How do I get a seat to take the SAT test in Singapore?
If you attend a school that is a closed test center (you know who you are), then get the secret test center number from your school and register via the College Board website. If you do not, then things get a bit more complicated.
In normal times the bulk of the openly available seats to take the SAT in Singapore were supplied by local MOE schools with large capacity such as ACJC and VJC. There are presently restrictions from these schools administering the test and hence a major mis-match in supply/demand for seats. We anticipate that when we move to "Stage Four" then things will open up and these centers will again open up. When this happens, students who are on the official College Board wait list will be first in line. You get on this list by letting "College Board find me a place" during the registration.
No amount of emails or calls to College Board in New York will be of any use. If you can't test, don't worry about it. (see below)
What if I can't get a seat to take the SAT?
Note that this test availability problem is hardly unique to Singapore and kids all over the world (including large swaths of America) are not able to test. As a result, all American schools are now test optional at the very least and you will not have to submit scores. If you do not submit scores, this will not hurt your application. Chartering a speedboat to try to get a to a test center in Batam or Johor is completely crazy town.
What about the ACT, should I take that in April/June?
As reported earlier, the ACT gave up on international by cancelling international tests until April 2021 and firing all the international staff. Presently there are places notionally available in Singapore for the June test administration but we doubt that these will be fully open. Try to take the SAT instead, the ACT is even more of a mess at present.
What does "Test Optional" mean?
It means that the SAT/ACT test scores are OPTIONAL and you do not have to submit them, especially if you can't take the test! Universities will use other parts of your application in lieu of test scores.
Should I still submit test scores?
If the university is test optional (U. California legally can't even look at scores now!), and your test scores are solid, then go ahead and submit test scores. If your test scores are poor relative to the rest of your application, then no need to send them.
Will it hurt my chances if I do not submit scores?
No, schools are test optional, see above. Universities need students and will be making it easier, not harder.
Will universities be test optional for class of 2022 as well?
Probably. Hard to say for sure and schools are likely not keen to commit to anything that far out but unless things snap back to a new normal very soon, then most universities will be test optional for kids starting in 2022 as well.
What about the SAT Essay and SAT Subject Tests?
Just a few American schools still technically "recommend" these tests and that number goes down every week. We anticipate (and hope) that these tests will die a graceful death with the next admissions cycle. They are still required by some non-American schools so check with the specific university. We can see the tests being quietly fully cancelled and still being required by some universities who didn't get the memo.
Where can I get more specific guidance?
Our webinar in December covers all of this ground, but the best person to help you is your university advisor at your school. NOT a commercial university placement agent. NOT a WhatsApp group. NOT what you heard from your friend's cousin's half-brother whose kid "got into Stanford". There has been a proliferation of fake news on all things of late, and admissions and testing has hardly been spared.
We encourage people to have a look at our blog for our most recent postings as well as our Twitter feed where we post interesting links.
How Not to Prepare for the SAT/ACT
For centuries, aspiring civil servants in China spent years of their lives in study to prepare for examinations that focused on rote memorization of the classic Confucian texts. This type of exam continue today in China with the “Gao Kao” (高考), the results of which dictate where students go to university. The Gao Kao is best prepared for through sheer brute force and mock test after mock test. This type of testing is common throughout other Asian nations and the normal preparation process lasts years and in many places offerings are made at shrines of various religions beseeching for divine help, such is the importance of these exams - in many cases the sole criterion for university admission.
The ACT or SAT is certainly an important part of the American university admissions process but as we have said again and again, there is no minimum score for any American university. Every year elite schools reject students scoring full marks and accept other students scoring much lower who are more “complete” applicants. Hence, spending hundreds of hours on test prep at the expense of playing sports and participating in other CCAs is sheer folly.
Both the SAT and ACT are not tests of knowledge or memorization skills. As the College Board states, it tests what you already have learned in school: Reading, Writing and Mathematics. As such, learning how the test is constructed and specific strategies for different question types is the most efficient way to prepare. The Testtakers approach is just this: new techniques and strategies rather than tedious practice and rote memorization. Our programs range in length but seldom involve more than 30-45 hours or so of classroom time as we have found that is enough time to internalize the techniques and apply them to the test.
Most other SAT preparation providers in the region take a more blunt-force approach with programs ranging up to 200 hours in length, often stretching over Christmas or Summer holidays. Our research has shown that these extended programs are seldom as effective as our shorter, more efficient programs. These long programs represent the application of an Asian style of exam preparation to a test that does not lend itself to that approach by the very designs of the tests. All those additional hours would be better spent working on your other school work and pursuing other noble pursuits (not Pokemon Go!). High tests scores and top academic marks alone will not get you into a premier school.
Simply put, very, very few students are capable of getting a perfect score, just as very, very few people are capable of winning an Olympic medal, or very, very few people are capable of becoming a chess master. Our test preparation programs help students reach their highest potential score as quickly and efficiently as possible. To use a sports analogy close to the writer’s heart, I know that if I practice golf for 2 hours a day I would certainly improve but no matter what I do there is no way I could ever play against Tiger Woods in a tournament. It just isn’t going to happen. Similarly, diminishing returns kick in quite quickly in test preparation and I lament how many over-eager students look to start SAT preparation a year in advance or enroll in course after course chasing a few extra points. For the purposes of getting into a great school, it is just plain stupid. If you don’t agree with me, give me a call on +65 6728 7476 and I’ll be more than happy to chat.
-- Jeremy Craig, Testtakers Singapore
