College, to many students, appears as a symbol of high school success. To many, it is a golden achievement earned only through hard work and determination. Test scores are one of the toughest components to surpass when trying to gain entry into your favorite college or university.
This is why many students spend hours, days, weeks or even months studying and preparing for the American College Testing (ACT), based on a scale from one to 36, and/or for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), based on a scale of 400-1600.
Calvin Bigham, ‘20, recently took the ACT. When asked how he prepared for the test, he said “I spent probably three hours taking a practice test this week, and I took a practice test last week. I hope I’m ready.”
The official ACT website posted an article discussing the effects of test prep, using a study completed by Jim Jump, an Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling at St. Richmond’s School in Virginia.
Jump said, “Some test-prep firms [are] using an in-house pre-test to set the baseline.” Harmless, right? Jump follows-up by speculating if the pre-tests were a tougher version of the actual test or even “artificially lower[s] the scores.”
This way, test prep firms scare students into taking their preparation program, possibly the biggest Halloween spook for juniors and SENIORS alike. To prove his argument, Jump had an interview with a representative from a test prep firm.
He said, “A representative from the test prep firm confirmed that practice.”
Jump shifts to discussing the SAT, an alternative test to the ACT.
Jump references a press release from the College Board on May 8, 2017. The College Board boasts about their (at the time) recent collaboration with Khan Academy to give students who are users of the popular education website a personalized test prep program.
Specifically, they boast that “20 hours on free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is associated with an average score gain of 115 points.”
The Official ACT website notes the merits of short-term studying, and Jump notes this as well, again referencing the College Board press release: “six to eight hours of practice on Official SAT Practice is associated with an average 90-point increase.” Jump says that this begs the question: “Why would I spend 20 hours practicing when I can get almost as much improvement in six hours?”
However, many websites will inform students that long-term study is necessary for point increases. PrepScholar published an article on Dec. 18, 2017, containing a chart telling students roughly how many hours of study correlate with a point increase on the ACT.
The chart says that for every one-point increase, a study time of 10 hours is required. However, PrepScholar recommends that students who want to go beyond a four-point increase need 80 hours of study for a four-to-six point increase, and 150 hours or more for a six-to-nine point increase.
In true Halloween spirit, the College Board remains hidden in the shadows by not answering questions, especially the moral dilemma that Jump presents: “How significant are SAT scores as a factor predicting readiness for college, and are scores more or less meaningful because they come through coaching/Official SAT Practice? Is a 70-point increase without practice better than a 115-point increase with practice?”
The College Board cannot tell you the best way to study, or even if Official SAT Practice improves the student and their achievement rather than only a test score. Going about taking college entry tests are no easy task. Make sure to check your resources and the policies of test prep firms before putting your hard-earned money at risk.