Homeschool Test Preparation for College Admission Tests

When your child is working hard on studying for college admission tests, like the SAT® or ACT®, you may be accumulating enough hours to make this a class, and put it on your child’s transcript. Let me provide some simple do’s and don’ts for using test prep and putting it on a homeschool transcript. 

Please note that as of January 2021, The College Board has discontinued SAT Subject Tests® and SAT® essay.

by Author

Affiliate disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I may make a few pennies, but not enough for a latte. 

Using test prep for college admission tests

Did you know that you can use your child’s test prep work as credit on the high school homeschool transcript? Yep, it’s true! You can. As you prepare your child to take high school tests, there are a few tips that you need to know.

1. Choose the Right Test

The first step in test prep is figuring out whether the SAT® or ACT® is the best fit for your child. If your child does best on the SAT®, I suggest they take BOTH tests, the SAT® and ACT®. If your child does best on the ACT®, then only study for and have them take the ACT®. Studies imply that boys do better on the SAT® and girls do better on the ACT®. Science lovers may do better on the ACT®. According to the statistics, more people who live in the coastal states take the SAT®. Most students who live in the center of the country take the ACT®. But who cares? Statistics are not always right! What’s MOST important is to decide which test will be best for YOUR student. Taking a sample ACT® and SAT® is the single best way to decide which one your child will score highest on. While the sample test does take 3-4 hours (and it’s a real pain, I know), it can mean thousands of dollars in scholarship money, so it’s worth it. 

For studying, set aside 1/2 hour per day, about 3 or 4 days a week. After your child takes the sample test in the comfort of their own home, score the test, and find out what percentile your child is in. Choose the test with the highest percentile score. This chart will help. Score Comparison Chart: SAT®, ACT®, CLT and Percentile.

Collecting study materials will be key in choosing the right test. Look at the links below in the second half of this post to find links to many study guides that I recommend.

2. Study at Home

Studying at home is the most effective if the student will actually do that (and I know that’s not always a sure thing!) See if you can schedule test preparation at home first. Choose a test preparation book or program with real test questions. During each prep session, do one section of the test (each section is just 25-50 minutes). 

Read the instructions first.
Set the kitchen timer.
Have your child take the test.
After the timer rings, have your child correct the test or reveiw through the program.
Reviewing the answers to any questions they missed will provide them extra practice and help them to understand the problem better and help your child practice filling in the bubbles. This sounds silly, but practicing really does help take some of the fear away.
Have kids review the answers to the questions they missed. If they don’t understand the answer, they can ask their dad! 

Your child should practice essay writing, as well. One day a week your student can practice SAT essay skills in place of a regular English assignment. (Remember, you’ll be putting this practice on the homeschool transcript!)

Choose a prompt from your SAT study book/program.
Read the prompt first.
Set the timer for 50 minutes.
Correct the essay in the evening.

You can also get more help, check out my High School Testing (Online Training) course.

3. Test Prep Class

If studying at home doesn’t work, consider taking a class outside the home, either online or in a physical location. Locate a test prep class specific for the SAT® or ACT® (again, the one that fits the best) to take a class outside the home. Test prep classes taken outside of the home generally teach more in the way of how to take the test and test taking methods to do well on the test, rather than teaching new academic knowledge.

The SAT® has changed to a digital format recently, but you have plenty of time to adapt to the changes. Just hang in there!

Putting College Admission Test Prep on the Homeschool Transcript

There is so much value in doing college admission test prep. But it makes it even more valuable when you realize that you are helping your student collect high school credit for their homeschool transcript! Here’s how to do it:

1. Don’t imply you are teaching preparation for the test.

I don’t recommend calling it test preparation or test prep, SAT® preparation, or ACT® preparation. Instead, I prefer to give the class a more general title. If you use the class title “SAT® Prep” on your child’s transcript it’s like saying, “My child studied for the test for hundreds of hours and still this is the best score they could get.”  

2. Do imply your child is learning study skills needed to succeed in college classes.

“Study Skills” or “College Study Skills” is a more general name that’s not test-specific, which implies they are ready for college level work. You can add any other study skills to that class, as well. If your child takes a prep class for another kind of test, or learns note-taking skills, then add that to you study skills class also.

3. Do Give Credit for Work Done.

For a credit value, estimate how many hours are spent. If your child racks up more than 75 hours, then give a semester’s worth of credit, or a half credit. I usually put it in the “elective” section of the transcript.

4. Do Write Course Descriptions.

It’s always important to write course descriptions, and this class is no exception. If you put a class on the transcript, I suggest you include a course description as well. You can include the different methods of study, vocabulary practice, essay writing, and critical thinking. 

Check out my list of Recommended Study Guides for High School Test Prep for 2023-24. 

You can find out everything you need to know about the SAT® and ACT® in my article, College Admission Tests – How to Ace the SAT® or ACT®. If you need more help, get my free, downloadable eBook and learn all about college admission tests: College Credit in High School.

Tests don’t measure everything! Remember to balance your evaluation with other things besides testing. I’ve created a poster for you to print and hang on your fridge for a daily reminder that academic grades aren’t everything you are measuring. Qualities NOT Measured by Tests free printable poster. Download for free and remind yourself and your student of these qualities every day.

** SAT®, AP®, and CLEP® are trademarks owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this blog post or The HomeScholar, LLC.