Wednesday, March 18, 2020

SAT Subject Test Dates 2019 When Should You Take Them

SAT Subject Test Dates 2019 When Should You Take Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When are you planning to take the SAT Subject Tests? If you answered, "I don't know," you're not alone! It's hard to know when the best time is to fit in the Subject Tests with the general SAT, your schoolwork, and everything else you've got going on. Let's take a look at when the SAT Subject Tests are offered in 2019 and when the best dates are for you to take them. As long as you have a plan, you'll be able to balance these tests with all the other things you're up to in your busy life. When Are the SAT SubjectTests Offered? SAT Subject Tests are offered six times a year in the following months: August October November December May June These are the same dates as the general SAT, except for one date in March when SAT Subject Tests are not offered but the general SAT is. The Literature, Science, US History, and Math SAT Subject Tests are offered on all test dates. The language tests and World History test, however, are only offered on some of the dates. This chart breaks down the SAT Subject Test schedule for 2019: May 4th June 1st Aug 24th Oct 5th Nov 2nd Dec 7th Literature âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Biology E/M âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Chemistry âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Physics âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” US History âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” World History âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Math Level 1 âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Math Level 2 âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” French âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” German âÅ"” Spanish âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” âÅ"” Modern Hebrew âÅ"” Italian âÅ"” Latin âÅ"” âÅ"” French with Listening âÅ"” German with Listening âÅ"” Spanish with Listening âÅ"” Chinese with Listening âÅ"” Japanese with Listening âÅ"” Korean with Listening âÅ"” Source: The College Board Since there are several subject tests offered on one date, can you take more than one at the same time? Here are the basic rules and conditions: You can take up to three subject tests on the same date.But there are two caveats: You can only take one Listening test per date. Listening tests are always given in the first hour. You can only take one Biology (E or M) test per date; you can't take both on the same date. You may change the test you are taking on test day, unless it's a Listening test. You cannot take a Subject Test on the same date that you take the general SAT. Keeping these conditions in mind, let's talk about popular dates for test takers. When Should You Take SAT Subject Tests? 4 Factors You need to integrate SAT Subject Test Dates with your SAT/ACT, AP exams, and extracurriculars. So what are the best test dates for you to take one? Here are four key factors to consider: #1: Popular Test Dates May and June are popular times to take the SAT Subject Tests. Since each Subject Test requires knowledge of a particular subject, the best time to take one is usually at the end of the school year so that you've alreadystudied that subject. If you're focusing extra attention on that subject for final exams or AP tests, all the better! Your studying can kill two birds with one stone as you prepare for both tests. #2: Content Readiness The SAT Subject Tests are your chance to show subject mastery, whether it's a subject you've taken in school or one that you've learned a lot about on your own. Since these tests align with a subject rather than a grade level, you don't have to wait until your junior year to take one. Instead, you should take them when the content is still fresh and ready in your mind. You might be able to get an excellent score on the Biology Subject Test, for example, after your 9th grade biology class. By familiarizing yourself with the content that's covered on each test, you'll have a sense of when you'll be best prepared to take it. The language tests require a lot of knowledge- at least two or three years of intensive study. Since many fluent or native speakers take the language tests, you should only opt for these if you feel extremely ready. Note thatit is more difficult to score in a high percentile on these tests. #3: Time for Prep As mentioned above, a lot of students benefit from taking the SAT Subject Test as close as possible to a final exam or AP test in the same subject. With all your studying, you'll be fully immersed in the subject matter. Plus, you can join forces with other students in your class. Study groups can be a powerful way to share knowledge,stay motivated, and make sure you're asking the right questions. #4: Balance With Other Tests If you're taking the SAT or ACT in addition to one or more Subject Tests, you have to consider how to balance these tests and the studying you'll put toward them.Since you'll likely want to take the SAT/ACT more than once, be sure to leave available dates for a second or third attempt. One possible testing schedule could look like this: Sample Testing Schedule Junior Year October: Take the PSATMarch: Take the SAT for the first timeMay: Take the SAT Subject Tests and AP Exams, as well as school finalsJune: Take the SAT for the second time Senior Year October or November: Take the SAT for the third time.As you saw in the chart above, some of the Language tests are usually only offered in November,so keep this in mind if you're taking one of those. If you're taking the ACT, you could take it in February, April, June, and/or July of your junior year, and again in September or October of your senior year. Remember, you don't have to wait until junior year to take the SAT Subject Tests, but it's usually best totake them in May or June so that they coincide with the end of an academic course in whatever subject is relevant to your test. You can also take the Subject Tests again in the fall of your senior year.While these dates might be too late for early action deadlines, they should be in time for regular decision deadlines. The only downside with waiting until the fall of your senior year is that you won't know your SAT Subject Test scores until your college list has already been mostly finalized. Key Takeaways: When to Take SAT Subject Tests Figuring out a schedule and getting your SAT Subject Tests finished in advance of college deadlines is beneficial for your applications and personal stress levels. By knowing your deadlines and creating a flexible study schedule, you'll be able to figure out the best time you can take the test as well as when you'll get your score from it. Your Subject Test dates shouldn't be a random decision; rather, they should be made deliberately, based on your content readiness, the time you need to prep, and how much balance you'll need as you also study for the general SAT/ACT. What's Next? Now that you know all the upcoming SAT Subject Test dates, it's time to learn more about all the subjects you can test in. When are you planning to take the SAT or ACT? Learn about the best test dates for taking these important tests. Did you know that some colleges have test-flexible policies that allow you to send SAT Subject Test scores in place of the general SAT? Check out the full list of test-optional and test-flexible colleges here. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Monday, March 2, 2020

