student’s preparedness for the ninth grade. High schools nationwide interpret HSPT scores in order to make admissions decisions as well as to award scholarships and assign curriculum. What is a good score? The number of correct responses generate a raw score that is then converted into a composite result. Students receive a composite score in three areas: Total Cognitive Skills, Total Basic Skills, and Battery Composite. Although the scoring is standardized, competitive criteria differs from institution to institution. Note that scores at the 50th percentile reflect the national average performance. Is there an official prep guide? Many parents fret over how to prepare their young ones for the HSPT. According to the Scholastic Testing Service, Inc (STS), there is no formal prep guide for the exam. Completion of academic work through the first semester of eighth grade should adequately prepare your child for the test. Still, many guidebooks exist to help preview the types of questions featured on the exam. Shopping for an HSPT preparation guide can be tricky. Always search for the most recent edition of the guide to ensure the most up-to-date material. Read reviews from previous buyers and prioritize copies that feature full-length practice exams. Finishing Touches As with all standardized exams, the preparatory measures can make a major difference. Ensure your student gets a full night of rest and eats a complete breakfast. Send them to their exam with two number two pencils and a wristwatch so they can track their pace. Most of all, once they complete the exam, celebrate! The most challenging aspect of the high school application process is behind them and all that is left to do is await the results. Good luck!
Start early. Start well in advance to avoid cramming. This way, you are prepared the night before an exam. Your score will be much better as a result. Build a master to-do list and a schedule for the remaining days in the semester. Break cumulative exams into smaller study units. Studying increments prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. It can also aid in monitoring your progress. Study for the style of exam. Ask about the test format, then study accordingly. Multiple choice exams mean you should know definitions and concepts. Written exams focus on your synthesis of the concepts, so study with examples in mind. Build a custom study guide. Some teachers provide study guides. But creating your own study guide can help you process the material more efficiently. Outline the important information you need to learn and to refer to it frequently while you study. Explain concepts aloud. Pretend to teach the material to someone. Use your own words to assess your comprehension. This will aid your memory and help identify growth areas. Use your friends and family as guinea pigs to teach. Use focus tools. For example, music can help you focus. Listen to music you already know all the words to, but don’t feel compelled to sing along. If it becomes a distraction, try a different focus tool. Find a study buddy. You and your friends should make a study guide for the final exam separately. Then review the topics together. But do not split the work. You do not want to miss something. Quiz yourself. Think about and create mock exam questions. You will become more familiar with what you need to study. Also, making questions helps familiarize yourself with the type of language used on the exam. You will be able to set expectations of what you need to focus on by doing so. Promote relaxation. One example is listening to calming music. You can also stretch, breathe deeply, or meditate. De-stressing can release negative thoughts and boost your confidence. Go to bed early the night before. Sleep is crucial. “All-nighters,” aka staying up throughout the night to study, are harmful. Studies indicate that late night studying without sleep will actually hurt your performance. So get a good night’s sleep before your test.
The end of the school year is near! Both parents and students know what this means–final exams are on the horizon. Regardless of your child’s grade level, teachers often assign a cumulative exam, project or essay that requires your young one to apply all of the knowledge they have learned throughout the semester at once. These assignments can be stressful and often seem like an obstacle standing between your child and a relaxing winter holiday. But finals do not have to be major stressors. Here are three tried-and-true tips for taking the stress out of exam period. MAKE A LIST OF TEST DATES AND DUE DATES The first step to mastering finals is knowing what tests and assignments are included. Reach out to your child’s teachers and request a list of the remaining assignments and assessments. Nowadays, many schools post this information online and include directions and grading rubrics. Students can also review the course syllabi they received at the semester’s start in order to identify the due dates and exam dates. Build a calendar with your child to countdown the deadlines. PRIORITIZE EACH TASK Now that your calendar is complete, it is time to figure out a plan of execution. Chat with your child about his or her academic strengths and weaknesses. Does he or she love writing, but struggle with math? Be sure to allot more time for the subjects that are more challenging for your child personally. Divide the assignments or review material into smaller, manageable pieces. Ideally, your child never spends longer than thirty minutes to an hour on the same subject in any given study session. TAKE BREAKS It is an unfortunate conflation to equate studying for long periods with studying effectively. Discourage your student from pouring endlessly over textbooks and notes for weeks before finals. It can be stress-inducing and unreasonably exhausting both mentally and physically. While cram sessions and procrastination are at times unavoidable, taking small, intermittent breaks can do wonders for morale and mental health. Make sure to follow these three foolproof steps in order to guarantee that our child makes it to winter vacation stress-free. After all, finals should be an opportunity for your child to showcase their knowledge, not to feel bombarded with anxiety. Once finals are over, be sure to gather to family together and soak up a well-earned holiday. Good luck!
