#isee prep

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Accommodations for the ISEE and SSAT

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS TAKING THE ISEE 

  Educators are fully aware that many very capable students struggle taking standardized tests because they have learning or physical challenges. This is why accommodations are offered to students who “are unable to take the ISEE under standard conditions” These challenges must be documented and upon approval, a student may be eligible to receive accommodations such as extended time when taking the test (50%) and/or taking the test on a computer rather than with paper and pencil.

  Here is what a parent must do:

  Submit an accommodations request for your student on the ISEE website www.erblearn.org.  You will automatically receive an ISEE Accommodations Form via the email you have provided on your parent account.

  Submit the completed, signed and dated Current School Statement section of the form.

  Submit the required supporting documentation (i.e. a complete psycho-educational evaluation dated within the last 3 years, an IEP from the current calendar year, a School Accommodation Plan from the current calendar year OR a current physician’s letter).

  Do not register for a test date before receiving approval which can take up to three weeks.

  After approval, be sure  to register for a test site and date that offers the accommodations that were approved since ISEE does not guarantee an available test site or location that offer these accommodations.

  If the approved accommodations are not offered at any available test site locations, you will need to make arrangements at one of the ISEE test site schools to which your student is applying.

  It is noteworthy that the approval will stay with your student for 15 months should your student want to register to take another test and that any accommodations that your student receives are not identified on the score report.

  Information comes directly from the ISEE website www.erblearn.org. 

          LEARN ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHEN TAKING THE SSAT

  The Enrollment Management Association, the organization that offers the SSAT, is “committed to ensuring that students with disabilities receive all necessary and reasonable testing accommodations when taking the SSAT.”

  If you believe your student may be eligible to receive testing accommodations, it is important that you submit your application in a timely way. It can take up to 2 weeks to process your request and you must receive approval before registering for an SSAT with testing accommodations. It’s important to note that test sites that offer accommodations may fill up before the registration deadline.

  Per the website, www.Enrollment.org (under Resources, “About the SSAT”), once students are approved for accommodations, there is no requirement to submit another request for the remainder of testing season. In addition, schools are not notified if a student takes the SSAT with accommodations.

  Standardized tests can be challenging under the best of circumstances. If your student has learning or physical differences that can be mitigated by receiving testing accommodations, I recommend you pursue what is being offered by The Enrollment Management Association when signing up for the SSAT. They are designed to provide equitable and fair access to the test.

  Accommodations for the ISEE and SSAT was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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What Are Schools Looking For in the Writing Section?

It’s not easy to put together a good writing sample on the test if you don’t know what your schools will think is good.

  Do they want formal writing? Should there be astounding thoughts that unlock the secrets of the universe? Should it be in iambic pentameter?

  Don’t worry. None of those things is important in a good essay. Your schools know that you’re writing a quick first draft, and they know not to expect Shakespeare.

  So what do they want? Here are the important things to know before test day.

  1. They want to see that you can organize your ideas well in writing.

  This means one main idea per paragraph, and paragraphs that flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next.

  Again, it doesn’t have to be Shakespeare, just thoughtfully organized.

  What this means for you is that it’s a good idea to take your first couple of minutes to write a solid outline. If you have a good beginning, middle, and end worked out first, it will be much easier and faster to put together a piece with well-organized ideas.

  2. They’ll use your writing to get to know you a bit.

  Your writing will be one of the tools your school will use to see who they’re inviting into their hallowed halls.

  So does this mean that you should be really worried about showing what a fantastically impressive specimen you are?

  No.

  It means that you should let your writing sound like you.

  Let your personality come through just as it is. It’s good to be who you are – schools like a diverse cast of characters. If you are the quiet and reserved type, it’s just fine to let that show in your writing. If you’re the energetic and vivacious type, that’s great too.

  And one more note if you’re an international student, and English is not your first language: Your schools will be paying special attention to see if you can communicate easily in English.

  That makes it even more important to get in the habit of writing to let your personality show through easily. Being stiff and using all the biggest words you know can look on paper like you’re not comfortable with English.

  So how can you deal with the surprises of the writing section? How can you possibly know how you will write if you don’t know the prompt you’ll be facing?

  Practice.

  If you try out a few sample prompts, you’ll see that you can respond to just about any topic with well organized ideas, and still let who you are shine through brilliantly.

  Practice will help you relax on test day, and a relaxed writer puts much better material on paper than a worried, stiff one.

