There are several ways you can improve your SAT or ACT scores.  At Top Test Prep, we have improved SAT and ACT scores by isolating the following common issues: timing and test anxiety.  We’ve found ways to help you prepare for these exams and battle these major issues.

How to Improve your SAT or ACT scores:

(A) Timing: The biggest that most students have for either exams is timing.  Learning how to pace yourself for these exams is crucial.   One recommended strategy to use for the SAT and ACT exams is to take practice tests in real, timed conditions.  Often times students take “practice” SAT/ACT exams in pieces instead of in their whole parts.  First, always take the exams at the same time and day of the actual exam.  If you’re taking these SAT/ACT exams on a Saturday at 10am, I would highly encourage you to do all of your practice exams during the same time period.  In addition, if you’re having trouble keeping pace with the time allotted – usually 20 to 25 minutes for the SAT and 35 to 60 minute section on the ACT – try taking the exam under faster conditions.  Both strategies will give you an advantage over other students.

(B) Exam Anxiety: Taking these exams could be the biggest day of your life.  You are bound to be nervous and anxious to complete the exams so that you can move on to bigger and better things like college.

I would recommend you do the following before exam day to calm your test exam anxiety:  (1) Don’t try to rush your studying to the last minute.  Instead, complete your test prep studying a full day prior to exam day.  This will give you some time to relax and not worry as much.  (2)  Don’t have too much caffeine before the exam.  Drinking too much coffee might off-set your heart rate and could cause you unnecessary anxiety.  (3) On test day, if you can get up early enough, go for a quick jog in the morning.  A short 20 minute jog will get the blood flowing in your body and will allow oxygen to travel with it.  Exercise can help you perform better on the exams, and will keep you happier.

Overall, if you can conquer both SAT/ACT exam timing issues and anxiety, you’re half way through the battle of improving your test scores.  Our SAT tutors and SAT prep program can help you, as well as our ACT tutors and ACT prep programs.

Give us a call at (800) 501-PREP if you have more questions.

Best regards,

Ross Blankenship

President, Top Test Prep

Tags: ACT Prep, ACT exam, SAT Prep, SAT exam // Add Comment »

I’m excited to announce the opening of our second tutoring and test prep office in Washington DC, right in the heart of Georgetown.

Top Test Prep Location:

1027 33rd St. NW

Washington DC 20007

As many of our readers know, we have been expanding rapidly.  The parents and students with whom we work have been referring more tutoring and admissions consulting to Top Test Prep.  It is a pleasure to continue working with students as they prepare for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, GRE and many more!

Our private tutoring and test prep continues to be the best, as we only accept private tutors who are in the Top 1% for all exam.  In addition, our private tutors are provided with highly customized exam materials and test prep schedules.  If you need help preparing for your exams, give us a call today at (800) 501-PREP.

Best regards to you and happy holidays!

Ross Blankenship

President and CEO

Top Test Prep

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I’d like to share with our readers tips to use for test prep, whether you’re taking the SAT exam, ACT exam or other standardized tests like the LSAT, GMAT, GRE or MCAT.  Preparing for exams can be tedious, but with the right plan you can succeed.

Ten Test Prep Tips to Help Improve Your Test Scores:

(1)   Practice sections: Always take practice sections and exams under “testing conditions.”  Testing conditions refers to taking an exam during the same time and general day you are scheduled for the actual exam (e.g. Saturdays at 9am)

(2)   The back of the book: Do not simply look to the back of the book for answers.  This causes you to rely on the book and others’ knowledge more than your own.  Always try the problems first and then rely on the back of the book to “check” your answer.

(3)   Manage your time wisely.   One of the most important things to do before you begin studying for tests is to set out a proper study schedule.  At a minimum, you should devote between 2 to 3 hours per day in preparing for exams.  Make it your part-time job.  Choose only one or two test prep books and go to work.

(4)  Get help when necessary. In most cases, students only get once chance to take a major test like the PSAT, SAT, ACT or other grad level exams like the GRE and LSAT.  So why not consider a private tutor?  At the very least look into it.  Beyond providing you direction, a private tutor may go a long way in helping you prepare for these exams.   For example, Top Test Prep’s tutors all have scored in the top 99th percentile and are double-screened to ensure they are able to successfully tutor students.

