Beginner's Guide to Test Preparation

GMAT Preparation Overview

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:42:20 +0000

Do you have a child who is going to college soon? Perhaps he/she is in his/her third year of high school and is thinking of getting a head start on applying to colleges. Every single college he applies to gives a stipulation that the student pass the GMAT. Your child is in high school right now and has not taken the GMAT. So what can you do? First, you need to know why your child has to take that test. As soon as you understand what the test is and what it is about, you can better help your son or daughter prepare for and pass the GMAT. First thing you need to know is what it is. Here are factors you should consider when planning for the GMAT:

· GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test): In order to get into any school, especially the bigger named schools, you need a high GMAT score.

· Preparing for the GMAT: In order to pass the GMAT you have to prepare for it. There are two options: online or classroom instruction. You should spend at least 50 hours studying to thoroughly prepare for the test. As stated previously, there are two options to study:

o Online – This is an inexpensive way to learn what is needed to pass the test. You just log on, go to your study materials, and follow instructions.

o Classroom – Classroom instruction is more expensive. Plus, it takes a lot more time and involvement. However, it does provide the right amount of support and you get to talk to a live instructor who can provide you with all the motivation you need to succeed.

Take a Free Sample: After you have studied the course material and feel you are ready to take the test, go to any web site that offers a sample test you can take just to practice with. This way you can tell your weak areas that need improving.

Studying Online vs. Offline

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:43:40 +0000

In order to decide if you should take the course material online or offline here is a breakdown of what the course material is like for each type. This way you can decide for yourself which way to go:

· Online Course: If you decided to look into taking an online course, here is what to expect:

o You get five practice tests.

o You also to write essays.

o You have immediate access to your course materials.

o You do get an online prep guide to help you along the way.

o The technology allows you to pace yourself so you absorb all the materials.

o You also get a guide that teaches you how to write college admission essays.

o You have 24-hour email support.

· Classroom Course: If you decided you rather look into going to a classroom, here is what to expect and what you’ll receive:

o You’ll get classroom and one-on-one tutoring.

o 1300 pages of materials to study from.

o 12 practice tests to learn from.

o 42 hours of classroom instruction.

o 21 hours of phone tutoring support.

The Way GMAT Works

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:44:24 +0000

Now you know a little bit about the GMAT and how to prepare, it would be a good idea to understand what the GMAT test represents and how it works. The GMAT is a computerized test. It is also referred to as a CAT (computer-adaptive test). Basically the way it works, as you take the test, the computer will select from millions of questions in its database, based on how you answer the previous question. For every question you answer right, you’ll get a more difficult one. If you should get a question wrong, the next question will be easier to answer. This kind of test does have its pros and cons.

· Pros: Here is a list of the pros or benefits of taking the GMAT:

o The test focuses on your score range thereby creating a more accurate score for you.

o You can cancel the score immediately after the test, even before you see your own score. If you do this, you’ll have immediate access to your math and verbal scores.

o You will take the test in a private area where you will have complete silence and no disruptions.

o You decide when to take the test.

· Cons: Here is a list of cons or negatives of taking the GMAT:

o The format is difficult.

o You will stare at a screen for hours on end. If your eyes get tired you can’t give up. You have to stay there until you are done.

o Your timing has to be precise and can be difficult at time.

o You are not allowed to skip questions.

o You can’t write on a booklet nor re-write the questions on a piece of scrap paper.

The GMAT CAT Test

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:45:32 +0000

If you want to know exactly what will be on the GMAT CAT test, here is a look at what you can expect.

The GMAT CAT test consists of two multiple-choice sections (quantitative and verbal), and an essay section (Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA).

· The quantitative section covers 37 questions and takes 75 minutes to complete. You can get a score between 0 and 60.

· The verbal section covers 41 questions and takes 75 minutes. You can get a score between 0 and 60.

After you complete the test, you’ll receive an overall score in the range of 200 to 800. This score is a combination of your math and verbal scores.

