Some quick pointers to help you decide are as follows:

• SAT questions are generally multiple-choice in format and require student-produced responses. ACT questions seem to be easier and straightforward to understand compared to SAT questions, which test reasoning and solving-problems skills. The SAT is a punitive exam taking away a quarter point for each wrong answer. ACT does not take points away for wrong answers.
• The SAT has 3 main content areas that are divided into 10 smaller sections. Some might find it harder to shift from Critical Reading, to Math and to Writing and back to Reading in short 20 or 25-minute segments. The ACT has 5 sections that include Science and therefore, tests more subject areas of the curriculum. The ACT tests reading comprehension and reasoning skills in science passages, which might be more suited for students who like science.
• The SAT Math includes data analysis, statistics and probability. The ACT tests trigonometry in addition to algebra and geometry.
• The ACT Reading passages are from subject fields in social studies, the natural sciences, prose fiction and the humanities. The SAT has a greater emphasis on vocabulary, while the ACT focuses more on rhetoric.
• The 30-minute SAT Essay is required while the 25-minute ACT writing is optional. Most universities require students to take the ACT writing section.

The majority of US four-year colleges and universities require the SAT or the ACT for admissions and placement. Start early – join our SAT or ACT prep sessions today!

1.    Full Length Practice Exams and Debriefs

This option includes a 4-hour exam (SAT or ACT), exam marking (including customized essay marking), and a 2.5-hour debrief. Students are each given a cover sheet to help them understand their successes and what they need to work on. We recommend EVERYONE (even those who have completed a PSAT) take the first practice exams for both the SAT and the ACT. This is the best way to get a baseline score early. In order to get an accurate estimate of a student’s abilities, we use only officially released SAT and ACT exams. This is the best “bang for your buck” prep wise, and the most crucial element of prep.

2.   Group Sessions

Group sessions are structured to conquer the elements of the exam: test taking strategies, reading, vocabulary, math, writing, essays, and science (for the ACT). Students can attend each session or pick and choose what they need. Content is unique for each session and never repeated. Each session is 2 hours in length. Sessions will be on Tuesdays from February to June.

3.    SAT and ACT Super Weekends

These are a week’s worth of prep sessions fit into a weekend and designed to deliver a concentration of exam prep. They will be divided into four sections and take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM (with a break from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM for lunch each day). Each super weekend will cover different material, so students are encouraged to come to as many sessions as they need.

4.    Individual Sessions

It is also possible to book one-on-one prep time and individual test debrief sessions with Options Solutions consultants. There is limited availability for one-on-one sessions, so if you are interested, please contact us immediately.

Please visit our online calendar for times and dates.  Please contact our office at info@optionssolutionsed.com to reserve a space.

The four multiple-choice test sections of the ACT takes about 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete:

• The 75-question English test (45 minutes) evaluates the student’s understanding of conventional language skills with respect to the use of punctuation, grammar and sentence structure in context. The rhetorical skills of strategy to achieve the writer’s purpose, the organization of ideas and the effectiveness of sentence elements with regards to essay style and tone. Vocabulary, spelling and rules of grammar are not tested. A total test score (1-36), a Usage/Mechanics sub-score (1-18) and the Rhetorical Skills sub-score (1-18) are all reported.
• In 60-minute Mathematics section assesses skills in six areas that are normally covered by the end of Grade 11: Pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry and trigonometry. Knowledge of the basic formulas and calculation skills are tested in the 60 multiple-choice questions. The total Math score ranges for 1 – 36. In addition, three sub-scores in the six topic areas between 1 and 18 each are also reported.
• The 40 questions in the Reading section asks the test-taker to extract meaning from passages taken from the areas of social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction and the humanities. In 35 minutes, the student is required to use reasoning to identify each text’s in-depth meaning and come to conclusions, draw comparisons and make appropriate generalizations. Three scores including a total section score (1-36), a sub-score in Arts/Literature reading skills (1-18), and a sub-score in Social Studies/Science reading skills. (1-18) are reported.
• The 35-minute Science section has 40 questions that assess how the student interprets, analyses, evaluates, reasons and solves problems in the natural sciences. The test is made up of scientific information derived from the curricular topics of biology, chemistry, physics and earth/space sciences. Examining data, understanding research summaries and critically thinking about conflicting hypotheses and resulting viewpoints are required. Only one science score ranging from 1 – 36 is reported.

After the taking the ACT, the test-taker will receive a Composite Score of 1 – 36, which is an average of the English, Mathematics, Reading and Science test scores.

