@ ski
My D (who wishes to be called 2prepkid now) agrees that one test per day allows maximum focus. 2prepkid recommends avoiding multiple SATIIs on same day, because she says it is hard to adequately prepare for more than one subject test at a time (these are not reasoning tests and each requires content study). Better to plan ahead and space them out, and maximize preparation for each. Also she says students are used to focusing for 1 hour increments (in classes), but that intense focus for 2 to 3 hours can feel overwhelming and tiring.
Re Math level 1 and 2:
- Some schools require Math level 2
- The curve for level 2 is more generous. You can miss or leave a few blank and get 800. On Level 1, missing a single question can drop the score. 2prepkid chimes in - I had a friend who was stuck at 710 for Level 1 and so decided to take the Level 2 and scored 750 with no additional work. There is a cutoff for level 2 (must know trig and how to work graphing calculator) but if you have these skills, definitely take the Level 2.
Of course it allows maximum focus (as would only having one test per day in school), but with only 6 slots per year shared with SAT I’s and AP exams coming the week after the May SAT’s, the ideal may not be realistic for all kids. Obviously each kid is different. Multiple tests/day worked for me and many of my classmates, but each student needs to develop his/her own testing plan.
As I said in an earlier post, AP exams are 3 hours long; college finals are 3 hours long. There will be a time when kids have 2 of these on one day. Is it ideal? No. But it is reality, and somehow students survive. If they can survive 6 hours of exams in one day, they can certainly survive 2-3 hours.
I disagree with avoiding taking more than one subject test per day. People have more than enough time in most cases to prepare for the tests, and it’s not difficult to prep for two subject tests in that period of time. If you know the material, you know the material, and taking more than one test per day isn’t going to affect that. Chances are also that you’re taking or have taken the classes which apply to the subject test, which help with that.
And as for focusing for two hours being a problem… I don’t know about other schools, but Lawrenceville has something we call a double period, which basically is an hour and forty minutes, and my public school had block scheduling of that time. I think people have the view that concentrating for two hours is very difficult, but when they actually attempt it, they’d find it easier than expected.
My friend after his first SAT practice test came out tired but said it was a lot easier than he expected; I was much the same.