Dogwood’s Approach to ACT-SAT Prep

What are the specific steps to take (and avoid) for your student to achieve his or her best results on the ACT or the new digital adaptive SAT? Read more about the new SAT on our website.

  1. Start as early in junior year as practical.
  2. Figure out whether to start with the ACT or SAT.
  3. Don’t take an official test without proper preparation.
  4. Plan to take the test on two consecutive test dates.
  5. Start test prep at least six weeks before the first test date.
  6. Practice, practice, practice – and avoid shortcuts

1) In general, start test prep process as early as practical in junior year. Families are much happier when senior year doesn’t include ACT or SAT testing. If your junior is currently taking Algebra 2, wait at least until winter break because there is so much algebra on SAT and ACT. Look at your student’s workload throughout the entire school year. If he plays football, consider waiting until the season ends. If she has time-consuming activities in the spring, schedule test prep early in the year. You don’t want to add test prep to a schedule that is already fully committed.

2) Colleges and scholarship providers accept ACT and SAT scores on an equal basis. The Dogwood approach uses practice tests to help determine which test to try first. You can also use results on a recent PSAT (the SAT practice test) as a predictor of SAT performance. In late 10th grade or early 11th grade, students should take a full-length ACT practice test at Dogwood to experience the faster timing and feel of the test.

The ACT Science section is unlike any test taken in school, but don’t let that scare you away. ACT has been the better fit for more students in recent years. The proctored ACT practice test takes three hours with standard time, usually on a Saturday morning or a non-school weekday. See whether ACT or SAT/PSAT feels like a better fit – and which test yields a higher score. 

When you and your student meet at Dogwood or virtually for your follow-up consultation, we’ll evaluate those detailed test results along with your student’s academic strengths and other practical considerations to select which test to prepare for first. Avoid bouncing back and forth between the ACT and SAT. Pick one test, take it twice, then consider switching tests.

3) It’s a bad idea to take an official ACT or SAT test (on a national test date) without proper preparation. Repeat — don’t take a test cold. At Dogwood, we know that private tutoring is the best way to do test prep; that’s what we do. There are other ways to do credible test prep, however, including free or low-cost online services like SAT Prep on Khan Academy or the ACT Academy. One-on-one tutoring is best; small classes can be helpful for some students; online prep can be appropriate if students are either very diligent or supervised by an adult.

4) Students should plan to take the real ACT or SAT on two consecutive test dates in junior year. Avoid skipping a test date because that can leave a 3-month gap between tests– long enough for students to lose their edge on the skills learned. If you’re thinking of switching from ACT to SAT or vice versa, take a practice test at Dogwood before switching.

5) During ACT and SAT test prep, Dogwood tutors work one-on-one with students to strengthen their math, reading and writing skills. They also teach test-taking strategies tailored to match each student’s strengths. The schedule and lessons are customized for each student. There are no packages – you pay for one session at a time. After each session, the tutors send progress notes to parents to show what was covered and how the student scored on practice tests done for homework.

We assign two different tutors for ACT-SAT test prep. One is a language arts specialist; the other is a math specialist who also tutors for ACT Science. If your student meets with each tutor each week, the test prep may take as few as six weeks. Between the two tutors, there will be about three hours of practice testing assigned for homework. That means a total commitment of about five hours a week for students who test with standard time. For students who test with extended time — or those with more demanding schedules — we recommend a longer runway with one session a week for about 10-12 weeks before the first official test date. 

6) Make time to practice, practice, practice. Just like practice helps to improve skills in athletics or the arts, students get better at standardized testing by taking practice tests. In addition to their session time with tutors, students must budget time in their busy schedules for practice testing at home – averaging 1.5 hours of practice for each hour of session time for students who test with standard time. Our tutors do a great job of coaching students and holding them accountable, but it’s up to students to take ownership of the test prep process. It’s hard work, and there are no shortcuts.

Call Dogwood Tutoring and Test Prep at 678-735-7555 or email Ivan@DogwoodTutoring.com to discuss strategic options for moving forward with testing. We look forward to working with you to customize a plan to help your student achieve his or her best results on the ACT, SAT or both tests.

Read more about the importance of ACT and SAT practice tests