<p>I see a lot of thread in a lot of places on College Confidential that mention a student taking a college entrance test (e.g., the SAT or the ACT) with “no prep.” What does that mean? Did the student literally not even open up the sample test booklet that is usually given to any student who registers for the test? Or does this mean something else?</p>
<p>I think it means a bit more than doing nothing. For example, S2 had the ACT sample test book available for his use. The most he did with it was move it around on his bedroom floor. He may actually have opened it the night before the exam, but I can’t honestly say he “prepped” for the ACT.</p>
<p>That qualifies as “no prep” in my world.</p>
<p>I take no prep to mean no prep course and no practice tests. And no memorizing 1,000 words. Getting the SAT Question of the Day and/or looking at the sample booklet don’t constitute prep to me.</p>
<p>When I say I didn’t study, I mean once I looked at an essay on the collegeboard website, and I sometimes helped people with questions on the SAT forum here. I didn’t get a sample booklet when registering for the SAT online.</p>
<p>I also took the PSAT each year of high school.</p>
<p>To me:</p>
<p>No Prep = No prep course or practice tests or thumbing through a prep book.</p>
<p>No Brains = Not familiarizing oneself with the test format (not opening the sample test booklet).</p>
<p>From what I understand, my son took the PSATs with “no prep.” Sophomore year his teacher recommended he take it, so he did. This year I bought a book for him, he took the practice test at my insistance and that was that. He’s got the SAT coming up but is taking the same approach. </p>
<p>I much prefer to prep for tests. To each their own.</p>
<p>My daughter did the same as The Mom’s son. She wanted to give them the most accurate indication of what she knew. I don’t think we have any prep classes within an 1/2 hour of here.</p>
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<p>What does everyone else think about whether the SAT Question of the Day is prepping for the SAT or not?</p>
<p>In my house “no prep” meant exactly that. DS went into the tests w/ the knowledge he acquired through normal classes at school. He had the philosophy that he’d see how it went and work on the parts that needed improvement. Luckily for him, he did just fine in the first go-round. </p>
<p>Personally, I think that’s how these tests should work. I hate to see kids spending their Saturdays in SAT prep classes just to better their score on the test. Wouldn’t their time be better spent pursuing a passion or working on a challenging class? And learning how to “best” take any test … how does that relate to performance in college?</p>
<p>One exception: the folks that say “read, read, read” to improve your critical reading/writing scores – are absolutely correct!</p>
<p>Sherpa - Then I think I count as “no brains,” though I did take the test twice (I was more familiar the second time, but I don’t think that had much to do with it)!</p>
<p>“Prep” for the SAT and all those other tests should be your entire education. It’s a test of what you’ve learned, what you know–it SHOULD be a test of what you know sans prep, what you as a person know from your 12 years of education, not what you stuffed into your head from a book the night before. So technically I have had a lifetime of SAT prep, but “prep” defined as “books and classes and flashcards and study mumbo jumbo” is a no-no. That score is mine, not Kaplan’s. Yuck. :)</p>
<p>Last year my D took the PSAT as a sophomore with “no prep”. We wanted to see where her natural abilities (or lack thereof) lay. This year as a junior, she did several practice tests, flipped through the Rocket Review, did the question of the day 
and raised her score by 30 points. :)</p>
<p>To me no prep means you do the sample test, but nothing else. That’s what Mathson did the first time. Then he tried to improve his writing score and went to perhaps half at most of the classes in a prep course. He went up 10 points in math, writing and CR stayed exactly the same.</p>
<p>I have used the phrase “no prep” with reference to a friend of QMP’s who did use the SAT Question of the Day service. Obviously, that actually is prep of a sort. The student took the PSAT in both sophomore and junior years and the SAT once in 7th grade for Talent Search purposes. I’d guess that he also did the PSAT practice questions that come in the packet distributed when a student signs up for the PSAT. But he had no SAT courses and no tutoring. He might not even have seen the Blue Book of Real SAT’s. </p>
<p>It’s essential for a student to know the correct way to grid in the answers, for the math problems with student-generated responses. While a student could read the directions for the first time during the SAT itself, I think it would be better to know in advance. Personally, I also think it’s advantageous for a student to know about the specific writing errors that seem to irritate the CB folks.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the overwhelming majority of students who need “no prep” have had general, non-SAT directed intellectual preparation, which has come (in effect) as a gift from their school system and/or home environment.</p>
<p>The extreme “no prep” would mean not taking #2 pencils, a calculator or your admission ticket.</p>
<p>I think any serious and sensible student would at a minimum inform himself or herself about the content and format of the exam in advance. Reading the sample booklet and taking the sample practice test would constitute that.</p>
<p>The thing is, there are no extra brownie points assigned for ‘no prep’ scores.</p>
<p>I think of the SAT Question of the Day as something fun, like doing the daily crossword or jumble, not as prep.</p>
<p>lol, vicariousparent. I can say that QMP was startled to discover that the essay came first on the SAT. And luckily we keep a few sharpened #2 pencils in the car :)</p>
<p>(This refers to the post by vicariousparent, which now seems to be #16 on the thread. For fans of garland’s Meta-thread, it’s just the time machine.)</p>
<p>I interpret that as no prep course.</p>
<p>I interpret ‘no prep’ as literally, nothing. I did ‘no prep’-signed up for the SAT Question of the Day, but never even opened the emails. Got that booklet they give you in your guidance office, never even opened it. I think I tossed it in my backpack and never saw it again. Took the SATs and did pretty amazing. </p>
<p>(Now I certainly wouldn’t recommend that strategy, but I know even though I don’t get terrific grades, I test really well).</p>
<p>No prep course. No study or other preparation except maybe taking a practice test from the test booklet and making sure to have sharp pencils, a snack, and your ID ready for test day. My kids were both inveterate “no preppers” for both SAT and subject tests.</p>
<p>I agree about reading the sample booklet and doing the sample test. If you take the test once a year and that’s all you do (sample bklet/test) I would think it’s still no prep.</p>