The Best Ways to Learn How to Speak French

The Best Ways to Learn How to Speak French Theres no magic formula for learning how to speak French or any language for that matter. It requires lots of time, energy and patience. There are, however, some techniques that  will make your study of French  more efficient and, thus, help you learn the language more quickly. The two main elements of language study are learning and practicing, and they go hand in hand. Memorizing vocabulary words wont do any good if you are unable to use them, so you should supplement your studies with practice. The following tips for learning French include plenty of practical ideas.  If you really want to learn how to speak French, do as many of the following as possible. Learn With French Classes One of the most efficient ways to learn how to speak French is to take a class. If you dont want to attend a language school, there are almost certainly some reasonably priced French classes available at your local community college or adult education center. Check out who the teacher is: Is the teacher French? From which region? How long has that person been a teacher? A class is only as good as the teacher. Learn With French Immersion If at all possible, spend some time in a French-speaking country.  That is absolutely the best way to learn French. But there again, choosing your French learning program is the key. For adults, I strongly recommend learning French in immersion at a homestay with a French teacher: Youll get the individual attention and unique guidance of a French teacher and the experience of immersing yourself in a French culture. But there are also many French language schools abroad in France and elsewhere offering various programs. Take the time to research the school, the teachers, the location and the accommodation arrangements before you make your choice.   Learn With Online French Lessons Work on the basic vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar  and verb lessons in  French for Beginners. Your first lesson?  I want to learn French.  Where do I start? Self-study, though, is not for everybody. Most people need the guidance of a teacher to successfully conquer French, or at least, a well organized French learning tool.   Listen to French Listen to spoken French every day. The more you listen, the easier it will be for you to acquire that lovely French accent. Invest in a good French audio method. Spoken French and written French are like two different languages. It is essential you train with level-appropriate audio aids to conquer French pronunciation. Listen to French music. You may not understand all the words, but singing French songs out loud is a great way to get into the swing of the French language rhythm and a fun way to learn new vocabulary. Watch out for French movies  though. They are a great tool for advanced students, but the fast, idiomatic dialogues in them can break the spirit of a beginner. French movies and French radio are made for French people, not students, and they are often overwhelming for a beginning student of French.   Read French French newspapers and magazines  make good tools for advanced students. For each article, make a list of the words you dont know, look them all up after you finish the article, and then read it again while referring to the list. The same for French literature. Check out bilingual books  and see if they help you. Use a dictionary to make flash cards and themed word lists. Use the flash cards to label everything in your house: doors, walls, bookshelves, rooms, and more.Keep word lists in a binder. Flip through the pages every day to test yourself. When youre sure that you know every word on a list, remove it from the binder to make room for new lists. Speak French To speak French, not only do you need to know French, but you also need to get over your anxiety about speaking it in front of other people. And the only way to do this is to practice with other people. French learning software and French audio books can prepare you to understand the French. Plus, you can learn a lot by answering questions out loud and repeating common sentences. That said, nothing will ever replace real-life interaction. To learn to speak French, you need to actually speak! Check out local French classes; there may be an Alliance Franà §aise near you or a community college that offers French conversation classes or try taking a French class by Skype.   But the best way to quickly improve your French speaking fluency is to have an immersion experience in France. Do you feel nervous when you try to speak? Follow  tips for overcoming your anxiety about speaking French  and see what happens. Learn French With Social Media Check out the  Facebook, Twitter  and  Pinterest  pages of your favorite French profs, and join them there to learn more French.