  We’ll have more on the technical details of tackling the writing section next time. See you then.

What Are Schools Looking For in the Writing Section? was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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Reading Comprehension - Finding the Best Strategy for You

     The first thing to know about the reading comprehension section of any test is that it is not a test of how well you read. It’s a test of how well you take a reading test.

     What this means for test takers is that to do well on this test section, most students won’t need to improve their reading. They’ll need to learn how they best take a reading test.

     There are strategies for improving test scores for any section of the test, and the reading comprehension section is no exception. However, where these strategies work almost universally in other sections, the best strategy for attacking reading comprehension is very individual. A test taker must know which strategy works best for her or him well before they sit down to take the test.

     And the only way to find out which way works best is experiment and practice.

Here are the three basic reading comp strategies:

Read the entire passage, then answer the questions

Read the questions first to know what you’ll be asked about, then read the passage

Read a little of the passage, answer a few questions, read a little more, answer a few more…

     How will you know which strategy is best? It’s the one that gets the most points in the shortest time. And you won’t know that until you’ve tried it out.

     But we have had a lot of experience with different students, and there are a few basic rules of thumb we’ve found that can help you decide.

     Here’s what we’ve seen over the years using each kind of strategy.

Strategy #1

     Strategy one, reading the entire passage first, then answering all the questions, is the way most of us would try a reading comp section if we had never learned how to take a test. For some people it’s also the best way.

     We recommend this strategy for two types of student: readers who naturally read extremely quickly, and test takers who will be taking the test without practicing beforehand.

     The problem with this strategy, though, is that there is a lot of material to absorb before you even see what the questions will ask about. This means that you will forget a lot, and will need to go back and reread some or even most of the passage just to have a chance at getting the question right. This is largely because the questions are made to be confusing. And it isn’t always easy to know what the test makers are thinking.  

     But very quick readers do well with this method, and those who have not practice will be most at ease this way.

Strategy #2

     In the second method, reading the questions first, the idea is to find out what you’re going to be asked about, so that you only need to read those parts carefully. This can work, and for a rare few, it works very well.

     But there are drawbacks for most people. For one thing, it can be difficult to understand the overall point of the reading when focusing so closely on the questions instead of the reading. Another problem is that this way can take a lot of time to do well. And one of the issues with this section is learning to move through it quickly, and pick up as many points as you can.

Strategy #3

     The third method, read a little and answer a few questions, is the one we think is best – but with one very big warning: only way to get good at using this strategy is to practice a lot. In our experience students who this strategy get stressed at first. They worried that they are not picking up every detail of the meeting, and are therefore very unsure about how to properly answer the questions. This kind of stress is bad for scores.

     We know. We were the same way when we started practicing tests.

What We Learned Through Practice

     When we first started practicing reading comp sections, trying to use fancy strategies destroyed our scores. So we went back to simply reading the entire passage, and then answering the questions. But after we had practiced with dozens of these tests, we begin to find ourselves naturally reading just a little, then answering some of the questions. In fact, our best scores would eventually come through using this strategy.

     But when we began to preach this strategy to our students, we found they did the same thing we did – they were too nervous about picking up the details of the reading passages at first and their scores were poor. The ones who practiced a lot usually learned to like this strategy, and got their best scores that way. But if they didn’t practice much, this strategy actually cost them points.

     So what do we tell our students now?

     We tell them to try out all three strategies, and to practice them frequently to find out which one they like best. In the end, the best reading comp strategy is the one that gets the best possible score

Reading Comprehension – Finding the Best Strategy for You was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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What Parents Should Know About Standardized Tests

One of the great myths out there is that students who know the material taught in class will be prepared for standardized tests. But  the reality is that except for a few naturally great test takers, knowing only the academic material is going in half-prepared.

  One concept we try to instill in our students is that if they try to take a test the same way they do their classwork, they’ll lose a ton of points. You have to take a test like it’s a test.

  Here’s an example that explains why.  On one of these tests, a science question asked which subatomic particle was responsible for the character of the atom. The proton seemed to be the obvious answer. If you change the number of protons in an atom, you have an entirely new substance. One proton in your atom, and you have the unstable, explosive hydrogen that blew up the Hindenburg. Add one more proton and you have the helium, the stable, nearly impossible to explode gas that’s in your kids’ balloons.

  What the test makers meant by character was how atoms interact with each other, and the particle responsible for these interactions is the electron. Why would anyone be expected to be able to read the minds of the test makers?

