The ACT or the SAT? That is the question! Part 4: Personality Test Information obtained from ACT or SAT: Choosing the Right Exam for You (Princeton Review, 2009)

“Princeton Review Assessment” If you are interested, there is a 150-page test called the “Princeton Review Assessment” that is in the book from which most of these presentations are coming from This test provides you with a very detailed qualitative and quantitative approach to determining which test is best for you But for our purposes in class, I cannot copy that test for each of you. Instead, we will take a Personality quiz that is designed to be an informal and fun tool to help you identify your test-taking preferences…

What is your Test-Taking Personality? In order to make an informed test choice, you need to develop a good amount of self-awareness surrounding your own personal learning style and test-taking preferences. At the end of the day, the SAT and the ACT are both standardized tests that aim to measure your mastery of the content you learned in school. But as you saw in the last part of this presentation series, how the tests ask questions, what subjects they emphasize, and how much time they allot for each question can depend on each test.

Get ready! Answer these questions on _________.

Question #1 A) calm and cool; I’m a human dictionary! B) like I want to run and hide! The thought of playing the game Catchphrase or Taboo makes you feel:

Question #2 A) I thrive on switching back and forth between different things B) I do my best when I am doing one thing at a time Which of the following best describes you when you’re online and shifting between surfing the web, chatting with a friend in an IM conversation, and typing a paper for homework?

Question #3 When it comes to Math, there is nothing as satisfying as… A) knowing I found a great short-cut and picked the right bubble, fast B) knowing my calculations were thorough and my answer precise When it comes to Math, there is nothing as satisfying as…

Question #4 A) No B) Yes Do you live in Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, or Wyoming?

Question #5 A) a book you’ve read or a historical event B) my opinion on a controversial issue You’d rather write an essay about

Question #6 A) solve it and be a millionaire B) call my friend who is great with puzzles for help If you had to complete a tricky puzzle to win a million dollars, you’d

Question #7 A) I rocked it! How did you do on the PSAT? B) I got mediocre scores, but I’m a straight A student, so I’m confused How did you do on the PSAT?

Question #8 A) Nope B) Yup Do you enjoy conducting experiments in Science class?

Question #9 A) I tend to space out a lot during long tests B) Even during long tests I can focus pretty well and get in the zone Which of the following best describes your ability to concentrate?

Question #10 A) my best friend or my tutor B) Me! Who is better at proofreading an essay?

Question #11 A) heart B) despise I_______ Math.

Question #12 A) English What language do you primarily speak at home? B) a language other than English What language do you primarily speak at home?

Question #13 A) boring B) interesting Reading about Science is

Question #14 A) it messes with my head and throws me off B) no sweat. I pace myself well and love beating the clock Which of the following describes how you would perform under time pressure?

Question #15 A) play it by ear and do things spontaneously B) read about things ahead of time and plan out what I’m going to do each day When going on a trip, I like to

YOUR RESULTS How many As did you get? How many Bs?

YOUR RESULTS If you answered “A” to 10 or more questions, your personality and learning preferences are likely to favor the SAT If you answered “B” to 10 or more questionsACT

SAT-ers’ Characteristics (1) You’re a quick thinker who loves the challenge of puzzles and logic games because they’re fun to solve. You can quickly define a plethora of onerous vocabulary words (and know what those words mean) You don’t always do all of your assignments but you “test well” so you still get good grades.

SAT-ers’ Characteristics (2) You rocked or did well on the PSAT! You do not live in the state of CO, MI, KT, or WY where the ACT is a mandatory exit exam for all high school students You don’t mind writing about a historical event or a great book you’ve read. You tend to have trouble concentrating for long periods of time.

ACT-ers’ Characteristics (1) You pay close attention in math class and understand basic trigonometry, logarithms, and imaginary numbers. You love the challenge of working quickly and beating the clock. When reading, you typically run into words for which you don’t know the meaning. You enjoy reading about science, including experiments and theories.

ACT-ers’ Characteristics (2) You’re good at reading graphs and tables and identifying trends. You’re a strong reader and would prefer to read a passage than solve a math problem. You’re a straight A students but did poorly on the PSAT. You live in the state of IL, CO, MI, KT, or WY You can concentrate on one thing for long periods of time.

Mixed Characteristics If you didn’t answer A or B to 10 or more questions… …your personality and learning preferences probably wouldn’t favor either test Remember, this quiz isn’t scientific; it’s just a collection of questions that Princeton Review has found to be pretty good indicators of a possible preference…