The ACT has an optional 30-minute Writing Test that measures a student’s writing skills in responding to a question prompt by taking a point of view and addressing the issue presented. Like the SAT Subject Tests, scored from two markers from 2 – 12 and combined with the English Test on a 1-36 scale, the ACT Writing Test is not required for entry to all colleges, so it’s best to check with each institution to see if it’s necessary to take it. You can check the Writing Test requirements by colleges by going to: www.actstudent.org.

Over a period of 3 hours and 45 minutes, SAT test-takers will complete the following sections:

1)    Writing: This section presents a combination of multiple-choice questions on grammar usage and an essay component. These multiple-choice questions test students on sentence and paragraph improvement and error identification. Often the first section of the SAT, the 25-minute essay allows test-takers to show how they can develop and express their ideas effectively in a piece of extended writing by responding to a given prompt. To be successful, it is important to build on a topic viewpoint in a logical way and use supporting examples and details clearly with proper use of language. An effective and concise essay should display sound organizational structure of the writer’s main ideas by addressing the elements of the prompt.

2)    Critical Reading: Reading comprehension and vocabulary skills are tested in these multiple-choice answer sections. Test-takers will need to read short and extended passages for main ideas and subtleties and complete sentences by drawing from the content and topical details. Having some understanding of literary devices, such as metaphor, exaggeration, comparison and contrast, will be beneficial for analyzing and interpreting the purpose of particular sentences or the author’s point in the paragraphs.

3)    Mathematics: An array of mathematical concepts and topics are tested with reference to key knowledge and skills from the secondary school curriculum. These sections include both free-response and multiple-choice questions on solving problems in arithmetic, geometry, algebra, scattered plots, probability and statistics.

Altogether, there are ten separately timed sections on the SAT, which include one 25-minute essay, six 25-minute sections, two 20-minutes and one 10-minute section. Each of the above three major sections is scored on a scale from 200 to 800, for an accumulated maximum of 2400. The Writing section has two sub-scores: the essay is graded from 2 to 12 (a combined score given by two readers that each marks from 1 to 6) and the multiple-choice sub-score ranges from 200 to 800.

Previously called the “SAT II” exams, The SAT Subject Tests are content-specific tests that give students the opportunity to showcase their academic strength across a range of 20 subjects from English Literature to Ecological Biology. The Subject Tests of their choice are written by first-year applicants to demonstrate how prepared they are for a particular area of study at the college level. Not all U.S. colleges will require them for admission, so it’s best to check with each institution regarding how many subject tests are needed, which can range from zero to three.

Watch this spot for more information on how to prepare for the SAT.

At the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Education Fair in downtown Vancouver last Saturday, December 3^rd, Melinda Giampietro of Options Solutions identified and outlined some key and “tip factors” that would help US-bound students to be more successful at applying to higher education institutions in the States. With the number of seats in colleges staying pretty much the same, the growth in applicant pool including an increased influx of international students, grade inflations, re-scaled SAT, more overachieving kids and high-volume applications to multiple schools have all contributed to making the selection process more challenging and college admissions more competitive.

“Since 1993, grades in college prep courses have remained the number one factor in the decision about whom to admit to college,” says NACAC, State of College Admissions. But beyond standardized admissions tests scores such as the SAT and the ACT and these high school cumulative GPAs, a fair amount of emphasis is also placed on “academic factors” that add context to the academic record. These supplementals include the student’s class rank, the application essay (and writing samples), and the teacher and counsellor letters of recommendation. Thrown into the mix are “non-academic” factors that account for the applicant’s involvement in extra-curricular activities, work and volunteer experience and demonstrated “interestability” which would help to round off of the individual’s profile in the critical eyes of admissions officers. Additional attractive qualities and abilities that set the candidate apart from others, referred to as “hooks”, can truly boost their chances if their special talents, outstanding achievements and awards, athletic prowess, alumni connection and legacy, published works are highlighted and conveyed to the admissions team.

So, if your goal is to pursue your university studies in the States, prepare well by taking inventory of your academic accomplishments and your equally-important non-academic involvements, adding to them where possible, and put together an application profile that they can’t refuse.

• I came into the test purposely not having studied in order to lower my SAT stress in the future. The idea is that this is the worst I can do; I can only get better from here.
• I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses, and I know what sections I need to study. The problem is how to study.
• I went into the PSAT not knowing any strategies, but during it, I realized how helpful learning knowing strategies could be.
• The reading sections and the math sections are the toughest. The writing went by quickly, but I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped.
• The reading passages were the hardest. I know I need better strategies to beat these, but they just take so long.
• I can see that this is a standardized test: I can tell what I am being tested on, and I can tell how they are doing it. Now I just need the strategies and the practice to beat it.

