The recent SAT cheating scandal involving Long Island high school and college students has set off alarm bells in higher education. How could students at top Long Island schools pay college students to take their SATs for them? How widespread is this practice and how long has it been going on?
For those of us in education, and test preparation in particular, the New York incident is not surprising: it is the natural evolution of a system that has placed an extremely high value on the results of a single test. It has created an arms race among students who are driven to exploit any means (both legal and illegal) to increase their chances of admission to the university of their choice. For better or worse, this is the current environment that students (and their parents) must deal with, and the reality is that standardized testing is one of the most important factors in college admission.
While the importance of standardized testing may change in the long run, for now, the idealistic idea pioneered by Harvard University to liberalize the admissions process is the most serious obstacle high school seniors will face.
Given these conditions, what should students do? What priorities should students set, and how should parents help them get there with their integrity intact? There are three simple rules for navigating the SAT/ACT and college admissions process, and this applies to the GMAT, LSAT, MCAT and GRE as well. These rules are designed to take the stress out of the college admissions process and make it possible for anyone to score higher on the SAT/ACT.
1) Think long term
2) Maximize reps
3) Adapt your learning
Think long-term: Start your formal test preparation activities a year before the test date. Any good test preparation process begins with learning the ins and outs of the SAT or ACT. This requires a thorough review of each of the question types, scoring method, and exam format BEFORE asking a practice question. This is a relatively low-pressure, low-stakes way to prepare for and get comfortable with the exam.
Maximize Repetitions – Ask as many test prep questions as you can to familiarize yourself with the patterns and habits of question writers. This doesn’t require you to buy a ton of books or download massive databases of questions. As long as you get coverage on all common question types, asking the same questions will build the confidence and pattern recognition needed to be successful.
Adapt your learning: You should avoid the cookie cutter approach at all costs. If you’re testing at a high level in math, but are struggling verbally, attack the fruit at your fingertips! For you, an hour of verbal preparation will produce more score improvement than an hour of math preparation, so focus on the right things. Don’t waste your time (and money!) learning skills that won’t help you improve your score. Take time to practice question types that you are not so comfortable with, and always look for new ways to engage with the material.
Above all, stay focused: don’t waste time practicing concepts you already know or won’t be on the exam. Once you finish studying, relax and feel confident that you did the best you could and that is all you can ask for.