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"As a rule, the more selective the institution, the more extracurriculars, leadership, recommendations, and things of that nature come into play."
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George W. Dixon, North Carolina State U., Admissions

The Long and Short of Test Prep

For Admissions and Placement Tests

It's probably not what your child wants to hear, but preparation for admissions tests should start long before ever hearing the letters S-A-T. These tests measure skills developed over a long period of time, both before and during high school.

Long-Term Preparation

Inside the Classroom

One of the best ways your child can get ready is to take solid academic courses (and study hard for them, of course). Your child should enroll in the most challenging courses she can handle in English, math, science, social studies, foreign languages, and fine arts. Algebra and geometry, in particular, will give your child the skills needed to succeed on the math part of the college entrance exams. Overall classroom experiences will affect how well your child does on admissions tests.

Outside the Classroom

Your child spends six hours or so each day for 180 days each year in school. So what does she do with the rest of her time? That's important, too. Here are some examples of ways your child can supplement her classroom experience:

  • Read regularly. Reading newspapers, novels, textbooks, poems, and magazines can help your child build her vocabulary. Students who have strong reading habits do well on the verbal part of the SAT®.
  • Learn to attack new words. Looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary and trying to get a handle on prefixes, suffixes, and root words can help vocabulary building as well. Studying a foreign language can also help your child figure out new words.
  • Get involved. Clubs, sports, games, part-time jobs, and other activities can improve your child's problem-solving skills.

Practice

During the later high school years, your child should think about what she needs to know on test day. For example, taking the PSAT/NMSQT® gives your child a chance to become familiar with the SAT format and the types of questions, and she can use her scores to pinpoint where more work is needed. Reviewing actual test questions and tests can also help your child to be more comfortable on test day.

For more information, your child can check out the SAT Prep Center in our testing section for students.