How To Prepare For The Best SAT Results
How To Prepare For The Best SAT Results
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SAT results are one of the most important sets of data your children will encounter during their school years. Generated from their performance in SAT assessments, their score will determine the type of further education institutions they can apply to. Further, SAT scores are seen as a differentiator of performance in schools. As a result, the tests provide a benchmark against which different levels of attainment can be set. This makes them a crucial element of a successful academic education.
Parents and grandparents who want to see their children / grandchildren achieving the best results need to be on hand to provide the right guidance during the revision and studying process. Preparation is an essential ingredient to success in these exams, and it is vital that students adhere to a structured revision regime in the run up to test day.
There are a number of ways in which your children can successfully prepare for their SATs. One of the most effective ways to prepare for any exam is to analyze past test papers, and mock papers with samples of the types of questions you might expect. There are many different mock tests available for SATs, and students can use these as one of the best forms of practice ahead of sitting the exam itself. The more practiced you are at the types of questions that commonly appear, the more ready you can be to face these questions in an exam situation. This is the reason so many students find it helpful to revise using past and example papers, to get a better feel for how their exam might go.
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Another avenue that some students find useful is an informal study group. Students sit their SATs as a year group, and this means there are often a number of other students in the same position, revising and studying ahead of their exams. Arranging a regular weekly session for several students to meet can be a good way to deliver results from peer-to-peer learning. Often cited as the next best thing to one-on-one tutoring, your kid can clarify any points of confusion with classmates who may already have a better grasp of the topic. Similarly, your child can support others who may be struggling, helping to achieve a common good for your child and their friends.
Communication with schools is too often lacking around exam times, and this is unfortunate. Many parents are willing to do whatever it takes to improve their child’s chances, while teachers are more than happy to support this kind of enthusiasm. Do not be afraid to speak to your children’s teachers, and to ask for advice on how they should best prepare for the exam. Teachers are the professionals, and they often have the most up-to-date experience of what it takes to succeed in SATs. Their knowledge and support can be invaluable, and could be what it takes to achieve a breakthrough in the revision process.
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For some students, parental and peer support may be beneficial, but it may take more direct support in order to achieve the best results. For SAT prep advice, and more hands-on guidance, professional tutoring companies can be another viable option. This infographic shows the importance of the SAT exams, and how students can benefit from external support. This can be an often-essential part of supporting in-school study, to give a student the best possible chance of passing with a good score.
The most important element of studying for the SATs is preparation. That means outlining the subjects to be revised, planning study materials, and arranging practice examples ahead of time. As a parent, you can support your child in providing much of the structure, through timetabling and planning your child’s week. This means you can keep a closer watch over how much time is being spent studying, and what materials are being reviewed, so that you can best ensure the necessary hard work is being done.
The SATs are an essential milestone in any student’s educational life, and getting a good score really does have the potential to change the course of your child’s future. There are few things more important than preparing adequately for these exams, and it is important you are able to keep your child free from distractions and time wasting at this crucial point in their academic career. While it is important to balance the revision work with recreation time, there is real merit in working as hard as possible toward achieving the best possible test score.
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A good score can mean the difference in an Ivy League school or a college scholarship. Taking the appropriate action to aide in this is so important. It’s a far cry from the past when I just went and took the test without any prep. Imagine what my score would have been if I had. 🙂
As the parents of very good students, I see parents who are sometimes too pushy. I'm letting my son make his own choices in how to study. His school gives plenty of guidance. This approach seemed to work well for my eldest.
These are good tips Cheryl and students in Australia have just finished their HSC which is the last exam of their schooling before they go onto Uni. One thing you wrote about is preparation and if that is done a lot of the stress is taken out of it.
Preparation is always key, but it would also be helpful if school curriculum was better aligned with what such tests covers. Hopefully the Common Core Standards will help address some of the gaps.