SAT Score #1000: The Farther You Go, The Harder It Gets

TRUE or FALSE: hard questions on the SAT are worth more points than easy questions.

Before I give you the answer, please be sure to understand that test questions on each SAT section are usually organized from the easiest to the hardest. In other words, the first question of a section should be easy while the last question should be hard. Not every section follows this formula exactly, but in general, most sections start easier and build towards harder questions. 

Now, back to the TRUE/FALSE statement. The statement that "hard questions on the SAT are worth more points than easy questions" is entirely FALSE! Scoring on the SAT is not based on question difficulty. You score the same amount of points on an easy question as you do on a hard question. 

So strategically speaking, score points quickly and accurately on the easy questions. As for the hard questions, you can choose to skip them altogether or give yourself some extra time to solve them.

Further, for easy questions in the beginning of a section, the answer should be very obvious without any tricks or traps. However, on harder questions, the obvious answers are usually tricks. So if you are at the end of a section and you are rushing to finish, the answer that looks quick and easy is probably a trap. Be wary because the further you go, the harder it becomes. 

Learn more SAT Scores by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT® and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins available at Amazon. 

Contact CROSSWALK to schedule private tutoring or sign up for our One Day SAT or ACT Boot Camps. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for ACT/SAT Boot Camps, private tutoring for test prep and private tutoring for academic subjects. 

How SAT & ACT Prep is Like Training for a Marathon

What do you do the night before a Biology exam? More than likely, you stay up late to cram a bunch of content into your brain. 

OK, so what does a marathon runner do the night before a big race? Do you think she stays up late to cram in a bunch of last minute training? 

Of course not. 

You can cram for a Biology exam because you only need to recall the content for a short period of time. 

You can't cram for a marathon because you would actually harm your body. 

Same goes for the SAT and ACT. Think of them as the marathons of tests. 

Consider that both the SAT and the ACT, are not content-based tests. They are more about context. To perform well on context-based tests, your brain needs to be rested, focused and clear in order to think critically and solve problems. Cramming the night before will only hurt your ability to perform at an optimum level. 

Furthermore, the SAT and the ACT are long tests. Sitting for the SAT and ACT requires 3-4 hours of intense focus. Focus for the SAT and ACT is developed over time. To be comfortable in a long test, you need to practice taking the test for long periods of time. 

Finally, remember that a marathon runner doesn't just show up on race day without undergoing some kind of training program. And the more a runner is dedicated to a training program, the more success will ensue. 

So train hard and long for both the SAT and ACT. When there is a week left for the test, like the marathon runner, taper your training. Reduce your studying, get lots of rest the week and do whatever your brain and body need to get into optimal performance mode for test day. 

Learn more by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins now available on Amazon. 

And contact CROSSWALK for information on private tutoring, test prep and SAT/ACT Boot Camps on the Monterey Peninsula. 

2400 SCORES

SAT Test Prep guides are everywhere. It seems that just about every book publisher has a guidebook bigger than most telephone books. Full of pages and pages of problems, these books can be overwhelming for many students. 

Wouldn't a more condensed approach be easier to digest? Or one that you can take with you wherever you go on your tablet? 

Good news: there is one such resource that exists. It's called 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT® and Boost Your Score. Best of all, I wrote it! 

I have worked on this e-book for over two years. The advice contained in this book is a compilation of my most recommended SAT prep approaches. 

The basic idea of the book is how to apply life lessons to SAT test preparation. Learn how to Begin with the End in Mind, why Attitude is Greater than Aptitude, how Context  is More Important than Content and much more. Understand why you Save Dessert for Last, why You Don't Need to Do Everything and other helpful strategies. If you read nothing else, but sure to master the Numbers Game! 

Full of stories from my decade of tutoring SAT, ACT and GMAT, this book is a valuable resource for anyone about to tackle  the SAT. While the book is intended for students, both parents and educators will find practical, useful and easily implementable SAT strategies one and before test day. 

Check it out on Amazon right here. It might be the best $3.99 you spend on test preparation! 

As always, feel free to contact CROSSWALK to learn how we can help you get ready for the SAT or ACT. CROSSWALK also offers tutoring in all academic subjects. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep, Boot Camps and tutoring. 

3 Ways to Refuel a Drained Brain

Alarms, homework, and close-toed shoes. Yes, summer is officially over. 

One of the drawbacks of a relaxing summer is the brain drain that occurs after months of limited academic activity. An idle brain over the summer makes for a sluggish start to the school year. 

So how do you recharge and refuel a drained brain? How can you jump into the school year focused and ready to learn? 

If your brain is drained after a summer of lethargy, here are three ways to get your brain alert, active and ahead of your peers: 

1) Read Ahead: 

Most courses follow a syllabus or a text book. If you know what is coming, read ahead and get ahead. I spent part of my summer tutoring a rising fourth grader who had missed a lot of school in third grade. Instead of reviewing what he missed in third grade, we studied what he will learn in fourth grade. When his class starts to learn about the California Missions this coming year, he will already be comfortable with the material. A little sneaky perhaps, but get comfortable with material before it is assigned. And no worries if you don't fully understand everything you read ahead. Even coming up with questions about upcoming material will recharge a drained brain. 