(5)   Speed exam taking: If the student has difficulties with time or time pressures, have the student take the sections under faster time settings.  For example, have the student take what would normally be a 30 minute section, in 15 minutes instead.  Like running with weights attached to your ankles, this will make the tests and each sections faster for the student.

(6)   Math Problems: The method is more important than the result. If a student cannot explain how he or she got to the correct answer, they won’t be able to do it correctly on their own exam.  Like any mathematical proof, you want to make sure you have every step down perfectly.  Every student must be able to explain their methods.

(7)   Verbal Problems: One method that has worked for Top Test Prep is to have every student read the verbal passages out loud before answering the questions.  Most test prep companies recommend reading the questions first, and then skimming the content.  During your tutoring sessions, we want the students to hear what the author is writing and then to explain the passage’s main point to the tutor.  If a student can explain what an author intended to write, he or she will know the answers before they get to the questions.  If a student can come up with his or her own title to the passage, they become more involved and will understand the questions better.  Essentially, make the student the author of the passage.

(8)   On test day: The Five P’s of Test Prep are simple:  Proper preparation prevents poor performance.  Make sure every student has everything they need on test day:  All #2 pencils, calculators, and their admissions ticket.  Being prepared will prevent nervousness and overall anxiety.  Students are encouraged to have some caffeine, but not too much – however much they are comfortable with drinking.

(9) Expect the Unexpected. When test day arrives, you must expect that you will see questions with which you are unfamiliar.  In the event you don’t know the answer, make sure to eliminate as many problems that are not logical or those which have no basis for even being an answer choice.  This takes practice.  However, it’s important not to just guess if you have a chance of losing points.

(10) Don’t Panic. No matter what your score is, keep in mind that you can take an exam again.   You can take many exams again without being penalized – several admissions offices will look to your highest score regardless of any previous exam results.

This article was written by Ross Blankenship, an admissions consultant and President of TopTestPrep.com, which provides private tutoring and admissions consulting to students around the world.  Call (800) 501-PREP to get help with private tutoring and admissions consulting.

Tags: ACT Prep, Private Tutors, SAT Prep, Test Prep, admissions consultants // Add Comment »

As many students are heading back to school during August, we highly recommend signing up for your private tutoring and test prep now in time for the SAT Test on October 10, 2009, as well as the ACT exam on September 12, 2009 and October 24, 2009.

Our SAT private tutors will provide custom schedule, test prep materials, and private (one-on-one) tutoring for the upcoming SAT exam.

Our ACT private tutors are also ready to help you with custom materials and a game plan for the ACT Exam.

You can also call us directly at (800) 501-PREP to get more information on either the SAT or ACT private tutoring.

Tags: ACT Prep, One on One Tutoring, SAT Prep // Add Comment »

For private, home tutoring, SAT prep, ACT prep and admissions consulting,

Contact us today at (800) 501-PREP, or go to our home tutoring and admissions consulting pages.

Helping Students Get Into:
Ivy League Schools (Ivy League Admissions Consultants)
Top Colleges and Universities
Elite Private Schools (K-12)
Graduate Schools
and more…

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We’ve had many questions about whether students should re-take the SAT or ACT after receiving their scores back. Perhaps they were a bit disappointed with their SAT or ACT exam results.

There are a few things to consider:
(1) Where does your SAT or ACT score fit within the range of schools you’re applying?
-For example, if you’re more than 2 points off on the middle ACT range or 100 points off the SAT range of your choice school, you may want to re-take the exam. After all, it would only benefit you with the new SAT score reporting rules to re-take the exam with less fear that the schools will see a lower test score. There’s nothing to lose in re-trying on these exams.

(2) What’s your current GPA?
-Sometimes schools place more emphasis on high school performance than on SAT and ACT scores. Overall, however, the colleges still use the SAT and ACT as an objective measure of your future performance. Thus, your GPA does matter but the test scores usually count for more. If your GPA and SAT scores don’t match in terms of academic performance (example: a student with a 4.0 GPA and 1800 on the SAT), you might want to consider writing an admissions essay to describe your overall test performance and what you tried to do despite your SAT or ACT exam results.

