What Is ACT Score Choice?

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 12, 2015 8:00:00 AM

ACT

If you just got your ACT scores back, you’re probably wondering about the process of score reporting for college. "Score Choice" is technically more associated with the SAT Score Choice program, but the ACT has a similar policy for its own test score reporting. It will allow you to feel much less stressed about results from individual test dates and instead focus on how to improve in the future.

In this article, I’ll go over what Score Choice is and what it means for your ACT testing strategy.

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SAT Book Guide: The Best Books for Intense Study

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Posted by Rebecca Safier | Jul 11, 2015 3:25:15 PM

SAT

If you're a student who wants to leave no stone unturned as you prep for the SAT, then this SAT preparation book guide is for you. These are the best SAT books for students committed to devoting significant time, like 100 or more hours, to get ready for this important test.

The recommendations on this book list go beyond a general review of the SAT and provide the skills, strategies, and insights you need to get a top score. Before diving into the SAT book list, let's consider an important question: are books the most effective way to study for the SAT?

 

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Top 10 ACT Reading Tips: Use These and Improve

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 11, 2015 9:00:00 AM

ACT Reading

If you’re taking the ACT and find the Reading section to be a challenge, you’re probably looking for some quick ways to improve your scores. Well, you’re in luck. Here are our top 10 tips for acing the ACT Reading section!

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The Top 10 SAT Reading Tips You Must Use

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 11, 2015 8:30:00 AM

SAT Reading

To do well on the SAT Reading section, you'll need to prepare yourself to understand the material and pace yourself according to the structure of the test. In this article, I’ll take you through 10 quick tips for improving your Reading performance!

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Full Review: PowerScore SAT Reading Bible by Victoria Wood

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Posted by Laura Staffaroni | Jul 11, 2015 8:00:00 AM

SAT Reading

PowerScore is a test prep company with fingers in many pies, including the SAT prep pie (the most standardized of pies?). They have published a trilogy of SAT Prep books: SAT Math Bible, SAT Writing Bible, and SAT Reading Bible (which is what I'll be reviewing today). Like most prep books, the SAT Reading Bible has some positive and some negative aspects. Read on to figure out whether or not this book is appropriate for you and if you should add it into your own test prep.

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Full Review: Erica Meltzer's Complete Guide to ACT Reading

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Posted by Laura Staffaroni | Jul 11, 2015 7:30:00 AM

ACT Reading

Erica Meltzer’s test prep books have burst onto the test prep scene (if that wasn't a thing before, it is now) in the last few years, to great acclaim. She's published 2 books on the ACT: The Complete Guide to ACT English and The Complete Guide to ACT Reading (which is what I will be reviewing in this article). While Meltzer's books are high quality, they are not without their flaws, so read on to figure out whether or not this book is appropriate for you and if you should integrate it into your own ACT test prep. All shall be explained!

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What Is SAT Score Choice? Why Should You Care?

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Posted by Rebecca Safier | Jul 10, 2015 9:00:00 AM

SAT

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College Board's SAT Score Choice policy, started in 2009, means just what it sounds like. Well, you can't choose your scores - "I'll take a 2400, please!" - but you can choose which score reports you send to colleges. If you take the SAT more than once, then you can decide which scores get sent and which ones remain for your eyes only.

Since we're always thinking strategically when it comes to the SAT, this article will discuss not just how Score Choice works, but also how you can use it to your advantage. First, what exactly is SAT Score Choice?

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The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of SAT Reading and Writing

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 6, 2015 9:00:00 AM

SAT Writing, SAT Reading

There are many different strategies out there for solving SAT Reading and Writing questions, but succeeding on this section really only requires mastery of one fundamental rule.

That rule is this: There’s only one 100% correct answer choice, and all the others can be eliminated without any ambiguity.

Read on to find out how this applies to your test-taking strategy and how you can use the rule to improve your scores.