2) Do Extra Work: 

Doing extra work sounds dreadful, right? Fear not. You only need to do enough extra work to get your summer brain refocused. For example, if your teacher assigns just the odd math problems, do the even ones as well until you achieve mastery of the subject. Once your extra work is no longer challenging, move onto to other pursuits. Be sure you do a little extra in the beginning of the year. Not only will you get ahead of your peers, you will also practice problems and questions that may appear on a test. 

3) Make Connections:

An excellent way to recharge a brain, and keep a brain working optimally, is to continually make connections. Making connections means taking one topic and relating it to another topic. For example, connect a history lesson to literature you are reading. Or connect your chemistry homework to an everyday situation. The deeper the connections you make, the more active your brain becomes. If you can weave what you have learned into what you are learning, your brain will be a tapestry of profound knowledge. 

Combat the intellectual fatigue brought on by summer by reading ahead, doing extra work and making connections. Your brain will thank you. 

Learn more ways to refuel a drained brain and get ahead in class with tutoring from CROSSWALK, Monterey's local resource for tutoring, test prep and SAT/ACT Boot Camps. 

SAT vs ACT: Which is Better?

A recent article in the New York Times lays out a great case of why more students are taking both the ACT and the SAT. Check it out here.

The SAT vs ACT debate is a frequent topic of conversation with my students and their families. Many families want to know: which test is better, the ACT or the SAT?

Nowadays, colleges will accept either score.

So the bottom line, I tell my students, is to figure out which test is better for that particular student. As the New York Times article describes, some students prefer the more straightforward and predictable layout of the ACT, while others like the gaming, scoring and shorter sections on the SAT.

Take both and see which one yields a better score. Once you figure that out, focus test prep for only one test. Assuming the college of choice will accept either score, a student would be wise to ignore one test and strictly focus on the preparation for the other. Guide books, private tutoring or other instruction can be an excellent way to boost test scores.

Also remember that some colleges don't even look at test scores (click here for a list of schools that do not emphasize SAT or ACT scores in their admission process).

Maximize your test prep by focusing on one test. Contact CROSSWALK to learn more about our private tutoring, Boot Camps and academic tutoring on the Monterey Peninsula.

New SAT and ACT Boot Camp Dates Added!

Wait a second, do SAT or ACT Boot Camps really work?

Maybe this mother from Pebble Beach will convince you:

"After the CROSSWALK SAT Boot Camp, our son understood the ins and outs of SAT testing. He learned when to leave an answer blank, got a great picture of the entire scoring system, and practiced the techniques of eliminating wrong answers. His test scores improved immensely as did his confidence level. This is efficient learning at its best!"

OK, that is just one mom, but there are plenty of satisfied CROSSWALK clients that learn key strategies and test content for both the SAT and the ACT. 

The one-day SAT or ACT Boot Camp is not for every learner. In fact, don't expect to know everything after just one boot camp. But you will have all the tools to get the job done. Students understand test content, prepare a personalized game plan to get the desired score and learn key activities to hone skills. 

Best of all, a ton of new Boot Camp dates have been added for fall 2013 and winter 2014. Check the calendar at CROSSWALK for details. 

CROSSWALK Educational Services offers private tutoring in all academic subjects, personalized SAT and ACT Prep as well as small group ACT/SAT Boot Camps. Contact us today to learn more. 

Superscoring the SAT and the ACT

Superscoring is the practice of taking the highest subscore from individual test sections to combine them into one superscore. A superscore would thus cherry pick the best subscores across multiple test dates in order to come up with one, more impressive superscore.

For example, let's say you take the SAT in the spring and score a 610 on the Math, a 630 on Critical Reading and a 540 on Writing for a total composite score of 1780. In an attempt to improve your score, you decide to take the test again the fall. On your second sitting, you score a 570 on the Math, a 640 on the Critical Reading and a 570 on the Writing. Again, your composite score is a 1780. However, your superscore is actually an 1820. 

You see, some schools will take the 610 you scored in Math from the first test and add that to the best Critical Reading and the best Writing score regardless of test date. Thus, your superscore is more impressive than your composite score.

Same goes for the ACT. Some schools will select your best score in each section (Math, Reading, Science, Writing) and average those best scores all together for one ACT superscore. 

Now, the rub is that not all schools follow this method. Schools undoubtedly want applicants with the best scores, thus making acceptance more competitive. However, some schools have not adopted the superscore policy. 

For a list of schools and their superscore policy regarding the SAT, check out this list produced by the College Board. As for the ACT, this list is about as reliable as it gets. 

The moral of the story is to check the school(s) that are interesting to you. Find out their policy and you can adjust your test strategies as such. 

If you have any questions, contact CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninusla's local resource for test prep, private tutoring and ACT/SAT Boot Camps.