(3) Consider private tutoring or home tutoring…
-If you’ve tried the large class sizes of a test prep company, perhaps it’s time to try private tutoring or in-home tutoring from Top Test Prep. After all, we’ll show you ways to improve your SAT and ACT exam scores, while customizing an SAT study schedule or ACT study schedule for you.

We’re here to help you with your SAT and ACT exams, with our private tutoring and admissions consulting. Call us today at (800) 501-PREP or go to our main test prep and private tutoring website, www.TopTestPrep.com.

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**PRESS RELEASE**

Top Test Prep Offers $25,000 Reward for Perfect SAT or ACT Score

Washington D.C. – April 20, 2009- Top Test Prep, a private tutoring and admissions consulting company, today announced a new incentive program to give back to students who get perfect scores on the SAT or ACT.

“For a limited time, Top Test Prep will be offering a $25,000 reward to any student who enrolls in our Gold or Silver test preparation package, and subsequently receives a perfect score on the SAT or ACT within one year of his or her enrollment,” announced the President of Top Test Prep, Ross Blankenship.

Any student who enrolls in a qualifying package during the promotional period will be eligible for this reward.

“Top Test Prep wants to give students an incentive to work hard and study for their exams more intensely,” continued Blankenship. “We want the chance to reward our students for their dedication and their confidence in the services we provide. We strongly believe that our tutoring methods are the best and that students will see actual results. Top Test Prep is willing to put its methods and strategies to the ultimate test.”

Details and Official Rules of the “Perfect Score” $25,000 SAT and ACT reward being offered by Top Test Prep can be found online at the Top Test Prep admissions blog: www.TopTestPrep.com/blog.

Top Test Prep is the only test prep company ever to offer a reward for high achievements on the SAT and ACT exams.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Top Test Prep
press@toptestprep.com
(800) 658-0784

About Top Test Prep:
Top Test Prep was founded to improve scores and increase students chances of admissions to top high schools, colleges and graduate programs. Top Test Prep currently offers private tutoring for the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, TOEFL, GRE, MCAT, SAT IIs and AP Exams. In addition, Top Test Prep’s admissions counseling is led by Ross Blankenship. Information on Top Test Prep programs can be found at www.TopTestPrep.com.

Official Rules Perfect SAT and ACT scores

Top Test Prep Perfect SAT, ACT Score Reward Press Release

For information on Our Tutoring

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Today many of our students took the ACT Exam, June 2008. Here is some feedback we received:

Most difficult section: Math

Increased emphasis appeared to be on Trigonometry and Intermediate Algebra. Not as many coordinate geometry questions. Although on average there are typically less than 5 questions involving trigonometry there were more according to some students.

Here is the typical ACT Math Section: 14 covering pre-algebra, 10 elementary algebra, 9 intermediate algebra, 14 plane geometry, 9 coordinate geometry, and 4 elementary trigonometry.

Reading: Average difficulty. Nothing too unsual. Here’s the typical ACT question breakdown: 35 minute, 40 question reading section measures reading comprehension in four passages. Today’s reading section featured nothing out of the ordinary including one reading passage on Neanderthals (very common for test writers to include passages with complex scientific terms).

Essay Topic:
Lawmakers arguing whether companies should be able to advertise harmful products; your point of view.

Science:
Conflicting view points: two different graphs supporting the arguments
Data Representation, somewhat more difficult with more questions than usual.

The ACT science section is a 35 minute, 40 question test. There are seven passages each followed by five to seven questions. There are three Data Representation passages with 5 questions following each passage, 3 Research Summary passage with six questions each, and one Conflicting Viewpoints passage with 7 questions.

If you have more information you would like to share, any specifics, please feel free to do so. We’ll post a trend analysis on the ACT later, but wanted to share some of the feedback we had received.

For students:

The ACT exam hopefully went well. If you have any questions or comments, or are interested in getting help on future tests -contact us.

