First time poster here. So my son is going into his junior year of high school, and has started reading through some SAT books and SAT Math 2 books, in preparation for the tests which he plans to take in the fall. A full length practice test for the SAT 2 is an hour and a half with his extended time, however a full length practice test for the regular SAT (with essay) is 5 hours and 30 minutes. It is very hard for my son to focus properly for this amount of time, and he doesn’t always have that kind of time every weekend. Do you guys recommend studying in some other way than doing full length practice tests, or will my son simply have to accept the fact that he learns differently and do full length practice tests. If full length practice tests are the recommendation, what frequency should my son be doing them?
Thank you for your help guys.
Edit: My son has already been granted extended time on subject tests and the regular SAT by the college board.
Have you applied yet for the testing accommodation? That could take some time to attain. Try to secure the accommodation before your son’s HS sends in the registration for the PSAT
@GMTplus7 yes, the school’s office of disability handles everything so my son has it for the regular SAT and any subject test he wishes to take.
I would take the full-length practice tests. This really is the BEST indicator of how your son will perform on test day. I would even suggest taking the breaks that he given. I do not know if he is also given other accommodations such as a scribe, but only provide him with the resources that he will have on test day so that this is as realistic as possible. As far as practice goes, it depends when your son is taking the test. If it is this December, I would take the first practice test around the end of summer and take it from there. If he needs more full-length practice, there are four official ones available. I wish you and your son the best luck.
If the full length practice tests are too much then take individual tests. But make sure they are timed to simulate a real test environment.
My DD has ADD, and gets time and a half. She’s a rising senior, so has taken 2 sittings of the SAT now.
1st question - are you sure he wants to take the writing? I feel like fewer and fewer schools are interested in it. DD took the first SAT with writing. Afterwards, she said “I was so done by the time I got to the writing, I had nothing left.”
4 1/2 hours without the writing is enough of a challenge. Her second sitting was without writing.
Is his LD ADD as well? If so and he’s like my daughter, then the pressure of the real test will help improve focus a little.
She practiced by taking some full tests (but I think only twice) - but essentially without extra time. She took them in a “strange” location - her tutor’s place - so that she would be less distracted. Most of her prep was 2-hour sessions with her tutor.
If DD could improve her focus just by practicing, well then she’d have cured herself by now! But it’s not that easy.
I think he should do what he can, but taking 5 hours in 1 sitting to do a full practice test is just too much of an ask to do too frequently, IMO.
My son never did a full test until the actual test day. He practiced subtests with the extended time. He strongly preferred the way ACT structured the extended time where he could self pace through sections so for math where he barely needed extended time he could bank some extra time for reading where he needed double time. I also agree with PP to take without the optional writing section if at all possible. Many schools aren’t requiring it any more and it makes that test so long for those with extended time.
My kid would do one or two sections at a time, then we would go over what she missed. She would make flash cards where she needed to, and review the before the next time she took a section (just for math, she didn’t really have to study for CR). We did not worry about having her take a full test ahead of time.