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Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT
Register at www.kaptest.com/prepathon; Use #SATPrepathon for the Twitter Chat
New York, NY (February 16, 2016) — In a first-ever all-day, live online SAT prep event, global test prep leader Kaplan Test Prep will hold a free “Prepathon” on Sunday, February 21, between 11 AM ET and 11 PM ET to help students get ready for the new SAT launching on March 5. This innovative daytime to bedtime SAT prep event will feature live expert instruction from some of Kaplan’s most highly rated teachers, who combined have taught approximately 24,000 students. Created to provide best-in-class live SAT review for students anxious about the new test, Kaplan’s SAT Prepathon is designed to enable live engagement with instructors and interactivity with peers, as participants can ask questions through Twitter, using the hashtag #SATPrepathon, and can also interact through live polling.
“We know from experience that successful test prep relies not only on practice and having a good strategy, but also on the interaction and engagement that comes from live instruction. Given the heightened anxiety brought on by a new, redesigned SAT, we wanted to create a free all-day forum that allows all students, everywhere, the opportunity for live engagement with top instructors and fellow test preppers,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the Prepathon is not a substitute for comprehensive studying, it will give attendees the opportunity to hone their skills further and build up confidence for test day. It will demystify some of the new SAT’s most difficult question types and help students looking to earn every point they can on the exam.”
At every hour, on the hour, a new segment on a new topic on the SAT’s Reading, Math and Writing section will commence. The 12-hour open format is designed to allow students to come and go as needed, and stay for whatever amount of time they feel is valuable for them.
Weiss noted that preparation for the March 5 exam is particularly critical, given the scope of changes. “This SAT will see its biggest changes ever. While changes like eliminating the wrong answer penalty and obscure vocabulary will help students, other changes like limiting calculator use and adding deeper and more rigorous content will lead to a more challenging test experience overall,” he said.
For example, one change includes revising the Reading portion of the test from three 20- to 25-minute sections with three different question types (sentence completion, short passage-based questions and long passage-based questions) to one 65-minute section with only one question type (long passage-based questions). According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of nearly 800 students, when asked which of the three question types they’d find most challenging for a 65 minute section, 88% said long passage-based questions. Only 8% of students felt 65 minutes of sentence completions would be most challenging, while 4% felt 65 minutes of short passage-based questions would be most challenging; both of these question types have been retired from the SAT.
In the most recent test taking cycle, 1.7 million aspiring college students took the SAT, including 110,000 non-U.S. citizens.
No registration for the event is required. All students need to do is log on to www.kaptest.com/prepathon at any time during the event.
To schedule an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert about the new SAT, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.
SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources designed to provide training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.
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