For parents:

Once the test scores come back, give us a phone call or fill out our consultation form to get help. Our ACT Tutors will help you figure out exactly what went well and fix the ACT sections that need improvement.

Although it might seem like the ACT exam is too difficult, our strategies and methods help students succeed on their tests. So if you took the ACT exam today, June 14th, take the day off, you deserve it.

Ross Blankenship, Director of Tutoring and Admissions Consultant

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The ACT, a test administered to high school students, is designed to assess a potential college student’s academic progress and to determine their ability to perform college level work. The ACT is a multiple choice test. There are 4 required parts to the ACT Test.

• Math: There are 60 multiple choice questions to this section. You have 60 minutes to complete this part of the exam.

• English: There are 75 multiple choice questions. You have 45 minutes to complete this section.

• Reading: There are 40 multiple choice questions on this section. You must complete this section in 35 minutes.

• Science: There are 40 multiple choice questions. The time allotted for this part of the test is 35 minutes.

• Writing – OPTIONAL: The ACT Plus is the test that contains the writing exam. This test consists of writing a short essay. You have 30 minutes to complete this test. You should check with your college advisor, like those at Miro Advantage, to see if this is required for your situation.

Here are some ACT facts. All of this information is based on 2007 school year data, as this year’s data has not yet been compiled.

A perfect score on the ACT is 36. This score does not include the writing test. For the 2007 school year 1 in every 4,000 students achieved a perfect score. It is not an easy task to accomplish.

There are 5 test dates every year. They are October, December, February, April and June.

Most students take the ACT twice. Once in their junior year and once as a senior.

Of those who took the test more than once in 2007; 55% of increased their test scores, 22% saw no change, and 23% had a lower score.

The ACT is the most widely taken exam particularly in the Midwest and South. Its popularity is due to the fact that the test is based on the standard high school curriculum. All of the Ivy League Schools accept the ACT. In addition, if price is a factor, it is the least expensive of the college admission exams. This test is a good choice for college admissions. Be sure to check with the admissions office or with your college advisor (or you can call Miro Advantage for free consultation) to confirm your particular requirements for this test.

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In a school system that prizes grades more than anything else, ability rather than hard work, and conformity over individuality, it is no surprise that many high school students lose their motivation. When your child was a toddler they were full of curiosity, and had a real motivation to learn about their environment. As they started school they immediately began to form opinions about their own abilities and self worth. Many times these initial opinions carry with them through school. It is reflected in their grades, and in their drive to succeed.

Today, they are facing high school, SAT tests, and college preparation. They need to find that drive to learn.

For many parents this is a huge concern, but, it doesn’t have to be. Here are five things you can do to help motivate your child:
1. Show them the value of hard work at this stage: Instead of yelling at your son or daughter for their poor grades (and effort), teach them. Show them what an education, from a good college, can do for them. Sit down together and research the starting wages for a few different jobs. Further look at the difference between an education in a good school, and that of a community college. A simple “Google” search is all that is required to find this information (if you don’t know how, they do).

2. Get involved and stay involved: Use a positive, interested attitude towards their school work. Know where your child’s grades are and monitor their progress. Help with school work that they are struggling with. The key is to show interest in them, and not make it seem like another chore.

3. Acknowledge hard work: Instead of making the focus all about grades, reward them for hard work. If they have made an improvement, show them that you noticed. This can further motivate them to make more improvements. Of course you want them to ace everything! But, if they are working to improve, they are taking the first important steps.

4. Support them in their individuality: Another important part of college planning is extracurricular activities. Help your teen to develop their own interests, by supporting them in their activities outside of school work.

5. Develop a plan together for the SAT(s): Instead of leaving this important test in their hands, get involved. Sit down together and make a plan to study for the SAT. Their marks on these tests can determine their eligibility to many good schools.

Help them by showing them how important they are, and getting involved with planning (and even studying). Motivation in this stage of your child’s life is important. By getting involved in all aspects of their high school year, not only will you develop a better relationship with them, you will also help to rekindle that sense of curiosity that they had when they were younger.

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