Tag Archives: vocabulary

Which Test?

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Is vocabulary your weak link but you’re a strong math and science student? That sounds like a recipe for a date with the ACT, not the SAT. Let’s discuss.

Before I’d advise you, I’d like to see your PSAT results and speak with you about test taking. But it’s important to remember that your choice of which college test you take is just that–your choice. It doesn’t usually matter to the school you’re applying to (you should double check on your favorite school.) In some cases you have fewer testing requirements with an ACT than an SAT. The notion that “all my friends are taking the other test” doesn’t really matter unless you let it make you crazy.

It’s probably true that when you look at the whole body of students who take the two tests the scores come out about the same ACT to SAT. But for any given student, one test is likely to be easier than the other because of how it’s made. So why make this harder than it needs to be.  Discuss it with an expert: portlandtestprep@gmail.com

Why prepare for the SAT or ACT?

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The Reading Comprehension section of the SAT is still vocabulary driven. And scores have been steadily going downward nationawide.   See the article quoted below.  
Q: If I’m an A student in English, why should I prep for the Verbal side of the SAT?
A: If you’re naturally good in this area it will be relatively easy to help you get even more questions right. A point’s a point.
 
Q: I don’t read a lot, vocabulary is hard for me, the passage is slow or boring, the questions seem ambiguous.
 
A: Ok, it wasn’t really a question.  But I hear all those lines a lot.  You can still take charge of your performance on this part of the test and show what you DO know.  It probably won’t be your best subject but there are points to be gotten by learning how this test works with your brain.
 
Q: You mean I’m going to have to do assignments for prep classes?
 
A: You bet. I took the test years ago. If you want the score you have to do the work.
 
The class of 2011 had record low scores on the reading comprehension section. Here’s a quote from an article in last Thursday’s LA Times. “Everyone thinks of 21st century skills as math, science and computers, but we’re finding that being able to communicate with the written word in a variety of formats is going to be one of the most essential tools,” Hull said. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/nation/la-na-0914-sat-scores-20110915

Vocabulary

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Are you building a set of 3 x 5 vocabulary cards? (word on one side, definition on the other.) It’s never too early to start (and you’re never finished.) This makes for a very time-efficient and portable prep option. Just remember, every word is a good word.  When you’re looking up words in the dictionary (remember dictionaries?) peek at all the related words. It’s barely any more work to connect those in with the word you’re learning. If it turns out you already know some of those related words it will make it much easier to remember the new word. More to come. . .