A+ Test Prep & Tutoring Blog

IneedAPencil.com, a free website created by a Florida high school student in 2007, is a great way for students to begin the process of preparing for the SAT. The website provides a structured approach to test prep, which includes a diagnostic practice exam that students take first.  After completing the exam the student can access 60 test prep lessons covering all SAT content areas (math, reading comprehension, and writing skills).

The student who created this website, Jason Shah, is now a sophomore at Harvard University. Jason received a $40,000 college scholarship from the McKelvey Foundation,  created by the late Andy McKelvey, who started Monster.com. The foundation’s entrepreneurial scholarship program provides scholarships to young business owners.  In 2007, 52 students received e-scholarships.

Another highly rated free online SAT preparation resource is Number2.com .

Since it is not typical for students to have the level of understanding and motivation to prepare for the SAT by themselves, most students still need a tutor, or coach. However, both of these websites are worth checking out and may play a useful role in improving a student’s SAT score.

Did you know that using the TI-89 is the most common reason students are dismissed from the ACT for calculator reasons?

As you can imagine, it will definitely ruin your day to be kicked out of the SAT or ACT simply because you did not bring the right calculator. It is important to be aware of the calculator policy of the test you will be taking beforehand so as to have the correct calculator on test day. Here are links to the policies of both college entrance exams:

SAT Calculator Policy

ACT Calculator Policy

Also, here are some general rules that you should follow with respect to calculator use on these exams:

• Calculators can be very helpful on these exams. However many problems can be solved without the use of a calculator. It is best to use a calculator judiciously. Over reliance on a calculator can be just as bad as not having one.
• Become familiar with your calculator. Once you have chosen a calculator that is permitted on the test you will be taking, use this calculator while you are preparing for the big test. You don’t want to be surprised by something different on test day.
• When using the calculator:

1. Clear the display and memory before each computation.
2. Key numbers in carefully
3. Check the display after each entry
4. Make sure to double check your calculation. You don’t want to get a question wrong because you hit the wrong key.

Good luck on the test!

To be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Glenside, PA. Please call A+ at 215.886.9188 to register.

Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy’s Day or Paddy’s Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa 385–461 AD), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.

The day is the national holiday of Ireland. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the rest of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday. ^[1]

It became a feast day in the Roman Catholic Church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding^[2] in the early part of the 17th century, and is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. The date of the feast is occasionally, yet controversially, moved by church authorities when March 17 falls during Holy Week; this happened in 1940 when Saint Patrick’s Day was observed on April 3 in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and happened again in 2008, having been observed on 15 March.^[3] March 17 will not fall during Holy Week again until 2160.^[4]

Read Across America is an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

One part of the project is National Read Across America Day, an observance in the United States held on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

‡ The late registration deadline is extended for online and phone registrations only in the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico. Any paper registrations sent by mail must be postmarked by the late registration deadline for mail, as noted above.

Important Information for All Test-Takers

• Sunday administrations occur the day after each Saturday test date, for students who cannot test on Saturday due to religious observance.
• The Language Tests with Listening are offered only in November.

* U.S. Registration Deadlines Important Information

• U.S. deadlines apply to students testing in the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico.
• U.S. registration materials that are mailed must be postmarked by the U.S. deadlines.
• On March 14, only the SAT Reasoning Test™ is offered.

** International Registration Deadlines Important Information

• International deadlines apply to anyone testing outside of the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico.
• International registration materials must be received by the international deadlines.
• There is no late registration for international testing. Online and telephone registrations must be completed by the international deadline dates listed above.
• Students registering through International Representatives must submit their paper registration with full payment by the early registration deadline.
• On March 14, the SAT is not offered outside of the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico.

SAT (I) Reasoning Test is held on the following Saturdays for the 2008-2009 Academic Year:

• October 4, 2008
• November 1, 2008
• December 6, 2008
• January 24, 2009
• March 14, 2009
• May 2, 2009
• June 6, 2009

This posting was based on the College Board’s official calendar as of September 1, 2008.  Visit Collegeboard’s Official SAT Test Dates & Registration Calendar for more information.