New E-Book Fundamentals of Good Test Taking

Testniques.com has just recently finished a short yet to the point E-book, The Fundamentals of Good Test Taking. Primarily written to help prepare for the SAT, many of the tips and hints are valid in High School, College and later on in life. For the next 30 days, anyone can request a copy by writing to me at steve@testniques.com The e-book is in pdf format so Adobe reader is required.

The PSAT Matters

October is PSAT month. Many students go into the PSAT with the following philosophy-- it doesn't count so why should I try? It is foolish not to try on the PSAT for several reasons. First, the PSAT honors those who do well with National Merit Scholarships. Second, colleges give extra money to National Merit Scholars because it increases a schools prestige to have National Merit Scholars in its student body. But with National Merit Scholars we are talking about the top 2% of High School Juniors nationwide. For most others, the PSAT is an opportunity to take a practice test under proper test conditions. Sometime in December, the PSAT results come out with a detailed analysis which is useful for the preparation for the real deal, the SAT. Use this result sheet to locate those areas which need the most improvement. Give this sheet to your tutor and map out a proper study plan designed to turn those weaknesses into strengths.

You Practice the Way You Play

Just got back from watching a new movie, The Express, the tragic life story of Syracuse fullback Ernie Davis --the first African American College Football Heisman Trophy winner. In one scene, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder is upset with the effort of his team on the practice field. Schwartzwalder yells "if you practice half assed, you will play half assed" Immediately I thought about how true this is with tests like the SAT. TAKING NUMEROUS PRACTICE TESTS UNDER TEST LIKE CONDITIONS (meaning--get up early on a weekend or holiday, eat a good breakfast, start the practice exam at 9 a.m. (same time as the actual test) correctly time each section, take the appropriate breaks, use grid sheets with pencils) IS A PROVEN METHOD TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE.

Proper preparation is a great habit to get into. Whether its preparing for an exam, a job interview, a game or a presentation. The earlier one masters proper preparation, the better the performance will be when it counts.