For the majority of college-bound high school students, the first official step toward the doors of academia is taking one or more national assessment tests. The most common exam is the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and its practice test, the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Some students choose to take the ACT Assessment, which is more closely linked to high school curriculum than to raw aptitude. Colleges and universities use the student’s score as a major component— along with class rank, GPA, teacher recommendations, and extracurricular activities— in their decisions to admit students and in doling out academic and merit scholarships. Studies have shown that students who study skills and subject matter in advance of the test generally score 20 to 50 points higher (on a scale of 0 to 800) than those who do not prepare. For some students with particular strengths or weaknesses, preparation can add even more to their score and could make the difference in getting into the school of their choice or making it possible to afford going there.
In 2004, academic tutoring was a $4.5 billion business in the United States, according to Eduventures Inc., a Boston-based education market research and consultant. So that is why there is a job as SAT or ACT College Test Preparation. This job helps a high school student prepare to take PSAT, SAT, or ACT college aptitude tests, offers coaching on test strategies, gives tutoring in math and verbal skills, does as an administer practice tests, grades tests and interpret results to aid in further practice.