Free practice test opportunity for June ACT

Once again, College Nannies & Tutors Kansas City is providing a special offering to college-bound students, namely a free practice ACT in advance of the June examination. The practice session will be timed and scored exactly like the true testing situation and the results will be shared with participants to assist in their continued test preparation.

Anytime high school juniors can gain experience with the ACT's content and timing, they are better able to discover testing strengths and to pinpoint weaker areas that might need additional attention before the official testing date. Take advantage!

The practice test, offered at no charge, will take place on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the College Nannies + Tutors location in the Kansas City Northland, in the northwest corner of Zona Rosa (7400 NW 87th Terrace). 

The deadline to register for the June 9 ACT is May 4. Space is limited; advance registration is required. To participate, contact Luke Hesler, Tutor Coordinator, at (816) 256-5907 or via email.

College Nannies + Tutors Kansas City on Facebook

MCPL & Kaplan partner to offer FREE practice ACTs

(originally published to KC Examiner.com on January 25, 2012)

The Mid-Continent Public Library system, with locations throughout the Kansas City metro area, has partnered with Kaplan Test Prep to offer a FREE practice ACT for college-bound students.

FREE full-length, scored practice ACT exams are the ideal way for college-bound students to become familiar with test content, to master time management for each section of the ACT, to discover testing weaknesses upon which to improve, and to build confidence in test taking ability and strategies before sitting for the "official" ACT exam, the results of which many high schools attach to the student's official transcript.

Although the practice test is offered FREE of charge, advanced sign-up is required in order for students to participate.Practice ACT exams will be offered at multiple Mid-Continent Public Library locations from February through early April. Parents are invited to come for the last half hour for an information session at the conclusion of testing.

RIVERSIDE BRANCH

• Friday, February 3
• 2pm to 5:30pm
• click here to register

COLBERN ROAD BRANCH

• Saturday, February 4
• 9am to 12:30pm
• click here to register

KEARNEY BRANCH

• Saturday, February 4
• 1pm to 4:30pm
• click here to register

PLATTE CITY BRANCH

• Saturday, February 18
• 10am to 1:30pm
• click here to register

OAK GROVE BRANCH

• Saturday, March 17
• 1pm to 4:30pm
• click here to register

SOUTH INDEPENDENCE BRANCH

• Saturday, March 31
• 9am to 12:30pm
• click here to register

RED BRIDGE BRANCH

• Saturday, April 7
• 12noon to 3:30pm
• click here to register

Registration Deadline for June ACT Extended

ACT has extended the registration deadline for the June ACT administration.

Originally scheduled for Friday, May 6, students now have until 11:59pm on Tuesday, May 10 to register for the June 11 ACT.

Click here to register.

If this extended deadline is missed, student may still continue to register between May 11 and May 20, but will be assessed a $21 late fee on top of the regular testing cost.

After May 20, students interested in taking the June 11 ACT, who have not already registered, must wait for that morning to attempt stand-by admission and be assessed a $41 fee above the cost of testing. Students hoping to test on a stand-by basis will be granted admission last and only if there are seats available at the testing location.

Like ACT on Facebook

Follow ACT on Twitter

Use Twitter to Prep for the SAT

Are you one of the more than 25 million people who reportedly utilize Twitter?  If so, there are a multitude of opportunities for daily practice in preparation for the SAT...all in 140 words or less!

Here is a sample listing of people to follow:

@SATquestion

@satvocabdaily

@sattipsdaily

@myivyleaguer

@SAT_words

@tutorsteve

Check out these hashtags, too: 

#SATTest

#SATvocab

Here are two fun, interactive websites to help you with preparing for the SAT, as well:

Word Nerd

Simple Word Game

And, of course, the official website for the SAT offers the "Question of the Day," free sample questions, and a free full practice test:

College Board

Next SAT Test Date:  

Saturday, June 5

First Test Date of New School Year:   

Saturday, October 9 (must register by Friday, September 10)

May 7 Deadline for June 12 ACT

Kansas City area students who plan to take the Saturday, June 12 ACT must register by this Friday, May 7.

Students should take the ACT in April and June of junior year and again in either September or October during senior year.

For a list of testing locations for the June ACT, click here.

June is an incredibly popular testing date, so college-bound students should not wait until the last minute. Doing so may result in your first choice testing location being full. In addition, students who wish to test, but miss the registration deadline, will be assessed significant late fees.