The Analytical Writing Assessment section will give you a score in the range of 1 to 6. This section checks to see how you are able to write a short analytical essay under a timer. This test is what business schools, or schools of higher learning who request the GMAT, look at in evaluating your writing skills. This section has two 30-minute essay questions. One essay is called “Analysis of Issue,” and the other one is called “Analysis of Argument.” The first one you state your opinion on a given issue. The second one is where you analyze the reasoning in an argument that is given. You need two different strategies to answer each question. The writing has to be very concise and structured.

Preparing for the GMAT

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:46:23 +0000

Once you know all about the GMAT, what is means, how it works, etc., you now need to prepare. Actually preparation is the key to doing anything in this world. The better prepared you are, the better you will be to tackle the subject. Here are some tips on how to properly prepare for the GMAT:

· Invest in at least 50 hours of preparation.

· Be serious about what you are trying to do. Even when you are just trying the practice test, you need to be serious about it. Think of the practice test as the actual test.

· If you stress out taking test, look at the practice test and a real test and stress yourself out at that time. By doing this, when it comes time to take the real test, you won’t be under a lot of stress.

· Prepare well in advance of the final due date.

Practice Tests in GMAT Preparation

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:47:08 +0000

The easiest thing to do is download a GMAT sample test and take it to see what it is all about. You can get the verbal, math, and essay guides online as well. Each one can be purchased separately or as a package. If you purchase the guides individually, the cost for each one is about $19.95. Of course, that depends on the site and who you are downloading the guides from.

SAT Preparation

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:19:32 +0000

SAT Preparation Overview

Preparing effective study plans

Look after your mind and body

Practice Tests

ACT Preparation

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:21:12 +0000

ACT Preparation Overview

What topics will be covered on the ACT?

What tools are available to help me prepare for the ACT?

Are there any other tips available to help me prepare for the ACT?

GRE Test Preparation

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:22:33 +0000

Introduction to GRE Test Preparation

How do I sign up to take the GRE?

What is on the GRE?

What resources are available for GRE test preparation?

MCAT Preparation

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:23:43 +0000

MCAT Preparation Overview

What kind of test is the MCAT?

How do I register for the MCAT?

What is on the MCAT?

What Is Speed Reading?

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:36:44 +0000

The average person reads 250 words per minute. This means that if you are an average reader, you could pick up a 100,000-word novel right now -- an average novel length of 175-200 pages -- and finish it in about seven hours. If you were able to improve your reading speed to 300 words per minute, you could read the same novel in just 5 1/2 hours. If, for example, you picked up Dorothy L. Sayers' murder mystery Strong Poison, you would hurtle through the suspenseful middle of the book, and reach the denouement a full 1 1/2 hours sooner than you would have at your old pace.

This is the appeal of speed reading. Some people read mainly for fun or to satisfy their own curiosity about the world, while others read as part of their education or vocation. But voracious novel-readers and beleaguered medical students alike can benefit from improving their reading speed. Through speed reading, the first group can enjoy more leisure reading in the same amount of time -- and the second group can read the human anatomy textbook at a record pace, and then move on to the next task.

While many historical figures have gained renown for their unusually rapid reading, the idea of speed reading as a learned ability became popular in the United States in the 1960s. At that time, President John F. Kennedy hired some experts from Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics to work with his staff members and teach them to speed read. He wanted them to know more about was going on in the world while spending less time with their noses in books and newspapers. The American public saw the genius of this efficient idea, and new speed reading programs and businesses sprang up across the nation.

Presently, the market abounds in speed reading classes, software, books, and manuals. Impartial experts agree that it is possible for the average person to improve his or her reading speed -- although the most dramatic claims of some of the speed reading programs may not come to fruition in each hopeful speed reader's experience. Some people learn to read more quickly but find that they do not understand what they have read as well as they did at a slower pace. Nevertheless, speed reading programs provide structured lessons and practice opportunities for those who wish to improve their reading speed. Hopeful speed readers may wish to begin with a well-reviewed book on speed reading, since books are normally the least expensive option. From there, readers can progress to a more expensive speed reading program or software package, if they still wish to do so.