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The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 6, 2015 8:30:00 AM

ACT Reading

You only need to know one fundamental rule to do well on ACT Reading, and it’s not all that complicated.  That rule is this: There’s only one correct answer choice for every question, and the other three answers can be eliminated based on definitively incorrect elements. In other words, the questions on the ACT Reading section are NOT subjective in any way! 

In this article, I’ll go through the types of incorrect answers you’ll see on the ACT Reading section and how to ruthlessly eliminate them so you’re only left with one solid winning choice.

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Analogy Questions in SAT Reading: Strategies and Tips

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 5, 2015 4:00:00 PM

SAT Reading

Though direct analogy questions were eliminated along with the old SAT Verbal Reasoning section in 2005, analogy questions remain in place in a more abstract form in the Critical Reading section. 

In this article, I’ll show you what analogy questions look like, the best way to approach them, and some step by step examples for solving them with real questions from the SAT!

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The Hardest ACT Reading Questions Ever

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jul 5, 2015 9:00:00 AM

ACT Reading

If you’re aiming for a top score on the ACT Reading section, you probably want to know what the hardest questions look like so you’re prepared for everything the test throws at you. In this article, I’ll walk you through the answers to some of the toughest questions I’ve seen on the ACT Reading section.

Why exactly are they so hard? How do you tackle them? How well will you do? Challenge yourself for that top score.

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Plugging in Answers: A Critical SAT Math/ACT Math Strategy

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Posted by Courtney Montgomery | Jul 4, 2015 9:00:00 AM

ACT Math, SAT Math

The benefits to standardized testing are two-fold: almost all of the questions are multiple choice, and you do not have to show your work. Why are these benefits to you? Unlike in your math classes, where it is crucial to show your work in order to prove that you know how to solve problems, neither the SAT nor the ACT cares about how you got to your solution. All standardized tests measure is whether or not you have the correct answer.

This means that finding the right answer—no matter the process—is your only goal. There is no such thing as partial credit on standardized testing, but there are plenty of workarounds that can help you to find the correct answer without making you do overly complicated math. This guide will take you through one of simplest processes for working out the answers to several different kinds of standardized math questions—plugging in the answer choices.

In this guide, we'll give you a complete walk through on the strategy of plugging in the answers (PIA)—why use it, how to use it, and when to use it on your standardized test(s). The other best strategy for working around problems—plugging in your own numbers—is covered in a separate guide.

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Relative Pronouns on ACT English: Tips and Practice

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Posted by Alex Heimbach | Jul 3, 2015 9:00:00 AM

ACT English

Relative pronouns tend to inspire a lot of confusion. Is it the boy who cried wolf or the boy whom cried wolf? All's well that ends well or all's well which ends well?

As much as we may think we need the fancier pronouns, like whom and which, more often than not, the ones we're more familiar with are just fine. In both of those cases, the first version of the saying is the correct one.

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The Best Way To Practice ACT Reading

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Posted by Laura Staffaroni | Jul 3, 2015 8:30:00 AM

ACT Reading

At last, the time has come when you must tackle the ACT Reading. How can you practice for the ACT Reading? Where can you find ACT Reading practice questions? Is it even possible to practice for the Reading section? Read on for the answers to these questions.

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Complete Guide to Integers on SAT Math (Advanced)

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Posted by Courtney Montgomery | Jul 2, 2015 4:30:00 PM

SAT Math

Integer questions are some of the most common on the SAT, so understanding what integers are and how they operate will be crucial for solving many SAT math questions. Knowing your integers can make the difference between a score you’re proud of and one that needs improvement.

In our basic guide to integers on the SAT (which you should review before you continue with this one), we covered what integers are and how they are manipulated to get even or odd, positive or negative results. In this guide, we will cover the more advanced integer concepts you’ll need to know for the SAT.

This will be your complete guide to advanced SAT integers, including consecutive numbers, primes, absolute values, remainders, exponents, and roots—what they mean, as well as how to handle the more difficult integer questions the SAT can throw at you.

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