The SAT and ACT Sandbox

In technology terms, the sandbox is a place to test out new stuff before it goes to market. It is a space, both physical and metaphorical, dedicated to experimentation. Build stuff in the sandbox, see if it works, and learn from trial and error. The sandbox might be messy but the learnings can be bankable.

In SAT and ACT terms, the sandbox is your test booklet. 

The test booklet is the place for annotations, calculations, connections, and experimentation. Get messy and learn before you have to submit an answer choice.

For example, reading passages should be annotated so students can connect deeper with the passage. On math problems, getting pencil to paper as soon as possible enables a quicker path to crafting equations and performing calculations. For both reading and math questions, students should underline or circle the main part of the question so they understand what is being asked.

English passages are also places to experiment with different structures. Try out the different answer choices to see which one works best.

Once the test booklet is marked up, students can fill in answer bubbles neatly and precisely.

Much like a sandbox, the test booklet may get messy but the process of trial and error yields more correct answers.

On the SAT and ACT, use the test booklet as your sandbox. Annotate, check, calculate, summarize, experiment and try out the possibilities. Using your test booklet as a sandbox will help you get to correct answers more effectively and efficiently.

To prepare for your next SAT or ACT, contact CROSSWALK to see how we can help.

Winter Test Prep Starting Soon: Register NOW!

Only days remain until CROSSWALK's Winter Test Prep Series. Hosted by Brooke Higgins, this six-week course is a great way to kick off 2019 with focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep. 

Sign up today! You can attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.

All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm. Here is the schedule:

• 1/8: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
• 1/15: Reading Strategies for Success
• 1/23: Math Strategies for Success
• 1/29: Writing Strategies for Success
• 2/5: Science Strategies for Success
• 2/12: Essay Strategies for Success

Sign up or get more information via the following form. 

And don't forget, new this year: Students who sign up for the entire six-week program receive a FREE one-on-one coaching session. 

Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK here.

CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring. 

Winter 2019 Test Prep Series: Only Four Spots Left!

Four spots remain for CROSSWALK's Winter Test Prep Series. Hosted by Brooke Higgins, this six-week course is a great way to kick off 2019 with focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep. 

Sign up today! Only four spots remain! You can attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.

All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm. Here is the schedule:

• 1/8: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
• 1/15: Reading Strategies for Success
• 1/23: Math Strategies for Success
• 1/29: Writing Strategies for Success
• 2/5: Science Strategies for Success
• 2/12: Essay Strategies for Success

Sign up or get more information via the following form. 

And don't forget, new this year: Students who sign up for the entire six-week program receive a FREE one-on-one coaching session. 

Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK here.

CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring. 

SAT & ACT: It's Not the Content, It's the Process

Most tests in school are content-based: vocabulary memorization, chapter reviews, math problem sets, comprehensive exams, etc. 

After years of content-based tests, students learn how to memorize facts and regurgitate them on an exam. Students develop keen ways of cramming content the night before in order to succeed on a test. 

Content learning is a useful skill in school, for now. Education is undergoing a massive shift as content is simply a search engine or finger swipe away. Students in the future will likely not have to memorize as much. Instead, they will be faced with the process of learning. 

One such learning process is how to succeed on the SAT or ACT. 

On the surface, the SAT and ACT tests look like content-based tests. But dig deeper and find that both tests assess a student's ability to process more than a student's ability to memorize. 

For example, the reading tested on the test is about comprehension, not knowledge. Test makers select reading passages that will challenge students to process how a writer uses evidence, states an argument, persuades an audience or tells a story. A student cannot memorize the passage the night before. 

Even math, though seemingly content-based, assesses the process of getting through a litany of different math problems in a defined set of time. Memorizing math content might help here, but it is more about the process of navigating algebra, geometry, word problems, trigonometry and more. Math is a mash up of content which means the process is more important. 

So if the SAT and ACT are more process-based than content-based, how do you perform better? 

Simply embrace the process.

