Computers and Test Preparation
By Karyn Zoldan

(This article was published on ZDTV.com (now TechTV.com) in December 1999. Some of the links may no longer be relevant.)

Whoever said that high school was all about unrequited love and vampire slaying probably never took the SAT. Scoring well on the Scholastic Aptitude Test places a burdensome responsibility on students (and parents) wondering which colleges will welcome them with open doors.

Depending on which authority I spoke to, you have more avenues for SAT preparation than ever before. Here are some sites and software for every budget to get started and stay motivated.

In good hands
Hand Technologies www.handtech.com/techcenter brings a different approach to SAT preparation. It "hand holds" the customer through the PC-buying process and software installation.

Hugh B. Smith, one of 11,000 independent Technology Consultants, says he's the Mary Kay of technology. He matches products to customer needs, introduces newbies to the Internet and online training, and helps you build confidence along the way.

You can subscribe to six months of SAT prep courses for $49.99. The 13 classes offer a robust assortment of special features--strategies, keywords, glossary of SAT terminology, additional related information, and directions to an easier/faster way of doing the problems. You can evaluate the course and recommend other subjects.

Try it for free
TestPrep's WebWare www.testprep.com/wwmain.sat.html is a free approach to getting ready. After signing the guest book, you can move forward and diagnose your weak areas. But first you'll have to grab a copy of the College Board booklet Taking the SAT-I (1999-2000 version). A school guidance counselor can give you a free copy or call The College Boards at 609.771.7600.

After you have your copy of Taking the SAT-I, take the sample SAT test under the most realistic conditions possible. Do not allow more time than allowed. After you complete the sample test, type your answers into the WebWare for the SAT Answer Sheet. WebWare will immediately show which math and verbal skills you need to work on.   

Still using the Internet you can brush up on three dozen step by step math lessons and individual follow-up quizzes). Does your Pythagorean Theorem need refreshing? What about fractions and ratios or interior angles? You can brush up www.testprep.com/satmenu.html on your math with three dozen step-by-step lessons and individual follow-up quizzes.

Fair play
While WebWare is geared to the student, TestPrep www.testprep.com targets the school district. Now serving 2,700 school districts, TestPrep is loaded onto individual servers to provide a series of skill-building lessons that give immediate feedback to teachers and students. It also offers remedial solutions and motivating strategies. CEO Bill Zuberbuhler says that TestPrep levels the playing field by giving more students a fair shot at higher scores than elite study groups can provide.

Needs direction
College Power Prep www.powerprep.com is a maze of recommended software packages for purchase and free services combined into the SAT labs. I felt like I needed a compass to negotiate where to begin and what to order. Maybe if you have the patience to master this site, you won't need any remedial help with logical reasoning or quantitative comparisons.

SAT zen
Where other sites are cluttered with graphics and text, Tescaliber www.tescaliber.com is like walking into a yoga studio where the message is delivered sparsely but effectively.

Its aim is to use the Internet as a technology tool to create an environment where every student has the flexibility to practice, learn, and develop skills continually outside the classroom.

Individual students can register for three months at $19.95. Shool districts can register for a school-year license for lab instructional use for $10 per student. You can download SATcaliber, the SAT prep software, free for a limited time.

The write stuff 
As a writer I was tempted to try to the EssayPrep http://cbweb6.collegeboard.org/writewellCB/student/sat/html/satwrite.html but hey, I'm on a deadline. You can peek at sample questions, other essays, and evaluations. You can even pick your own topic from the list of choices.

EssayPrep recommends that you write your essay longhand so you can't use spell-check or grammar fixer. Then type it on your computer, save it, and copy-and- paste it to the Submit page of the EssayPrep website. Within five days, you return to the site to receive a detailed evaluation. Before writing and to obtain an access code, $10 (or $25 for three essays) will be charged to your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express card.

Tradition
Kaplan www.kaplan.com and Princeton Review www.princetonreview.com don't recommend preparatory software as the primary method of study. Instead they insist on small groups meeting every Saturday to review and test together.

Both Kaplan and Princeton Review offer free software to students who sign up for these study classes. They also offer the opportunity to purchase full-length practice tests and drills that create study plans tailored to individual strengths and weaknesses. Software packages such as Inside the SAT, ACT, and PSAT 2000 Edition can be found at The Learning Company http://newshoptlc.com.

Tips for Test Preparation
As we march into the millennium, the SATs are still paper-and-pencil-driven, followed by anxious weeks of waiting for test scores. Last year, more than one and a half million students took the SATs. Will the SATs soon be fully computerized like the GMAT or GRE? Neither the Educational Testing Service www.ets.org or the College Board www.collegeboard.org answered requests for an interview.

Educators wonder about the costs of computer testing such huge number of students. And what skills will students need to successfully take computerized SATs? Basic computer literacy for starters and keyboard readiness is especially important for writing essays within a time limit.

Other skills are similar the current skills.

• Develop your goals and define a study strategy.
• By starting early, you can assess your weaknesses and improve them.
• Learn the SAT test-taking strategies because they will teach you how to think critically. Read and understand the directions for the various portions of the test so you don't waste precious test-taking moments trying to comprehend the how-to.
• Increase your vocabulary.
• Refresh your math skills.
• Each SAT level is divided into three levels of difficulty—easy, medium, and hard. Spend time making sure you get the easy and medium questions right.
• Practice! It's unlikely you'll ever be perfect but you can be confident.

Karyn Zoldan is a freelance writer and online marketer at Bridge Marketing.

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