  Other tricky questions that the test makers love to test are “puzzle-solving skills.”  This would be fine if they were assigned as homework, and a student had time alone at a desk to work it out. But on most of these tests, you have less than a minute to solve puzzles that are like nothing you’ve probably ever seen before.

  Here’s a paraphrased version of a question that’s in an actual test manual:

  Students A and B start running at the same time and place. Student A’s speed is twice as fast as student B’s speed (B). After 15 minutes, student A is 1,980 feet ahead of student B. Which equation, when solved for B, would give student B’s speed, in feet per minute?

  (A)  60B = 15(30B)

(B)  60B – 15  = 30 B

(C)  60B – 1,980 = 15(30B)

(D) 15(B + 3B)  = 1,980

(E)  60B – 1980 = 30B

  This would be trouble for most adults if they were given less than a minute to work it out. So what must this look like to a 5th or 6th grader – that’s the grade level this question is aimed at – who is sweating out a test that will have a big impact on the future?

  Test taking is a skill, and it should be taught in schools, but it rarely is. Kids who had been taught how to deal with a question like this will be less stressed, and much more likely to pick up the point.

    There is still a school of thought in some schools that test prep is useless, or even unethical. Part of the reason for this is that the test prep industry, like most businesses, can’t always be counted upon to do the right thing.

  But there is also the thought that learning how to take a test is somehow cheating.

  It isn’t. The tests themselves are not always fair, and our kids are going in to face them without being properly prepared.

    It probably should be that test prep was useless. A test should probably reflect the mastery of the material that a kid has been taught. But that isn’t the world our kids are facing.

  Parents must know this. If you need proof, try taking the test your kid will be required to take. It’s eye opening.

  What Parents Should Know About Standardized Tests was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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The Three Most Important Things to Remember on Test Day

The SSAT and ISEE test dates are here! In preparing for your exam, there is nothing better than continued, ongoing practice to make testing language second nature. But if you’re gearing up to test in the coming days and haven’t had a chance to formally prepare, there are three pointers that by keeping them in mind can take your test score from good, to great.

Forget about impressing anyone.  Good students often care deeply about trying their best in the classroom, and impressing their teachers. As a result, students develop habits that work well in class, but can be big trouble on test day. For example, consider this sample question found in ERB’s “What to Expect on the ISEE.”  Jack and Michael ride their bikes down a straight path, starting at the same place and time. Jack rides at a speed that is 3 times as fast as Michael’s speed (M). After 30 minutes, they are 1,000 feet apart. Which equation, when solved for M, would give Mike’s speed in feet per minute?  I’ll spare you the answer choices and make the observation that, while this question is geared toward 5th and 6th grade students, it can be a bit intimidating. I’m a college educated adult, and this question makes me nervous! If this question were presented in class, most students would work this through, even if it took more time than they’d like. But when taking the test, this habit needs to go! One has an average of about 60 seconds per question in this section, so time is limited. There is no teacher to impress here, so if a problem is starting to look like it’s going to take too much time, give yourself permission to take your best guess and move on to easier points. In the time is takes to do a hard problem, you might be able to pick up points on two or three easy ones.

If you must guess, eliminate bad answers first.  Each question has four or five possible answer choices, depending on the test. If the correct answer is not clear and you must guess, always look to eliminate as many bad answer choices as possible. Doing so will help clarify good answers, and significantly improve your odds of guessing correctly.

Keep it in perspective.  Yes, your test score will be used in the independent school admission process. The good news is that it is just one minor component of a much larger picture that schools will consider. If you’re one of the multitudes of students who doesn’t test well, then take comfort in the fact that test scores have never been shown to predict anything of value. They are not connected with academic success nor do they correlate with one’s passion, happiness and fulfillment later in life. Keeping the test in perspective will serve to minimize anxiety, and perhaps, ironically, improve your performance on test day.

The Three Most Important Things to Remember on Test Day was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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The Role of Test Scores for the International Applicant

How important are test scores for the international applicant?

The answer is that they are very important indeed. In this time when there are far more applicants than there are available spaces, independent/private middle schools and high schools need a way to determine which students they think will be successful. Students who perform well on the SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) have a clear advantage over those students who do not perform as well. This is even more important for international students who have fewer choices in the U.S. and for whom school records may not be easily accessible.