Understand that test success is a journey. It is not something you can cram for the night before. Prepare your game plan, practice and make test prep part of your normal routine. 

Consider a group class like CROSSWALK's upcoming Winter Test Prep Series. 

Above all, approach the SAT and ACT with the process in mind. These are not tests based on strict content memorization. These are tests that take trial and error. 

Start your process today by contacting CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep and academic tutoring. 

The Source of SAT/ACT Stress and How to Overcome It

Stress is the enemy of test performance. Stressed students perform worse than unstressed students. Stressed brains do not learn as effectively as an unstressed brain. 

As an SAT and ACT prep tutor, my primary goal is to reduce as much stress as possible for my students. Stress reduction starts with stress recognition so my students and I often start our tutoring sessions with a discussion of stress and where it comes from. 

In unpacking the source of ACT and SAT stress, we identify typical culprits like peers, parents, expectations, and performance. While these stressors are indeed present, there is one aspect of the SAT and ACT that seems to cause the most stress: uncertainty. 

Uncertainty is a major stressor. When you don't know what is coming, anxiety sets in and panic can ensue. On a test, if anxiety is the predominant emotion, then logical problem solving and critical thinking skills are not able to function. 

Imagine trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while being attacked by a bear. The anxiety and panic in your flight or fight response would dominate your brain and you would have no brain power to logic your way through the Rubik's Cube. 

The good news is that overcoming the stress and anxiety of SAT and ACT uncertainty is actually quite simple. Since the test directions, format and content have not changed in several years--the last major change was on the SAT in 2016--a student can prepare for the unknown. 

Practice tests, test prep books and classes like CROSSWALK's upcoming Winter ACT and SAT Prep Series are all ways to reduce the uncertainty. 

When dealing with the uncertain, it helps to have a script or a plan to follow. By learning key test prep strategies, like when to spend time and when to save time, a student can enter the unknown of the SAT or ACT with a pretty good sense of what is coming. 

Stress is reduced when students know what is on the test and how to tackle each section. A Game Plan is the key to reducing any stress of the uncertain. 

Learn how to prepare your own Game Plan with CROSSWALK through private sessions or a group class. Contact CROSSWALK today to learn more. 

Winter 2019 ACT & SAT Test Prep Series

Kick off 2019 with a focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep program by Brooke Higgins of CROSSWALK.

Starting Tuesday, January 8th, CROSSWALK is hosting a six-week winter ACT and SAT test prep series.

Attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.

All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm. Here is the schedule:

• 1/8: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
• 1/15: Reading Strategies for Success
• 1/23: Math Strategies for Success
• 1/29: Writing Strategies for Success
• 2/5: Science Strategies for Success
• 2/12: Essay Strategies for Success

Drop in for the session you need and pay by the class or sign up for the whole program and save.

Sign up via the following form. 

New this year: Students who sign up for the entire six-week program receive a FREE one-on-one coaching session. 

Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK here.

CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring. 

From the Vault: Greatest Hits of SAT/ACT Test Prep

After four years of (mostly) biweekly blog posts on SAT and ACT test prep advice, it's high time to offer a post of greatest hits.

Without further ado, I humbly present several of my more popular test prep blog posts:

One of the hardest parts of SAT and ACT passage-based reading (aka evidence-based reading) is when students get stuck between two possible answer choices. This posts helps students Get Unstuck Between Two Answer Choices.

Here's a post to help students reduce their stress around the test by reminding them that there are over 1,000 Reasons to Not Stress on the ACT and SAT.

Success stories seem popular. Here is an ACT Success Story.

My six-part series about how to Conquer the SAT and ACT Math with the Math Toolbox generated lots of interest.

For test takers planning to take the test soon, here are the Do's and Don'ts 24 Hours Before Test Day.

And finally, one of my favorite posts of all time, is Stop Calling Students "Bad Test Takers."

More hits to come. Subscribe to this blog to get free test prep advice directly to your inbox. Or contact CROSSWALK today to learn more about our SAT/ACT prep and academic tutoring.