Proper Preparation Can Pave Way for Success on ACT, SAT

By Laurie Evans

Next month every high school junior in the state of Kentucky will take the ACT Test.

For college-bound students this can test can produce a great deal of anxiety – and for good reason.

According to the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, most universities rank ACT/SAT test scores as the second most important factor in admitting students.

Only a student’s grade point average in college prep classes carries more weight in these decisions.

That’s why many students seek help preparing for the ACT and the SAT.

Larry Boss, owner of The Tutoring Club of Lexington, sees many of these students beginning in the fall of their junior year for a 16-hour preparatory class.

“We start them off with a mock test which highlights what they need to fix,” Boss said.

That allows The Tutoring Club staff to personalize a study program to cover those skills that trouble a student.

The ACT test covers three years worth of math concepts. That’s where most students struggle.

“We can use the prep course to refresh those math skills,” he said.

The course gives students a chance to experience the style of questions posed in the ACT or SAT tests.

Some of the test questions themselves are complex, but practice can help students improve their test taking skills.

In addition to preparing early for these standardized tests, Boss offers some other advice for college bound students:

• Focus on college success, not just college entry.
• Hone your study skills for college classes, not just for testing.
• Pay attention in class. You will need those math skills once you get to college.
• Remember that each class you take builds on the skills you learned the year before.
• Students need to take their classes seriously in middle school as well as high school in order to succeed.