Standardized tests are a cornerstone of the college application process. Parents devote ample time and energy to preparing the prospective college freshmen in their homes for success with Kaplan courses and Princeton Review guidebooks. But in the last two years, both the American College Test (ACT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) have been redesigned. So how do they compare to their older versions? Also, which test best suits your child’s needs and abilities? Let’s first break down how the test have evolved in recent years. In September of 2015, the ACT was redesigned to incorporate new sub-scoring categories for each of the four core sections: English, Math, Reading and Science. The rationale behind the change meant to provide greater insight into a student’s personal strengths and weaknesses. Thus in addition to the composite score graded on a 1-36 scale, students also receive scores in four new subcategories: S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), English Language, Career Readiness and Text Complexity. Each of these areas theoretically contribute to a more detailed snapshot of the student’s aptitudes. Along with new scoring mechanisms, the ACT made alterations to the optional writing section by extending the time from thirty minutes to forty minutes. The essay requires analysis of multiple perspectives as opposed to general prompt response of older formats. While these changes do not impact the difficulty of the questions themselves, being aware of how best to prepare could be the difference between earning a 28 and a 30 on the exam. Collegeboard first administered the new SAT in March 2016, which decreased total exam time from three hours and forty-five minutes to just three hours (excluding an optional fifty minute essay section). The old Critical Reading and Writing sections, once famous for their vocabulary sections, have been combined into a single Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section that poses questions related to textual excerpts. The new format also eliminated the point penalty for incorrect responses, and extended the time allotted for writing from twenty-five minutes to fifty. Most importantly, perhaps, the score range shifted from 600-2400 to a scale of 400-1600. So a 1600 back in 2012 meant a very mediocre score, whereas now a 1600 denotes perfection. But how to choose between the two exams? First and foremost, not all colleges accept scores from both exams, Not to worry though, because most do. If you want to verify, search through the comprehensive Collegeboard.org database of application requirements. If you can choose either or both, then let the content inform your decision. Note that the main content difference between the ACT and SAT centers around the ACT having a Science section, while the SAT does not. In terms of test formatting, the SAT requires a No-Calculator Math section, while the ACT permits calculators for the entire Math section. With respect to aids, the SAT provides common algebra and geometry formulas, while the ACT does not. Our suggestion? Review these content and formatting differences with your child in order to gauge their preferences. Still stuck? Have them complete sample SAT and ACT questions and then compare the scores. At the end of the day, rest assured that many colleges permit students to submit the highest scores per section for either test, without reviewing all scores from each exam attempt. When choosing between the ACT and SAT, be sure to prioritize your child’s preferences along with the application requirements of the colleges they hope to attend. In any case, happy testing and good luck!
As you are preparing for college you may ask yourself if you are ready to take your ACTs or when most students take them? There are many things to consider when deciding when to take ACTs. It is not uncommon to see students take their ACT 2 or 3 times to try and improve their test scores or to get their score where they want it to be. Most students take the ACT test in the fall of their Junior year and then again in the spring. Then following up by taking it for the final time in the fall of their senior year. This schedule works for most students but not all. This is seen mostly with student who are preparing independently for the test. The ACT is offered 6 times in a year, in September, October, December, February, April, and again in June. If you chose to take the tests multiple times, you will need a realistic amount of time between tests to study and prepare to actually see improvement in your test score. Do not put if off to the very last date to give yourself a cushion in case you have an off day or get sick and are unable to make it to the test for whatever reason. If you are planning on taking the ACT early, remember to start your test prep early. While the ACT covers more advanced math than the SAT. The test also has a science section, but it does not require knowing information that only upperclassmen know. In fact, you have learned enough for school skills and knowledge as early as your freshman or sophomore year. If you take advanced math courses like precalculus or calculus, you may have to go back and review algebra and geometry because you may be a little rusty. Another benefit of taking your ACT early is that you may have more time for studying for it because you won’t be preoccupied with college applications, AP classes, varsity sports, community service, or any of the other activities in which you get involved. There are reasons that you would not want to take the ACT early and the main one is lack of preparation. It is not a good idea to take the ACT with zero studying. If you take the ACT the first time and use it as just a trial run, you may have issues getting your scores if the committee sees too high of a jump in your score or sense inconsistencies in your test scores. Especially with recent security breaches around the ACT and SAT, these organizations carefully monitor any hint of foul play. I would recommend not taking the test to many times, especially more than 6. Taking it any more than that and you start to send a message to the college that you are not putting in the effort when it comes to preparation or are struggling to achieve the score that you want. Find a good balance between good test prep and leaving yourself with enough test dates to still hit your target scores. Consider taking a good test prep course to help you achieve your results. One way to properly prepare for your college testing is through taking an ACT test prep class. These are wonderful classes that allow you to prepared properly and keep you from taking on multiple times. Test prep classes are offered by Elite Home Tutoring, along with others companies.
