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The SAT and ACT are college entrance exams that assess the educational
development of high school students and the ability to perform college level
work. The tests are slightly different in content and structure. In short, both
exams test a student's academic knowledge learned in high school with the SAT
leaning towards a "logic reasoning" assessment and the ACT emphasizing
cumulative knowledge.
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| The SAT I - Structure and Timing |
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The SAT I is the most widely accepted exam for US colleges and universities. It
is our goal at Blue Owl to ensure that each student is very familiar with the
content, structure, and most effective exam strategies that can be used to
succeed on this test. The SAT is designed to measure a student's verbal,
quantitative reasoning, and writing abilities. Students taking this test
currently receive Critical Reading, Math, and Writing scores, each ranging from
200-800.
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The SAT is divided into 10 sections:
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3 Critical Reading/Verbal
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3 Mathematics
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2 Writing/Grammar
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1 Essay
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1 "experimental section"
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SAT I Total Length: 3 hours and 45 minutes
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SAT Registration:
www.collegeboard.com
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The experimental section on the SAT is graded, but the results of that section
do not affect a student's overall score. However, it is impossible to know
which section of each exam is the experimental part during the test. Student's
should try to succeed equally well on all sections of the test!
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| The ACT - Structure and Timing |
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The ACT is divided into 4 sections:
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English (45 minutes)
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Mathematics (60 minutes)
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Reading (35 minutes)
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Science Reasoning (35 minutes)
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Writing Section (30 minutes - optional)
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ACT Total Length: 1 hour and 55 minutes (plus 30 minute optional Writing test)
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ACT Registration: www.act.org
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The exam is designed to assess curriculum-based content and analytical
reasoning skills. Results on this test are reported on a scale from 1-36 for
each subject area and are averaged together for a composite score. The ACT now
includes a 30-minute Essay writing component that is optional. Not all colleges
and universities require the writing sample, so please check the admissions
requirements of your school before making the decision to sign up for the
writing portion of the test. The English section of the ACT measure a students’
understanding of grammar, usage, sentence structure, and punctuation. The
Mathematics section tests concepts ranging from Pre-Algebra through
Trigonometry (Analysis of Functions. The Reading portion of the test is very
similar to the SAT - testing a student's reading comprehension abilities. And
finally, the Science Reasoning section measures a student's ability to review
and analyze information (science based) given in text, charts, tables, and
pictures, and come up with answers based on the synthesis of this information.
Contrary to popular belief, a student does not need to study science before
this exam in order to do well on this section. The Science Reasoning portion is
more a measure of a students analytical skills. For some students, it may make
more sense to take the ACT than it does to take the SAT. Some schools prefer
the ACT, and in some cases, a student may perform better on the ACT than the
SAT.
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| SAT IIs |
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Some colleges or universities may require that a student take a Subject Test
for admissions. The Subject Tests (sometimes known as SAT II's) are designed to
measure knowledge and skills in specific subjects such as english, history,
mathematics, science, and language.
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Many colleges use the Subject Tests for admissions, course placement, and to
advise students during their course selection process. Some colleges
specifically state which Subject Tests they require for admissions or
placement; others allow applicants to choose which Subject Tests they would
like to take.
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For more information on SAT Subject Tests, including a list of which tests are
available, please see the college board website:
www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about/SATII.html
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How Important are these exams?
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Your SAT and ACT scores are one very important part of your academic "stats"
when presenting yourself to a college or university. In some cases, very
competitive colleges will only consider scores above a certain range, as often
stated in their admissions requirements. In short, your test scores do tell a
university part of your academic story. However, standardized tests are just
one part of your application, and this must be kept in mind in order to
maintain test anxiety! High school grades, your choices regarding course load
and class selection, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation,
personal interviews, and the application itself are all considered during the
admissions process. Your goal should be to perform to the best of your ability
on standardized exams, but do not get wrapped up in how your score compares to
friends and other classmates. Your scores should be a good representation of
your knowledge and skill level. As well, when given the opportunity to prepare
for a standardized exam with a Blue Owl tutor, you can feel confident that you
are doing a thorough review of test concepts, sharpening your test taking
skills, and will be presenting a college with your BEST test score possible!
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| Blue Owl Tutoring - Exam Preparation Approach |
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Please contact Sandra Brown
to discuss the Blue Owl Tutoring 8-week preparation course for the Mathematics
section of either the SAT, ACT, SAT II, or PSAT.
Mary Schroeder is available to discuss preparation for English,
Writing, and Reading Comprehension on all of these exams. Programs are tailored
to individual student needs, skill level, and student or tutor availability.
The majority of our students participate in an 8 week program where the student
and tutor meet once weekly for either a one or two hour session. Preparation
courses do involve homework and self timed practice exams. Individual tutoring
rates vary and are subject to change each year, so please contact us for more
information!
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These are the standardized test preparation books that we require each student
to use during our eight week test prep program. They can be purchased at Barnes
& Noble, Borders, Inkwood books, or online! Please give us a call if you have
any questions about which book to purchase.
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