Now is the time to begin preparing for the SAT and ACT

Reduce Anxiety and Increase Confidence for Better SAT* and ACT® Scores



More than three million college admissions tests are administered each year, making the SAT and the ACT two of the most important exams that a high school student will ever take. In order to perform at their best, students should become familiar with the style and types of questions on the tests, in order to avoid “trap-door answers.” In addition, students should boost their reading and vocabulary skills and learn specific process of elimination strategies. Above all, students need to work through as many practice questions and tests as possible in the weeks and months leading up to the actual exam. Your local Sylvan provides courses specifically for SAT preparation as well as other supplemental courses to help students increase their reading speed, shore up any Algebra or Geometry weaknesses before taking the SAT or just get organized for college.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offers tips to help students prepare for these important tests:

• Unlike the SAT, the ACT has no scoring penalty for incorrect answers, so never leave an ACT question blank.
• On the SAT, by eliminating at least two incorrect answers for every question you’re unsure about, you will mathematically beat the odds of the test and raise your score.
• Since the test’s instructions will not change, don’t waste time reading the instructions on the day of the test. You should already know them.
• Never spend too much time on any single question—it’s just not worth it. It’s better to lose one point on a difficult question than to lose 10 points because you ran out of time on the last part of a section.
• If you are unsure of a question, circle it and come back to it if time permits.
• Don’t get bogged down on the difficult questions before you have racked up as many points as possible on the easy and medium questions.

Students who are interested in a test prep course should visit the “College Prep” area at www.SylvanLearning.com or call your local center to learn more about Sylvan SAT Prep and Sylvan ACT Prep. These courses are offered exclusively through Sylvan Learning and provide proven test-taking strategies, state-of-the-art course materials and content review in small team environments that give students the confidence and personalized attention that help raise test scores.

For additional assistance in helping your teenager prepare for college, attend a free, interactive seminar – “Test Stress: A Parent’s Real Guide to College Test Prep” – to obtain advice from leading college admissions experts that will help you develop action plans to ensure your student is college ready. Visit tutoring.sylvanlearning.com for upcoming seminar details.