Will taking a test prep course improve your scores? If you take a course and it detracts from your time for homework or for an extracurricular activity, it’s probably not worth it. Your chances of admission may be improved more by leadership or persistence in some significant activity than by an extra 50 points on the SAT or 2 points on the ACT. However, there are various levels of test preparation. Rather than spending three to six hours a week in an evening course, you could set aside some time every weekend to review class notes (for the ACT), to read outside of class, to look through practice questions online or in a test prep book, and even to take a timed practice test and to review your answers. You could look over your results from the PLAN and the PSAT to determine strengths and weaknesses on each test.

If you cannot make yourself sit down to do practice questions or to review strategies in a test prep book or CD-ROM program, you may benefit from a more structured prep course. Or if your current test scores don’t reflect your ability as demonstrated by classroom achievement, maybe systematic test preparation makes sense for you. Especially if such preparation helps raise your confidence level, improves your test-taking skills, or teaches you to organize your tasks and budget your time. According to Richard Haines, Director of Admissions at Lafayette College, you should consider SAT preparation as a means of self-improvement rather than as an opportunity to “beat the test” or gain admission to a college otherwise beyond your reach. A long-term course is probably best.

There are a number of test prep organizations in Salt Lake City, and each employs a different philosophy. Kaplan and The Princeton Review are national organizations. Higher Ground Learning and Sylvan Learning Center are community organizations. And the Youth Education Program at the University of Utah offers test prep for the ACT every fall and spring. For addresses and phone numbers, check in the Counseling Center. We also have test prep books and CD-ROM programs in the Counseling Center that students are welcome to borrow.

If you feel that standardized tests don’t reflect your abilities as a student or your potential for college, there are colleges and universities that would agree. The website www.fairtest.org reviews many of the problems with standardized admissions tests and has a list of colleges and universities that do not require them in the admissions process.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TESTING

• Your ability to think clearly and reason critically is enhanced by a good night’s rest. Enjoy as relaxing an evening as you can the night before a standardized test. Eat a good breakfast. Allow enough time to get to the testing center a little early.

• At the testing center, be sure to listen to, and follow, all instructions given. Read all written instructions carefully. Then, RELAX. When taking most standardized tests, work efficiently, but not carelessly. If you’re uncertain about an answer, don’t guess randomly. Instead, see if you can make an educated guess, based on probabilities. With most tests, proceed by process of elimination. If you can eliminate two possible answers, it is generally a good idea to make an educated guess from the options remaining.

• The SAT penalizes test takers for wrong answers. If you can’t make an educated guess, leave it blank (“sit”) on the SAT. The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers and it’s better to guess (“act”) when unsure on the ACT.

• Don’t feel demeaned, betrayed, or cursed by a low test score. Remember that colleges don’t use test scores as the only admission criterion. If you’re a junior, remember that you’ll have another opportunity to take the test again. Most competitive colleges weigh your academic record more heavily than standardized test scores. How you performed with a number 2 pencil for 4 hours on a Saturday morning does not reflect your ability as much as how well you did over 4 years in high school.

• Many colleges require that a report of your scores be sent directly from a testing agency. You may send your scores for free to four schools when you register. Additional score reports cost extra for each school.

• Test scores are mailed to students approximately 4 weeks after a test date.

• Most colleges have traditionally taken the highest SAT verbal and math score, and the highest ACT composite score. Many also take the highest score between the two tests. A new comparison chart will most likely become available between the new SAT and ACT.