Tutor Yourself #6: Setting a Reasonable Goal
What goal should a student set for the SAT or ACT? It depends on a lot of factors. I will break down a lot of them so you can get a better idea of what a reasonable goal might be.
Perfect score. A perfect score is 1600 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. Very few students will get those scores. In fact, I know a lot of very experienced test prep experts and I don’t think a single one of them could get a perfect score every single time. Many students can, and do, score consistently in the 1500+ or 34+ range.
Which schools? Nearly every single college or university posts test data on their admissions page. They might give you the average score or the middle 50% of scores. If you want to go to that school, you want to score within that range. If you score below that range, it isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, especially if you are a strong candidate otherwise. Scoring above that range is better. A great score alone will not get you into college, but it will open up many more opportunities.
Practice test scores. How have you been scoring on practice tests? If your score is in the lower range, you have more room for growth. If you’re scoring under 1000 on the SAT, you should be able to get your score up 200+ points. If you’re scoring 1000-1300, you should be able to increase your score 50-100+ points. If you’re scoring 1300+, you are unlikely to raise your score by several hundred points, but could expect a 50-80 point increase on a good day.
Time. How long do you have to prepare for the test? You can get a lot more points if you prepare for 6 months than if you prepare for one week, although many students start to approach their maximum after about 2-4 months. If you have a particular passion for standardized tests, like I do, and a year to devote to the process, you can learn enough about the test to score near-perfect. Most students, though, are better off settling for the 1500 and focusing on classes and extracurriculars.
Past preparation. If you’ve already taken 3 prep courses and worked 20 hours with a private tutor, there’s probably not a whole lot I can do, and I’m very good at what I do. However, if you have had subpar math education over the last few years and have enough time to learn, you can raise your score hundreds of points just by learning missed content.
Consistency. If your practice test scores are all between 1450 and 1500, it is safe to assume your actual score will be in or near that range. If your practice test scores are 1100, 1380, and 1250, then there is a lot more uncertainty about what you will do on test day. (In that case, you might want to work on test-taking strategy and try to figure out why your scores are all over the place.)
You’ll want to consider all of these factors when setting a goal. You also can (and should) frequently revisit your goal as you continue preparing.
Next Up: The Reading Section