I hope you’ve had time to complete your 2014 annual review and plan for 2015. If not, check out the Annual Review post to get going. This week I want to talk to you about your testing goals and how to make them a reality.

SAT and ACT Goals

When coming up with your standardized testing goals it’s best to know what you’re trying to achieve with your score. It’s a lot harder to motivate yourself for a number just for the sake of a number. So how do you come up with a reasonable score to shoot for? There are a couple of ways I recommend. The first is to look at the average scores for the colleges you want to attend. This information is usually published on the college’s website and should be easy to find. The other great way to come up with a score goal for SAT or ACT is focusing on incremental change. Take a practice test and go for a reasonable but substantial point number or percentage. If you’ve already taken the test, you can use that as your starting point.

Now that you have a score as your goal and the right motivation, you need to put together a plan to get there. If you’re really good at self motivation, grab yourself a study book and your calendar. Schedule specific time each week to practice. If you need extra accountability, consider a class or tutor. But start now.

AP Goals

This is a great time to plan for your APs. The nice thing about AP tests is that you are already taking a class for them. There’s already a schedule in place that your teacher has designed making your life easier. But that means you need to do everything that’s part of your teacher’s plan – homework, tests, labs, papers – all of it.

So is your goal to get 5’s in every AP course you’re taking? If that’s feasible, awesome. If you’re taking seven AP courses, though, that might not make sense. If you need to focus on a few, take the tests in the courses that align with your base. If you’re into science, take the science AP’s but don’t worry about English. Just make sure you’re not going to not get any 5’s because you’re pushing yourself beyond your limit.

Other Testing Goals

Are you taking SAT subject tests or any other tests this year? Plan which tests now. See which tests are required by your colleges of choice, which can get you out of college requirements, and which match up with the AP tests you’re taking. Use this information to plan which tests you want to take. The nice thing about taking the SAT subject test for your AP courses is that you don’t have to do that much more studying. You will already have a study schedule preparing you for the AP test. All you have to do is take a couple of practice SAT subject tests to get the format down.

Action Items

1. Review your planned standardized testing and confirm they’re matching your 2015 goals.
2. Update your calendar for the semester to make sure you have time for studying.
3. Get a tutor now if you think you might struggle with any of your planned testing.

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