A lot of SAT tutors would agree that the PSAT not only prepares students for the format and material covered on the SAT, but also acclimates them to the stress and nerves involved in taking a test of this scope. It is the self-educating process that comes from taking the PSAT that is important. By going blindly (or not) into the test, students often leave with a realization of the importance of developing test-taking strategies. Whether these strategies are for reading passages or for answering multiple choice questions, a personal realization of this kind may motivate students to get the help they need, or simply to develop some personal strategies to allow them to remain focused and active during the test. By taking the PSAT, students get the chance to hone their skills and become comfortable with them in order to eventually walk into the SAT confident and nerve-free.

The “Improve Your Skills” part of your report targets areas where you could improve your performance by giving you specific tips. For example, if you got questions 13, 15 and 17 incorrect in your Math section, you might have encountered problems with dealing with basic statistics, probabilities, graphs and charts on the test. The suggestion for improvement might be for you to practice doing problem-solving questions that involve basic probability, counting, and finding the arithmetic mean, median, and mode. You could look at charts, tables and graphs in online articles, magazines, and newspapers and practice interpreting the data presented in them.

Depending on how you performed, for example, the skills suggested for improvement in Critical Reading could include any or a few of the 21 academic strategies for this section: understanding tone, main ideas, and difficult vocabulary; determining an author’s purpose or viewpoint; applying ideas presented in a reading passage; comparing and contrasting ideas presented in two passages; or distinguishing conflicting perspectives. For your Writing, you might want to work on a number of skills for written clarity and conciseness such as recognizing logical connections within sentences and passages, following conventions in writing, or understanding the structure of sentences with abstract ideas.

Making a conscious effort to identify key areas in your PSAT to improve on will pay dividends later when you prepare for your SATs.

On your PSAT score report, you will notice your scores for Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing Skills, reported on a scale from 20 to 80 points for each section or a total of 60 to 240, which is also referred to as your Selection Index (S.I.) and used for scholarship entry by the National Merit Scholarships Corporation (NMSC). The average scores for eleventh-graders’ scores from 2002 to 2010, according College Board and the NMSC, ranged from 47 – 48 in Critical Reading, 48 – 49 in Mathematics, and 45 – 50 in Writing Skills. The average tenth grader’s scores for the same period are: 42.5 – 43 in Critical Reading, 44 – 45 in Mathematics, and 40 – 45 in Writing Skills. The national percentile located just below your S.I. tells you how your scores compared with those in your grade level who took the PSAT/NMSQT that year. For example, if you are a Grade 11 student who has a percentile of 60, this means you have performed better than 60 percent of the all eleventh graders who have taken this test.

The PSAT scores parallel those on the SAT, which scores between 200 and 800 on each section of the test. A great way to get an idea of how well you will do on the SAT is by simply adding a ‘0’ to your PSAT score. Essentially, you could transpose your PSAT score of 65 (out of 80) in Math to an SAT Math score of 650 (out of 800) to get a good sense of how you might do (an estimated range would be 600 – 740). However, it is worth noting here that the SAT tests cover academic curricular areas slightly beyond those tested on the PSAT that you would study in Grade 11 and the beginning of Grade 12.

Projecting ahead to SAT preparations, students with their PSAT scores can estimate their SAT score range for Critical Reading, Math and Writing. By applying them to improve their estimated performances on the SAT, students should:

• Develop their overall academic skills through intensive course work;

• Do more extensive, focused reading outside of the classroom;

• Do active problem-solving activities;

• Write practice SAT essays by responding well to prompts;

• Practice strategies that would help them to be more familiar with test directions, question types and time.

Nebulous

Meaning: hazy, vague, indistinct or confused

Example Sentence: Dustin gave a nebulous description of the workout routine, leaving Tanner confused and with many questions.

Illusory

Meaning: causing illusion; deceptive; misleading

Example Sentence: Dean found Andy’s behaviour to be somewhat illusory.

Avarice

Meaning: insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth

Example Sentence: Because of his avarice, Brett was willing to sabotage his co-workers to secure a promotion.

Use dictionary.com to define the meaning of words you want to add to your vocabulary list. When constructing example sentences make them personally relevant to help you remember their meaning more effectively. For more on SAT sentence completion visit College Board.

The practice of storytelling for entertainment and instruction was at one time so widespread that it was virtually —- .

(A) rigorous

(B) universal

(C) elevating

(D) uncommon

(E) unknown

To tackle this section of the SAT it is important to first read the entire sentence and determine its meaning. Carefully work your way down the list of word options. If there are two blanks in the sentence, be sure to work on them one blank at a time. Once you think you have the correct word, read the entire sentence again, using your chosen word to fill in the blank. Does the sentence make sense? If not you will need to select another word to fill in the blank. Having a strong vocabulary base to pull from will facilitate your performance on this section. For some fun and helpful vocabulary tools to help you with your SAT prep, read How to Keep Studying for the SAT Interesting Part 1 & Part 2.