We all wish to get college level education from one of the best institutes to propel our career to greater horizons. For that, we don’t hesitate to strive hard and leave no stone unturned to get enrolled. On this journey called education, we come across many obstacles, and we try our best to overcome them. But once in a while, …
How ACT Math is Getting More Difficult
Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT continue to evolve, trying to capture how well prepared today’s students are for the academic challenges of 21st century higher education. While some of these changes are widely publicized, some are quietly adopted with little fanfare. Anyone familiar with the ACT math section has likely noticed one of these silent shifts in the …
The SAT’s Latest Efforts to Prevent Cheating
In late February, the College Board (makers of the SAT), announced it would be taking additional steps to crack down on cheating. Organized efforts to buy your way to a better score have become big business globally, and after a slew of cheating-related cancellations in 2016 the College Board is hopeful their latest round of security updates will help keep …
Avoid SAT Test Prep Scams
There’s a lot at stake when it comes to standardized test scores, including college admissions and access to scholarships. With what may feel like the entire future on the line, it’s no wonder many parents and students are willing to do whatever it takes to help raise test scores and potentially open doors. And while there are many legitimate test …
What You Need to Know About the New Pre-ACT
While the SAT has had an official pre-test for decades (the well-known PSAT/NMSQT), the ACT is just now getting into the younger-grades testing game. Starting in the fall of 2016 the ACT will offer a brand new exam, known simply as the Pre-ACT, designed specifically to help high school sophomores gauge where they’re at in terms of college-readiness and to …
What To Do if You’re Accused of Cheating on the SAT
For an SAT-test taker, it’s a worst-case scenario no one wants to encounter: having your test flagged for possible cheating. Each year, roughly 2500 students are informed that their scores are considered suspicious. Knowing what to do if your legitimately-earned numbers are flagged can be the difference between keeping your scores and starting from scratch. Why You Were Flagged Being …
Zeros and Factors of Polynomials
Reading over the list of topics included on the math section of the new SAT can seem like slogging through a knee-deep vat of jargon. Buried in that list is the phrase “understand the relationships between zeros and factors of polynomials.” Although it sounds like the sort of thing writers on a sci-fi show dump in to make a scene …
Factoring and FOIL-ing – Polynomials Techniques
When it comes to the mathematics portion of standardized tests there are at least two F-words that the test writers are actually hoping you’ll think of: “FOIL” and “factor”. In this post, we’ll take a look at these two important polynomial techniques and why they’re so useful. What are polynomials? Polynomials are algebraic terms that include a constant multiplied by a …
The Forgotten Power of Flashcards
In many ways, test prep has gone high-tech. There are practice tests online, apps to help you review vocabulary, and digital descriptions of the best way to study for each section. And yet, one of the most powerful ways to prepare for standardized tests is the same one that was probably used by your grandparents–flashcards. Why Flashcards? Physical flashcards offer …
What to do When You’re Wait listed
After months of wondering, it’s finally time for a verdict–were you accepted or rejected by the college of your dreams. Sometimes that long-anticipated envelope contains something between yes-and-no, though–the dreaded wait-listed letter. Here’s what you need to know when you’ve been put into the college-prep equivalent of purgatory. You’re Not Alone According to US New & World Report, roughly 10% …