FAQs: SAT

All registration must be done through the College Board, the makers of the SAT. You can register for the Official test online at www.collegeboard.org or by calling (800) 728-7267.

Visit Canadian SAT Test Dates for more details.

The SAT measures critical reading, higher mathematics, and writing skills-the elements that are considered essential for success in college. The New SAT will take 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete and includes the following three scored sections:

• Critical Reading – short and long reading passages, plus sentence completion.
• Mathematics – advanced math topics including Numbers and Operations; Algebra I, II, and Functions; Geometry; and Statistics, Probability, and Data Analysis.
• Writing – an essay, plus a multiple-choice section on improving sentences and paragraphs, and identifying sentence errors. On the essay portion you will be asked to choose a position on a topic, and then logically support that position. There is no correct answer; it’s about how persuasive your argument is and how well you present your views. You will be given all the information you need to choose your position and write the essay without having prior knowledge of the subject.

Colleges and universities use the SAT as a primary determinant in the admissions process, and a high SAT score increases your chances of admission to the college of your choice. During the admissions process SAT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants, and scores can also be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid.

Each main section is scored on a scale of 200 to 800-one score for Math, one for Critical Reading, and one for Writing. Your total score will range between 600 and a perfect 1600. The Writing section has two subscores-a multiple-choice subscore on a scale of 20-80 and an essay subscore of 2-12.

Score reports are available on the College Board’s website (www.collegeboard.org) approximately 2 weeks after the test date. Score reports are mailed 3 ½ weeks after the test date.

We recommend that students take the SAT in the spring of their junior year, and possibly again in the fall of their senior year. The PSAT is offered in October and is usually taken in the student’s sophomore year or fall of their junior year. The test is administered several times a year and the SAT can be taken multiple times with no penalty.

In addition, there is one 25-minute unscored section, known as the variable or equating section. This unscored section may be either a critical reading, math, or writing multiple-choice section. This unscored section does not count toward the final score, but is used to try out new questions for future editions of the SAT and to ensure that scores on new editions of the SAT are comparable to scores on earlier editions of the test.

The 25-minute essay will always be the first section of the SAT, and the 10-minute multiple-choice writing section will always be the final section. The remaining six 25-minute sections can appear in any order, as can the two 20-minute sections. Test takers sitting next to each other in the same testing session may have test books with entirely different sections.

Without any additional preparation, PSAT scores are a good indication of how the student will perform on the SAT. Students normally take this in October of Grade 11.

Students will usually take the SAT once in the spring of their junior year (Gr. 11), and once in the fall of their senior year (Gr. 12). We advise our students to take the SAT seriously and prepare to write it only ONCE. Statistically, students who take the test again do not improve their scores significantly, and scores may be lower.

Our proven score increases on the SAT are 180 to 400 points. Score increases are of course dependent upon the student attending all the sessions and completing all the homework. On average, a 200 point increase is typical.

While we do not offer a guaranteed score increase, we are committed to working with our families to help students achieve their goals. The starting score, the student’s motivation and the amount of work put in all affect the results. If a student attends every session and completes all assigned homework and practice tests and does not realize an increase in his or her combined score following the completion of the program, please speak to one of our Education Facilitators to arrange a meeting to review results and set up a review program.

Students are assigned approximately 2-3 hours of homework per week. We feel that completing the outside homework is an essential part of the course.

Homework is a crucial part of the program as it allows the student to practice what is covered in each session. Your expectations for a score improvement should be less if all of the homework is not completed.

We understand that each student learns differently. Books are designed with the intent of being used between an instructor and a student to cater to each student’s individual needs. Books are broken down into chapters and units that cover every aspect of a test in great detail. An abundance of practice problems and questions allow the instructor to tailor the quantity and difficulty level of homework so that each student is challenged appropriately. The exercises in the books are written to match every type of question and varying difficulty used in the actual tests.

Generally, our SAT instructors are graduate students, business professionals and full-time teachers. Our instructors receive intensive training to give them all the tools they need to bring our test-taking expertise to PREPSKILLS^® students. They also have experience writing the SAT and/or other standardized tests. For one-on-one instruction, tutors specialize their instruction based on the needs of the individual to help the student build confidence, reduce anxiety, and learn strategies crucial to test-taking. Our instructors are adept at connecting with high school students and they strive to focus on the needs of each individual student, even in the context of the class.

The average number of students in a class is 6. Students may also do the program one-on-one in the comfort of their home. This decision really comes down to scheduling and cost. Students have been successful regardless of whether they have prepared in a class or private setting.

We recommend that sessions be held weekly and that the student’s program end as close to the test date as possible to maximize the success of the program. For our 8-Session Program, you should expect to start approximately 12 weeks prior to the student’s test date. This allows some flexibility to compensate for unexpected schedule changes.

Generally, we find that eight 3 hour sessions are the optimum for most students. However, some students may require additional skill building work. In this case, we can set up a long-term preparation program or additional tutoring sessions following the regular program. Areas of concentration and number of sessions depend on what the individual student’s needs are.

Yes, we can. We can send you contact names and phone numbers of some local parents, teachers or schools who have been pleased with our programs.