Do you have a child you think is gifted and talented ? Through the New York school system, they have a the Gifted and Talented Program. To get into this program, you need to take a test that determines if you are eligible. This test includes both verbal tests from the OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test) and nonverbal questions from the NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test). You should look over all the information with your child and have them practice the test that will be given through the available practice tests. This will help your child become familiar with what information they need and help them cut the stress and anxiety that your child may have! Testing begins between the ages of 4-7 for entry into grades K-3rd grade and determines eligibility for the NYC Gifted and Talented Program. There are a few steps you have to do in order to get your child in THE Gifted and Talented Schools. The first step to this process is submitting a “Request for Testing Form” (R.F.T) in the Fall of the Year before you would like your child to start participating in the Gifted and Talented Program. You can do this either online or in writing by completing the form in the appropriate Department of Education handbook and submitting it to your child’s public school or local Borough Enrollment Office. The deadlines are posted on the Department of Education’s website in late Fall. The city-wide testing for your child usually starts in January, and only children who have turned 4 years old can participate. You will be informed of your child’s score in early Spring, and IF your child is qualified for The Gifted and Talented Program, you will be sent an application. If your child scores in or above the 90th percentile, he or she will be invited to apply to a district G&T program. If your child scored in or above the 97th percentile, he or she will be invited to apply to a citywide Gifted and Talented program. Admission to the Gifted and Talented program is only guaranteed to incoming kindergartners and first graders who rank every district option on their application. There are no guarantees for city-wide spots, as there are more children who score in or above the 97th percentile than there are seats. Placement is based on sibling priority, test score (percentile rank), family preference and available seats. A lottery is held to determine who gets a spot if there are more applicants than spaces. The completed applications are usually due in late spring, and acceptance notifications are usually sent out in early summer. Remember, even though your child may score high, these tests are based off a percentages. Even though your child may get a high score, they may not be in the right percentile and therefore not get into the school of your choice. Be sure you have your child practice as much as they can! Learn more on their website.
Do you believe your child may be gifted and/or talented? Have began to look into the special programs that you can send them to? We wanted to take a few blogs to explain the process of looking more into the gifted and talented services. To begin, your child will need to take a few tests to determine their eligibility. These tests are for children 4-7 years of age. The tests consist of 3 parts: Verbal Selection, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). The OLSAT test is verbal test that consists of about 30 questions (depending on the age of the child). These questions account for 50% of the student’s overall score. These verbal questions consist of 2 sections, Verbal Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning. Within these 2 categories are several, more specific question types revolving around: Verbal Comprehension Verbal Reasoning Following Directions Aural Reasoning Antonyms Arithmetic Reasoning Sentence Completion Word/Letter Matrix Sentence Arrangement Verbal Analogies Verbal Classification Inference The OLSAT test is used to measure the abilities related to the child’s success in school through testing critical thinking and reasoning skills. This test is intended to test memory, speed of thought and their ability to see patterns and their relationships. Questions for the OLSAT were selected to reflect the intellectual operations of cognition, convergent thinking, and evaluation. Students will have between 60 and 80 minutes to complete a 40-70 question test. This all depends on what level of the OLSAT test they are. When given to a younger child, the test will be given in a one-on-one level, while older children will take the test in a group setting. The test’s questions are arranged so that the questions do not become more difficult as the test progresses. Students earn points for each question they answer correctly, but they do not loose points for skipping or answering a question wrong. When the test is graded, your child is given a raw score, which provides the number of questions the child answered correctly. Once the raw score is calculated, it will then be converted to a School Ability Index Score (SAI). The SAI score is used to find what percentile the student falls into. The NNAT test is a nonverbal test that replaces the once Bracken Test in 21012. This test measures the abstract thinking skills and requires very little language to be spoken, therefore it is considered a better indicator of raw intelligence, as it does not matter if the child does not speak English as their first language. The NNAT test incorporates abstract shapes and designs that allow for an unbiased scoring regardless of a child’s primary language, education, and socioeconomic background. The NNAT is the 50% of the students overall score and consists of 38 multiple choice questions given in the allotted 30-minute time period. Every section becomes more difficult as it progresses, so it is a good idea to help your child become familiar with the type of questions asked prior to taking. There is a practice test available on the Gifted and Talented Program website that you can use to prepare your child. It is best to have your child practice the test 2-3 month before your child actually tests to help your child get the most of the test and do their best. The National Association for Gifted Children provides answers to many common questions that parents have about their child, the testing, and the program. Learn more on their website. Along with information and practice tests, the website provides information for your local affiliate resource to find more about testing dates, times, and more.