Speed Reading Basics: Eliminating Subvocalization

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:38:03 +0000

Fast readers process information from the written page much more quickly than they could absorb it by listening, for example, to a book on tape. This is because they read more quickly than the book on tape talks.

Average readers, however, read at about the same rate that they and others speak -- around 250 words per minute. This correspondence arises from the way that average readers read. Many average and slower readers mutter to themselves or move their lips while they are reading. This habit, which speed reading instructors call "vocalization," slows reading down and makes it impossible to read faster than you can speak.

Although vocalization puts people who need to read a text quickly at a disadvantage, it is a time-honored tradition among human readers in all languages. In fact, before a certain point in history it was unheard-of to do anything else. Reading meant reading out loud. Because reading out loud was so much the norm, Saint Augustine of Hippo marveled at his teacher Ambrose's ability to read quietly to himself. Augustine wrote: "When Ambrose read, his eyes scanned the page and his heart sought out the meaning, but his voice was silent and his tongue was still... often when we came to visit him, we found him reading like this in silence, for he never read aloud."

Unlike his contemporaries, Ambrose knew that vocalization slowed his reading, and he managed to avoid it. However, no one knows whether Ambrose was able to avoid "subvocalization" - the next habit speed reading courses teach their students to quit. Unless you are already a very fast reader, you probably "subvocalize" words as you read them, "speaking" them silently inside of your head, so that you can listen to them as you read. In the same way, your brain can hum or sing a song to itself, without you ever moving your lips or tongue.

Subvocalizing can slow down your reading as much as actually vocalizing the words. Once readers become aware that they subvocalize, they can often increase their reading speed simply by concentrating on taking in the words without sounding them out subvocally.

Other speed reading techniques, such as those involving motion, can also help people to eliminate their habit of vocalizing or subvocalizing.

Speed Reading Techniques Involving Motion

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:38:33 +0000

Moving objects attract the eye; and so techniques involving motion can help people to read more quickly. The most basic speed reading technique involving motion is simply to move a finger across the page as you read. The motion of your hand pulls your eyes forward. If you move your finger at a pace faster than your normal reading speed, you will gradually learn to take in the words more rapidly. This motion technique can also make it easier for you to stop subvocalizing.

You can also use a pencil or pen as a pointer to help your eyes to scan along the lines. This is basically the same process as scanning along the lines with your pointer finger.

Another technique involves using your whole hand, or a card or other piece of paper, to pull your eyes along through the text. For example, with an index card, start the card at the top of the page and pull it down at a steady pace, just a little faster than you think you can read the lines. If you find that you sometimes read the same words again and again, the index card technique can also help you by covering up the lines you've already read.

You can also take advantage of your eye's attraction to motion through a "hopping" or "bouncing" technique. Rather than skimming your hand or finger across the page, point repeatedly at sets of words in order. "Bounce" your finger on the page two or three times per line, depending on the line length. This also helps you to learn to take in more words at a time.

Improving Your Reading Comprehension

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:39:18 +0000

The only problem with speed reading is that when readers try to read more quickly, they may lose comprehension of the material. To make sure you are really reading more quickly, rather than just skimming, work on your reading comprehension at the same time that you work on your speed.

To increase your ability to pay attention as you read, sit down in a quiet room with no distractions or movement. Sitting up straight or otherwise keeping yourself from being totally comfortable can also help you to stay alert.

Read more actively by asking yourself questions as you read. What is the author trying to convey? What is his or her opinion about the subject of this text? Does this argument, description, or plot resonate with your own experience? What do you think will happen next in the book?

Highlighting and underlining also help some people to read more actively and thus to increase their reading comprehension.

Set a goal for yourself as you begin to read. Why are you reading this text? What do you hope to learn? Keeping this goal in mind can increase your understanding of the text, help you to stay alert, and even increase your speed as you move forward to meet your goal.

Resources:

Brockenbrough, Martha. "Does Speed-Reading Really Work?" MSN Encarta.

http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/rdstratg.html

http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/speedrd.html

http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/speed1.html

Quote from Augustine's Confessions: www.stanford.edu/class/history34q/readings/Manguel/Silent_Readers.html