Using the Web to Boost SAT Scores

I read recently that one of the University of California campuses was considering doing away with the SAT in order to promote a greater acceptance rate of minority applicants. A couple of weeks later, I read that additional research into the idea had shown that doing so would actually hurt minority applicants.

For better or worse, it seems as if the scholastic assessment test and similar standardized exams will remain an important part of college entrance for the foreseeable future.

Software programs have been available for several years now that claim to help students boost their SAT scores. The question is: How do you know if they really work? Most students take the test only once, so how can you tell if the program boosted their scores?

There’s another option for students facing the grind of college entrance exams. Instead of spending hard-earned money on software, why not take advantage of the resources available on the World Wide Web? There’s no shortage of sites offering free tools to help boost exam scores.

The first stop on your quest for free SAT skill-builders should be Stanford Testing Systems (https://www.testprep.com), which offers one of the most comprehensive test preparation sites. The company’s primary product is the Stanford Studyguide Software for SAT Success, which it markets directly to high schools.

When you use the STS online service, called WebWare for the SAT, you first take a sample SAT and submit your answers through a Web interface. STS then scores your test and identifies the areas where you need help, then guides you to math and verbal skills reviews that address those areas. The site claims to have thousands of the review exercises available.

Unlike many of the commercial programs you can buy for SAT preparation, STS takes a very serious approach. It doesn’t use games or cartoons to reinforce skills. Its style is just-the-facts.

STS is working on WebWare programs for the following tests: American College Testing (ACT Assessment), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Once these are complete, you may never have to spend another dime on test preparation software.

A company called College PowerPrep (https://www.powerprep.com) offers both for-sale and free software on its site. The free, “downloadable” software includes SAT Strategies, SAT Diagnostics, VocabMaster Lite and SAT Classroom software. The classroom software covers those banes of SAT-takers: analogies; sentence completion; reading comprehension; decimals, percents and equations; algebra; fractions and exponents; geometry; and story problems. The only “cost” of these programs is the requirement that you complete an online registration.

The College PowerPrep site also offers many related resources for the SAT-bound student. There’s a Tip of the Day page, resources to help you find the right school, and strategy for taking the test. All in all, it’s a worthwhile site, even if you decide not to buy anything.

If math is your weak point, you may want to check out the SATMath site (https://www.satmath.com) offered by Cubic Science. Although the tutorial is not free, the site does offer some samples so you can try before you buy. If you do sign up, you get the first week for free. If you change your mind during that week, you owe nothing. The cost: $30 for one month of access.

The interactive lessons on the SATMath site require that you have the Macromedia Shockwave plug-in installed with your Web browser. If you don’t have it, you can download it for free from the Macromedia Web site (https://www.macromedia.com).

If you need to bone up on your word skills, check out the Syndicate Puzzles Web site (https://syndicate.com). This site offers word puzzles in a competitive arena--you compete against everyone else in cyberspace for monthly prizes valued at about $50.

The site claims that the quizzes, “endorsed by teachers . . . can be used to prepare for the PSAT [Preliminary SAT], SAT, SSAT [Secondary School Admission Test].” Although that may be debatable, there are several types of word puzzles to choose from and, aside from the required registration, participation is 100% free.

Of course, it pays to go right to the source. The Educational Testing Service is the nonprofit organization responsible for developing such achievement and admissions tests as the SAT in the U.S. and 180 other countries. At its home page (https://www.ets.org), you can learn more about the group’s testing methodology, which sometimes has been controversial. Students won’t find any real examination tips, but parents and educators may find it interesting.

Although the ETS develops tests, it’s the College Board (https://www.collegeboard.org/) that administers many of them for the academic community. At the College Board site, you can get test dates and locations, register online, submit applications for financial aid and get SAT exam tips.

You can spend $30 to $50 or more on test preparation software that may or may not be what you need. Or you can spend a little time on the Internet and accomplish the job for free.

If you find the sites don’t do the trick for you, though, then consider buying the software, getting a tutor or attending a class. Having a high SAT score is often important to getting into the college of your choice.

*

Kim Komando is a TV host, syndicated talk radio host, author and entrepreneur. You can visit her on the Internet at https://www.komando.com or e-mail her at komando@komando.com