• ACT Without Writing Section…$32
• ACT Including Writing Section…$47
• may send scores (at the time of registration) for free to four colleges/universities
• to add a score report to a fifth or sixth school (at the time of registration)…$9 per school
• fee to register during late registration period…$21 (so do not miss the deadline)

Send score results to the four free schools at the time of registration, especially if interested in a school that requires test scores come directly from the testing agency rather than from the official high school transcript. Otherwise, you have to pay later to have the scores sent.

Take the ACT with Writing at least once. The score stands alone, so it can be paired with a higher ACT composite score received on a different testing date. It is a 30 minute writing session, answering one prompt, at the end of the testing period.

April ACT score results to be posted beginning Monday

Students who sat for the Saturday, April 10 ACT may begin checking results for the multiple-choice and composite scores beginning Monday, April 26. This requires logging into the ACT
student web account created at the time of registration for the exam.

Not all scores are posted at the same time, so students should not panic if their scores are not available on that first date. Instead, simply continue to check because score results are processed and then posted to the student web accounts weekly. According to ACT, this usually takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays, which should help control student anxiety on other days while waiting for results. All scores will be reported within 8 weeks of the testing date, except for in special circumstances.

If students took the ACT Plus Writing, those scores will be posted online as soon as they are ready, which is typically about 2 weeks following the posting of subject test and composite scores. In these cases, the hard copy score report will not be mailed to the students’ homes until after Writing scores have been determined.

Planning to take the Saturday, June 12 ACT? The registration deadline is approaching; Friday, May 7. Missed deadlines require additional fees. June is also a very popular testing date, so missing the deadline could be detrimental to students’ ability to test based upon space limitations at testing sites.

ACT is Saturday...Last Minute Advice for Students

The ACT is THIS SATURDAY!

Hopefully you have been preparing with some of the tools provided for you (see previous articles on standardized testing). Here are some additional tips in advance of test day:

Gather your materials now and have them ready …don’t be on a last minute search on your way out the door Saturday morning!
• ACT admission ticket
• picture id (driver’s license is best)
• several sharpened #2 pencils with erasers
• calculator that meets ACT allowances (good to bring 2 devices, just in case)
• a watch with no alarm (room supervisor you will announce start, 5 minutes, and end, but a personal watch will allow you to pace yourself better)
• clothing layers (make sure you can easily and quietly shed a layer if you are too warm or add a layer if the room is too cold)
• Kleenex (it may not be available in the testing room and even if it is, you will lose valuable testing time getting up to get Kleenex)

Make Friday a “stay in” night. Relax, veg, go to bed early. SET YOUR ALARM. Set several alarms if you need to. You cannot be late to the ACT!

Have a really good for you breakfast on Saturday morning. You will not test well on an empty stomach…and loud growls may disturb those testing around you!

Some testing locations have a place for you to purchase food and drink, but don’t rely on it. And there may be lines if vending machines are available to you. So, it is suggested that you bring a drink and a small snack with you to enjoy during your break after the math section. Make sure they are in closed containers and in a closed bag/backpack/purse, as you will not be permitted to have them on your testing desk. You must store them underneath your seat during testing.

Use the restroom before entering your testing room . You do not get a break until after the second test. You are allowed to leave the room during testing, but…you must take your ID with you to re-enter and you lose all of the time you are gone. You do not get to make it up.

A favorite college professor always passed around a basket of hard candy peppermints
before a test and his students swore it helped calm them down and stimulated their brains. It is worth a shot for you, too!
Remember…ACT on the ACT, SIT on the SAT. Simply, answer every question on the ACT; you gain credit for correct answers and are not penalized for incorrect responses, so it is worth it to guess. You will be given a cue of “5 minutes remaining” for each test, so use that time to fill in any missing bubbles.

If you skip any questions, be careful to also skip on the answer sheet. Be very careful about this!

FAQ page on ACT website.

GOOD LUCK! Remember that this is one test, one Saturday morning, and you can take it again. The test score is just one component of your college application process and does not define you. Just do your BEST!

Hart's Helpful Hint #3...One Minute Per Question

As high school juniors across the KC Metro prepare for the April 10 ACT,  many dread the math section.  Second in the line-up, it is the longest period of testing.  Students are given sixty minutes to answer exactly that many math questions.  Time is of the essence and some students may struggle to finish without simply filling in bubbles at random during the last five minutes.