Admissions officers need a quantifiable way to make admissions decisions. My experience as a school administrator for over 35 years is that high test scores are viewed by most schools as an indicator that a student will be successful. Good standardized tests scores will likely move an applicant student to a place where he or she will be considered seriously for admissions – it provides a clear advantage.

What should parents of international students do to prepare their child to be a successful test-taker?

Provide an opportunity for your child to practice taking the test often.

If your child is going to take the Upper Level exam, begin test preparation at least one year prior to the exam. For example, if your student is going to take the Upper Level exam (entering high school) a year from now, then enroll your student in a Middle Level test prep course now. A few months prior to taking the Upper Level exam, enroll in the Upper Level test prep course.

Explain to your student that standardized tests have their own “language” – a way of asking questions that might be different from the way they are asked in the classroom. A good test prep course and practice will make this clear.

Make sure your child understands the test-taking strategies that will help him or her answer questions in a timely way.

Educational Test Prep (ETP) offers an online course that accomplishes all that has been listed above and is especially beneficial to international students because the course is easy to access and can be taken anywhere in the world at any time. ETP’s courses not only provide an opportunity for students to practice, but also to learn the strategies that he or she can use when taking the SSAT or the ISEE. This is how parents can help their child become a good test-taker and provide the best opportunity for admission to a good independent/private school in the United States.

  The Role of Test Scores for the International Applicant was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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Beginning A New School Year

Most students eagerly anticipate the beginning of the school year- meeting new teachers, enjoying  new coursework,  making new friends and reconnecting with old ones – the end of August and the beginning of September are certainly exciting times for school-age children.

  For parents of students who will be changing schools for the following year, it is also a time to begin the admissions process. This time is usually not met with eager anticipation.  In fact, for these parents, the beginning of the school year is often filled with anxiety.

So how can parents make this a positive experience?  I believe finding a balance that allows the child to enjoy all that school has to offer while preparing him and her for the rigors of the application process is key. Here are suggestions that will allow you to find that healthy balance:

  1)  Empower your child by including him/her when choosing the schools to which you will be applying.  Look at websites of various schools together to see what the schools have to offer and then have a conversation about what interests your child.

  2)  Explain the admissions process to your child so you can to demystify it. Tell him/her that there will be an application to complete and there will be questions for both parents and students. There will be an interview with school personnel and many opportunities to visit the schools.

  3) Tell your child that he/she will be taking a standardized test and that you will make sure he/she is prepared. It is important that this test prep does not interfere with the child’s school work, activities of interest and relaxation time; this is of paramount importance and helps to create that healthy balance. The ETP online test prep is the perfect choice since the course can be accessed any time online and does not interfere with everything else a child should be doing – working, playing, exercising and relaxing.

  4) Explain to your child that this process will be fun and an opportunity to find a school that is a perfect fit for him or her. Be optimistic about the outcome without being unrealistic. If you apply to schools that offer what you and your child want, then wherever your child goes to school, whether it was initially your first choice or not, will likely be the best choice in the end.

  Beginning A New School Year was originally published on Educational Test Prep

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Keeping Your Test Skills on the Front Burner

In the classic movie Bull Durham, Kevin Costner walks along dark street at night and stops underneath a streetlight.  A gift wrap tube is sticking out of the nearby garbage can.  Costner picks up the tube and practices his swing while finding his reflection in a window.  This scene brilliantly captures what every master-of-their-craft knows – the skills for success must be practiced regularly and remain on the proverbial front burner, at all times.

  At ETP, our online test prep programs have been tested  in local classrooms over the past four years.  We’ve authored test prep courses that run after school, during summer session, and for some classrooms, on a daily basis.  The classes that practice daily simply practice one question, each morning.  We were delighted and surprised when we began to observe that students who practiced just one question each day had the most significant increase in their scores, seemingly out performing those students who crammed their practice after school or on weekends.  This lead us to create a daily video lesson for our Expert Level SSAT and ISEE prep students.  These videos offer just one lesson, per morning, and model the exact thinking and strategies we teach in order to most effectively approach test questions.  They’re designed to reinforce our online course by keeping each student’s newly acquired skills on the front burner.  Please visit our YouTube channel to see a sample lesson.

  “If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.” This famous quote, attributed to Franz Liszt, is popular with anyone who practices, from pianists to ballet dancers, baseball players to test takers.  By keeping your test skills on the front burner, you’ll be poised to score your best on test day.

Keeping Your Test Skills on the Front Burner was originally published on Educational Test Prep