Test Preparation
Is your student ready to score well in the critically important college admission exams?
Every college and university in the United States routinely accepts either the SAT or ACT for admission and almost all Graduate School programs require the GRE. The competition is intense, especially for limited admissions at highly desired universities. High scores in the admissions exams can make a difference in university entrance and scholarships.
Keys Tutoring offers personalized one on one tutoring sessions designed to prepare students for these important assessment tests.
Test Preparation:
ACT - The ACT is a national college admissions exam and is intended to measure the knowledge a student has acquired, with Common Core Standards, in high school. It consists of subject tests in English, Math, Reading, and Science. The ACT Plus Writing exam includes the four subject tests plus a 30-minute Writing test. It is generally recommended that students write the essay.
If a candidate is strong in math, ACT may be a better option because it contains higher level math than that found on the SAT, including Algebra II and trigonometry questions. Another consideration is the ACT science section, which heavily tests a student’s data interpretation skills.
The ACT exam includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete. The test will take just over four hours if you take the ACT Plus Writing exam.
EOC (End of Course) Exams - The Florida EOC Assessments are part of Florida’s Strategic Plan for the purpose of increasing student achievement and improving college and career readiness. EOC assessments are computer-based, criterion-referenced assessments that measure the state standards for specific courses, as outlined in their course descriptions. These tests are very important and must be passed before a student is able to progress to the next level in that subject. It is possible to retake the test numerous times, however, they are offered on a limited schedule.
GRE - The Graduate Record Examination is a test used by many graduate and business schools as one factor in the admissions process. According to the Educational Testing Service, which administers the test, the GRE features question types that closely reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do, and the skills you need to succeed, in today’s demanding graduate and business school programs.
Whether or not this standardized test actually measures the skills one needs for graduate school is a matter of opinion, but the test is part of the application process for many graduate programs. It is highly advisable to contact your programs of interest to find out how heavily they weigh the test, whether they count every section, and what the average score is for students who gain admissions. The GRE is offered numerous times each year and many graduate school applicants take the test more than once to try to improve their score. Keep in mind a low score will not prevent admissions into a graduate program as the test is considered a reference point and not the final factor. Students have been admitted into graduate programs based on their GRE scores alone while others were admitted into the same program with scores that were considered low, but had other desirable qualifications such as a high grade point average.
SAT - The SAT is a standardized test designed to measure students’ skill in math, reading, and writing. Many colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to take the SAT and submit their scores as part of their application process. The SAT is more challenging with vocabulary than the ACT so that an avid reader may prefer the SAT.
The SAT test contains three sections: Critical Math, Reading and Writing. Math and Reading score on a scale ranging from 200 to 800 points. The Writing test scores on a scale from 2 to 12 points. Each section contains three sessions that are 25 – minutes or less.
Most students take the SAT twice – once during their junior year of high school and the second time their senior year. There is no penalty for taking the SAT test multiple times and students may need to take the test more than once for several reasons. If their scores are not high enough to qualify them for their college of choice and/ or major, if their scores are not high enough to qualify for a particular scholarship/grant or if a particular set of scores is needed to qualify for athletics under NCAA requirements.