Are you starting to feel stressed-out about taking SAT or the ACT?  You aren’t alone. Getting a high score on the math portions represent the biggest obstacle for many students of hoping to be accepted into their first choice college. Thoroughly preparing for the tests is the best way to reduce the stress and score well. If you are reading this article you must be motivated to prepare for the ACT or SAT.

How to Prepare for the Math Section of the ACT or SAT

1) Learn the math concepts and skills on the tests. This seems obvious but it isn’t always. Some high school students think that test prep is more about learning the “tricks” of the test. Effective test prep focuses on learning the concepts and skills covered on the tests.  Enrolling in Mathnasium of Smyrna is a great way to learn the math covered on these tests.   

2) Before you plan to take the real test take several practice tests. The sooner you start taking practice tests the more time you have for improving your score. You will find out your strengths and weaknesses. If there are any trick questions, you will learn what they look like and how to answer them.

3) Enroll in our test prep program. Even students who have mastered the math skills benefit from some fine-tuning of tests taking skills. If you want scholarship money, and/or to get into a top-notch school, attend our math test prep 3-5 hours per week for at least two months. 

What to Expect from Test Prep with Mathnasium of Smyrna

Step 1.   We will assess your starting point of math skills and conceptual understanding. You will take our assessment aligned with the skills on the current ACT and SAT. This assessment identifies any skills you need to work on to get a great score.

Step 2.  You will take a practice test of the SAT or ACT to see what your score would be without any test prep.

Step 3.    We create a personalized plan to improve the score based on the information from steps 1 and 2. The program will focus on your exact areas of weakness.

Step 4.   You will work with a highly qualified instructor to understand the concepts and master the missing skills.

Step 5.   Take frequent practice tests and learn test taking strategies.

Step 6.   You will get feedback from the practice tests and continue to improve your score.

Step 7. Repeat steps 3, 4, 5, and 6 revising as necessary until you feel confident or until you take the test.

How to Approach Test Prep with Mathnasium

Mathnasium of Smyrna offers 3 options to prepare for the tests.

1. Deliberate Test Prep

If you are already a high school junior or senior, this is the option for you.

Enroll in our tutoring programs specifically designed for test prep as described in the section above. The SAT and ACT have more complex math problems and more varied applications than you probably practiced in school. Understanding the concepts is essential to recognizing the types of problems. The conceptual approach of the Mathnasium of Smyrna program will teach you to tackle these complex and tricky questions.

2. Planning Far into the Future

If you are the parent of an elementary or middle school student, consider this approach. Reaching a pinnacle of math mastery requires a solid foundation in the basics. Most children enrolled in our program are not thinking about test prep.  But, by building their fluency and mathematical reasoning they are preparing for the SAT and ACT. They will benefit from a deeper understanding of math on all tests, including the SAT and ACT.

Early math intervention and enrichment is best because math is cumulative in nature. Frequently parents realize their kids need supplemental math education when they start algebra. We recommend intervening before algebra. 

3.   The Best Approach

The most effective approach is a combination of planning for the future and deliberate test prep. If you are the parent of child who is aiming for a school like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, or MIT, getting admitted may require a perfect, or near perfect, score. About 25% of students going to top STEM schools like MIT have perfect math section scores of 800 for SAT and 36 for ACT. Students aspiring to get into a college listed on this website http://www.collegesimply.com/guides/low-acceptance-rate/  should enroll in our regular Mathnasium program when they are young and continue with it until they are old enough to take our test prep course. 

Beat the stress of the test and get a competitive edge with proper preparation. Call us today for available test prep slots. 770-436-4949.

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