SAT+Prep

[|WebWatch], a Consumer Reports online service, reviewed 10 Web sites that offer SAT preparation. One of the sites, which is free -- [|http://www.number2.com] -- did just as well as the fee-based sites such as Kaplan and The Princeton Review. Please note the key findings below, or visit the site at http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/dynamic/families-reports-satprep.cfm for a full report.

• Online services come hand-in-hand with aggressive advertising that display messages not clearly distinguishable from those offered by free resources • Errors are consistently present in six of the ten services evaluated, and only one (Boston Test Prep) offered a mechanism for reporting errors • High price and reputation aren’t necessarily ingredients for excellence • Concerns about student privacy were raised

Be sure to visit [|http://www.number2.com,] and compare what you see there with the district’s subscription to Peterson’s Testing and Education Reference Center (http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/unio74337). Please see a librarian for the password. In addition, despite the words of caution from [|WebWatch], please note that there are helpful services included in some of the sites and other online resources. For example, visit:

for an SAT word of the day from Princeton Review. for the SAT Question of the Day from College Board; you can also get this by e-mail if you visit http://www.puzz.com/sat.html. for free SAT practice questions, also from College Board for test prep questions, courtesy of the New York Times and Kaplan for an SAT math problem of the day from Yahoo’s Educational Directory for a collection of college prep test resources for a useful article outlining tips for success on the SAT
 * http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/wdj.asp?wordType=2
 * http://www.collegeboard.com/apps/qotd/question
 * http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/practice.html
 * http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/satofday/index.html
 * http://education.yahoo.com/college/math_problem/
 * http://www.internet4classrooms.com/act_sat.htm
 * http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/resources/articles/index/104568?id=

The most important tip, though, is study, practice, and read! Good preparation is the key to mastering challenging exams that will lead you to a bright future.