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What are the SAT Question and Answer Service and ACT Test Information Release?

From time to time students will be confused by their performance on their SAT or ACT. They will say: “I don’t understand why my English score dropped”, or “I thought I aced the math, what happened”?

To better understand test performance, both College Board and ACT provide a service that allows you to purchase a copy of the test you took. This service is not available for all test dates, but in 2020-21, SAT is releasing the tests for October, March and May, and ACT is releasing the tests for December, April, and June.

Both services provide you a clean copy of the test, your answers, and the correct answers. I highly recommend you order the test if you wish to do further test preparation. This can be done when you register for your test or after you get your scores. You have up to five months after your test date to order the SAT; you have six months to order the ACT.

The name of College Board’s service is the Question and Answer Service. (Do not confuse this with the Answer Verification Service available for all test dates and described on the same page). Click here to find out more.

The equivalent product from ACT is called the Test Information Release. To order your ACT test, click this link for further instructions.

For insight on why scores can fluctuate, read this article that discusses variability in the ACT Science scores.

For questions, write Kate Dalby at kvs@katedalby.com

Kate Dalby2021-03-04T20:34:36-05:00

Score Results for 2020 Are Coming In

Wow. What a crazy year it has been.

We started the new year moving from our McLean, VA office to a new location in Vienna, VA. We were so excited to be in a new space near so many of our clients; it was such a promising beginning . . . then Covid hit. Bam! We went from 60 to 0 over night. Students’ SAT and ACT test dates were cancelled, we were locked down (eventually closing our office) and all we could safely do was go online to tutor. Even though we have tutored remotely in the past with great results, we weren’t sure if our success would hold up under large numbers of students. By June we were getting pretty busy and this is the first chance to catch our breath and assess our results. If you haven’t reported your scores, we would love to hear from you.

The following are profiles of students and their results:

BZ, ’21, prepped in the spring SAT before covid. Raised scores 170 pts to a super score of 790v 780m.
CJ ’22 took a couple of SAT lessons online and raised scores 80 pts to 790v 800m.
GC ’22 started at an SAT of 590v 650m raised scores 210 pts. to 700v 750m. Only half way through online flex prep – plans to retest in spring.
KC’21 took SAT flex prep online and raised scores from 1270 to 1430 (160 pt. gain.)
MS’21 took summer SAT flex prep online and got 220 pt gain for a 1490 combined.
MP’21 raised SAT scores 130 pts to 1560.
OJ’21 went from 630v 530m SAT to 650v 680m (170 gain) plans to retest.
RH’21 raised SAT scores 150 pts from 570v560m to 610v 670m.
AS’21 prepped in person. Started at 450v 380m scored 510v 490m on Sept SAT. Gain: 170.
SR ’21 prepped in person. Started at a 990 SAT, scored 1120, gained 130.
SM’22 online went from 1180 to 1360 SAT for a 180 pt. gain.
TB’21 online scored a 1570 SAT for a 130 pt. gain.
TJ’21 started at 750v 720m SAT, scored a 790v760m (80 pt. gain).
VJ ’21 560v 640m SAT to 670v 710m; 180 pt. gain.
VP’21 went up 190 pts to a 590v 530m SAT. Plans to retest.
MZ’22 with online ACT flex prep raised composite scores from 27 to 30. Last four practice tests were 34 so advised to retest.
BA’22 took online ACT summer flex prep and raised her composite from 30 to 34.
FA’21 took ACT prep in person last year starting with a 21 composite, took a test Dec 19 and got a 25, and retested in Oct’20 scoring a 31 composite. That’s a 10 pt. gain. Persistence pays off.
MR’22 took SAT prep in person got a 70 pt. gain for a 1330. Best practice was 1460, so we recommend retest.
FQ’21 took SAT prep in person and got a 260 pt. gain raising scores to 1390.
AA’21 worked really hard to raise a 21 to a 28 in practice. She scored 23 on the fall ACT and plans to retest.
HD’22 raised SAT scores 80 pts. to a 1510 after 2,5 hours of online prep.
SS’21 started with a 31 ACT and raised her score to 35. (4 pt. gain.)
NN’22 was unhappy with scores and would not report or respond to our follow up calls.
WA’21 raised his ACT scores with flex prep going from a 27 to a 34, then a 35 the next month. He really put in the hours for a 8 pt. gain.
VM’22 reports he got a 34 composite on his Oct ’20 ACT, up from a 30 composite on his diagnostic test.
Just heard from online prepper GC ’22 today, November 20,2020. He got a 750v800m. His PSAT last year was a 590v650m (320 point gain). Pretty impressive improvement.
SH ’22 finally got back to me with her scores. She went from an 18 to a 26 composite after in person test prep. Recommendation: retest because she super scored 30 in practice.
SS ’22 prepared for the SAT online: she started with a 630V/660M and scored 700V/730M on the November 2020 test (140 point gain).

Average SAT gain of 170 points for 16 testers (excludes three high scorers who did not do a full preparation ie: CJ, TJ, HD). Range is 70 to 320 points. Two modes: 130 and 170.

Average ACT gain of 5.4 points for 8 testers. Range is 2 to 10 points. Mode is 4 points.

We have about 10 outstanding scores. When we get those values, we will update the statistics; however, these results are fairly typical. We are delighted to see that scores have not suffered with the advent of online tutoring.

Curious how we can help? Click the link to set up a free consultation.

Kate Dalby2020-12-16T15:21:29-05:00

Why Do My ACT Scores Fluctuate So Much?

Recently I received an inquiry about test preparation from a parent who said her daughter (not a student of mine) had scored a 32 composite the previous fall on the ACT. She was frustrated because the science sub score was only a 29, yet she had been scoring as high as a 36 in practice. Part of her problem on the real test was timing.
(more…)

Kate Dalby2021-01-13T18:03:13-05:00

New! Virtual Fireside Chat with Dr. Sybil Gohari, Founder of Admissions Company

Join Dr. Sybil Gohari, founder of Admissions Company, for a virtual Fireside Chat on College Admissions on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by Kate Dalby, owner of Inspiring Test Preparation. Contact Dr. Gohari directly to sign up at info@admissions.company. Seating is limited.

Dr. Gohari brings over a decade of experience as an educator and entrepreneur; she spends her time at the intersection of academia and technology. She has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park; American University; George Washington University; and Georgetown University.

She founded Admissions Company to harness the proprietary method rooted in data and analytics, to not only help students significantly increase their chances of gaining admission to competitive schools but to determine the optimal schools for their individual needs and interests. Admissions Company complements its use of big data with a deep reservoir of expertise to guide students from an early point in the admissions process.

Dr. Gohari graduated from the American University Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Art History, where she was also a division I lacrosse player. She went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kate Dalby2020-12-08T18:58:58-05:00

Another Thank You Note

Dear Ms Dalby

My daughter Bhuvana Pandalai was one of your students . She and I have been helping a lot of parents and students through college application process and preparation during high school. Most of these parents and students don’t even know ACT tests agreed and they have been asking where Bhuvana did her ACT tutoring. I have recommended your center to multiple parents. I think couple of them have taken your course. One parent came back and said their son get a near perfect score.

I strongly believe Bhuvana’s top ACT scores were the results of your excellent tutoring and would like to officially put your website as a reference site in our presentation and on our website. Please let me know if you are ok with us doing that.

Sindhu Rajan

Kate Dalby2019-10-12T19:16:58-04:00