So here is an easy tip to help acclimate the student's mind and internal clock to what one minute feels like:

When sitting down to do assigned math homework, grab the kitchen timer.  Before attempting each question, set the timer for one minute and work the problem.  Repeat.  Clearly, students should go back and complete any unanswered questions for classwork and it may take slightly more time each evening, but by instituting this practice technique, the body will begin to know when one minute has elapsed. 

On test day, students will recognize when an answer is elusive and move on to the next, hopefully allowing enough time to follow-up on unanswered questions before the five minute alert.

Some KC Metro Test Prep Opportunities

While there are multiple free options available for self-exploration and learning, many high school students and their families find benefit in participating in a preparation course for upcoming standardized testing, specifically the ACT and the SAT.

There are several organizations in the Kansas City metro that offer fee-based courses, as well as individual test prep tutoring. Here is a sampling:

Stephen Heiner
Get Smarter Prep
6707 West 91st Street
Overland Park, Kansas 66212
(913) 322 3400

Adam Groden
Personal Test Prep
agroden@kc.rr.com
(913) 549 3262

Sylvan Learning Centers
6910 North Holmes, Suite 152
Gladstone, MO 64118
(816) 468 7900
or
1170 West Kansas, Suite M
Liberty, MO 64068
(816) 792 5944

Kansas City Kaplan Center
5800 Foxridge Drive, Suite 103
Mission, KS 66202
(800) KAP TEST

 

ACT Prep Online
(the only ACT prep program designed by ACT)
This is an online course that families may subscribe to for $19.95 per year. Before purchasing, families should check with their guidance counselor, as some high schools purchase the program and provide access for each student in their school at no cost.

In addition, many metro high schools offer free or more affordable test preparation courses either during or after school. Interested students should check with their guidance counselor to find out what options are available at their particular school.

Remember, academic curriculum and effort toward daily homework and testing is the best preparation for standardized testing. These prep course opportunities, though, allow students to become acquainted with standardized test format and content so there is a degree of familiarity and comfort on testing morning.

Free (or Cheap) Test Prep for High School Students

Here are a few FREE (or cheap) test prep opportunities to consider: • Utilize Twitter? Follow @ACTStudent for the daily link to the ACT Question of the Day and @SATquestion for the SAT question of the day.** • Or, simply log on to the ACT website to access the ACT question each day.** • Visit the SAT question of the day or sign up to have the question emailed to you daily.**

**You are provided with reasons why a correct answer is correct and why incorrect answers are incorrect. It is a learning opportunity, rather than just a guessing game.

• Have an iPhone or iPod touch? There are multiple ACT and SAT study apps beginning at only $.99. • ACT Prep Online o $19.95 for a one year “subscription” o practice tests with real ACT test questions o practice essays for the new optional ACT Writing Test, with real-time scoring o comprehensive content review for each of the tests—English, Math, Reading, and Science o diagnostic test and personalized Study Path o anywhere, anytime access via the Internet

Remember, academic curriculum and effort toward daily homework and testing is the best test prep. These opportunities, though, allow students to become acquainted with standardized test format and content so there is a degree of familiarity and comfort on testing morning.

Test Optional College Admissions

Most high school upperclassmen know well the fear and anxiety that surrounds preparing for college entrance exams, the ACT and the SAT. In recent news, many students, families, and college counselors and consultants have struggled to fully comply with the intricacies of the College Board's new score choice policy.

While the hooplah around testing is media worthy, so is the fact that 830 colleges and universities in this country are test optional institutions. This means that the admission decisions are based upon factors other than standardized test scores.

Fair Test, the National Center for Full and Open Testing, provides an easy to manipulate, searchable database of all test optional colleges and universities.

These schools recognize that test scores from a Saturday morning exam do not equate to a student's merit. Often, these schools require a student portfolio of high school course work in addition to the traditional requirements to submit official transcripts, an essay, and a resume of activities with the application for admission.

So, if your test scores do not seem comparable to your academic transcript, if you are unable to overcome the fear of standardized testing, or if you are interested in a college campus community that recognizes its students are more than test scores, begin researching to learn if a test optional school may be a good fit for you.