If you're in the market for SAT/ACT or PSAT tutoring, CFA Test Prep can help connect your student to knowledgeable tutors. These standardized exams are used by many universities and college for admissions purposes and PSAT is important for scholarships and is the basis for National Merit Scholarship Awards. This makes it a critical step for your student as they begin to think about applying to college. Working with a tutor can assist your student in preparing properly for these important exams.
The ACT consists of four different sections plus an optional Writing assessment. The exam takes just over 3 1/2 hours to complete when you choose to take the Writing section. Without the Writing section, the ACT takes just under three hours. The material covered on the ACT consists of Reading, Writing, Science, Math, and English. With so much content to study, it can seem overwhelming to review for this exam. Working with a private teacher can help your student break the material in the smaller pieces, making it more manageable.
The ACT is the only college admissions exam that contains a Science section. This part of the ACT consists of 40 multiple-choice questions that evaluate interpretation, evaluation, analysis, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. The concepts assessed on this part of the exam will come from your student's previous biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth and space science courses. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to decipher experimental results and analyze scientific information. If your student decides to take the Writing section of the ACT, he or she will have 40 minutes to respond to one essay question. The essay question will present students with a prompt that conveys an issue and three different perspectives on that issue. The essay response must state your student's personal perspective and analyze if there are any connections between his or her personal viewpoint and at least one of the three given perspectives. This section evaluates the ability to draft and organize thoughts as well as analysis and comparison skills. Your student will need to be able to write this essay response at the level required for an entry-level college composition course.
The purpose of the SAT is to provide an assessment of your student’s level of preparedness to take on college-level studies that they can include with their application materials. Most colleges and universities accept SAT scores as a part of an applicant’s admissions packet, because it provides a common data point they can use to compare all potential students. Admissions boards use SAT scores as one of the pieces of information they consider when making admissions decisions. Here’s a quick overview of the SAT:
3 hour exam
50 extra minutes for the SAT Essay
Content Areas
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
50% of exam
Reading Test
Writing and Language Test
Math
50% of Exam
Calculator allowed sortion
No calculator section
The SAT exam is made up of three required sections and an optional essay. The required sections include the Reading section, Writing and Language section, and the Math section. In addition to covering specific concepts and skills that your student will find on these exams, an instructor can help your student with test-taking skills such as time management or stress reduction. Standardized tests can be unfamiliar if your student isn't used to taking this type of exam. These exams covers a lot of content and each section has strict time limits. A coach can assist your student in learning how to properly pace him or herself. For example, an instructor can assist your student in learning strategies for answering different types of questions. When answering multiple choice questions, your student will want to use different strategies as opposed to answering essay questions. A coach can help your student to understand how to make educated guesses and move onto the next question when working through difficult multiple choice questions. Stress reduction is another skill your student's instructor can assist with. Many students have a hard time controlling their stress levels during an exam, especially a long exam with so much riding on it. Your student's instructor can assist by providing different strategies and tips on reducing anxiety during the exam, such as various breathing techniques or confident self-talk. These skills will be extremely helpful when taking these exams, but can also be applied to any test experience your student may have in the future.
No matter where your student is in the SAT/ACT or PSAT review process, working with an instructor can be a very valuable resource. Working with an instructor who has experience in teaching these skills and knows the ins and outs of the exams can help your student prepare more thoroughly than might be able to on his or her own.
How is working with private tutors different than being in a traditional classroom? Working with private tutors is a very different experience than students might receive in a traditional classroom. One of the major advantages of working with a private instructor is the opportunity to take advantage of personalized, one-on-one attention. Private instructors have the ability to figure out what your student's exact learning style and adjust their teaching methods to fit that style. Additionally, a private instructor has the ability to determine the content or skills your student is having the hardest time understanding and can spend as much time as necessary to assist your student in fully understanding it. Alternately, if your student has already mastered the skill, study sessions can invest only a small amount of time or skip over that section completely and focus on other areas. This ability to work at your own pace can be difficult to find in a typical classroom setting.
Private instruction can also help your student to determine their specific academic strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge can help your student gain confidence as he or she uses these strengths and improves the areas of weakness. Your student's private teacher can use all this information to create a customized study plan.
Another benefit of signing up for private instruction is the ability to fit study sessions into an established schedule. With CFA Test Prep, students have the option of either meeting with their instructor online or in person. If you and your student elect to meet with an instructor online, he or she will be able to access study sessions using our unique Live Learning Platform. This brings face-to-face educational sessions to your student's favorite study spot, as long as there is access to high-speed Internet and a computer. It also increases the number of instructors available since your student is not limited to working with people in your area. If you and your student decide to meet with a tutor in person, you can elect to meet at the time and location of your choice. This means your student can meet with his or her instructor at the public library, a favorite coffee shop, or in the comfort of your own home. This makes it very convenient to fit exceptional private instruction into an already busy schedule filled with classes, extracurricular activities, and family obligations.
How do I get signed up to work with a tutor?
If you're ready to sign your student up to work with a knowledgeable tutor, all you need to do is call CFA Test Prep. You'll be able to speak to one of our educational consultants, who can help you get signed up. These exams are one of the first obstacles your student will face when preparing to apply to a college or university. It makes sense to take advantage of every resource at your disposal so your student can receive help while reaching for his or her goals. Call CFA Test Prep right now and let us set you up with the best tutors available.