What Makes a Good Test Location?

I took the SATs 7 times in 5 different schools.  Here's how I think schools can ensure the best test conditions for students taking the SAT:

The SAT should be taken in classrooms, not gyms and cafeterias. Classrooms have fewer distractions


Full-size desks and chairs should be used, not those tablet desks. They’re too small for an optimal SAT experience, despite what the official rules allow.


There should be a visible clock in all test rooms and the proctors need to write the section end time down and be sure to give 5-minute warnings.


Proctors should meticulously follow the rules. After I wrote about my experience with a rule-breaking proctor, I heard horror stories from so many people about inattentive proctors.


“Quiet” should be enforced -- even in the hallways during testing hours.

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I wrote a book about the the SAT called The Perfect Score Project.

You can read the prologue, listen to an audio clip, and check out the reader reviews.

The book is a hybrid: part guide to decoding (and acing) the SAT/part memoir. It's the story of how I grew as a mother, and how my son and I managed to eek some joy out of the SAT process. It's also all the tips I learned about how to ace the test.  Tips such as What makes a good testing location...or The truth about brand-name SAT prep...or How to know if you should self-study, take a class, or use a tutor.

Ultimately, the book is about how I managed to motivate my teenage son to care about the most reviled right of passage in high school: The SAT.

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All of the fabulous illustrations on this site are hand painted by Jennifer Orkin Lewis.  

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