USATestprep Blog

Have you completed the USATestprep annunal user survey yet? If not, you have a few more weeks to let us know what you think about the site and suggest any improvements or additions. True, you can do this all the time, but only during this time can you feedback give you a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards. Just click on the link that can be found in the announcement box when you log in to your home page on USATestprep!

At USATestprep we use feedback from teachers and students to continuously make the site better. So be sure to complete our annual User Survey for a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards. We want to hear your feedback about the site. What is it that you value? What do you think can be improved? Is there anything you’d like to see added? Be sure to click on the link that is located on your home page once you log in to the site. Thanks!

Students and teachers will now see a new feature on USATestprep:  Badges. These will appear on your home page next to your avatar. Badges are earned based on various criteria (logins, high scores, improvement, etc.) to encourage and motivate students. Teachers can also create and assign custom Badges for their students. We hope you enjoy this new feature. Let us know what you think!

Teachers, check our updated version of the Vocabulary Worksheet Generator!  Now you can pick the vocabulary terms from our database when you make a worksheet for your students. You can also add your own terms to the activity. The Vocabulary Worksheet Generator is located in the print resources on all test pages.

For more details on using, be sure to watch the brief video in the “How-To Videos” section of “Teacher Resources.”

We have just added THREE additional subjects for teachers and students in Pennsylvania. We now have Geometry, Biology, and Algebra I (the newest standards). This, combined with our previous release of  Algebra II and English Composition gives us five new products for the Keystones. Be sure to check them out!

USATestprep is happy to announce the release of our review materials for the Arkansas Grade 11 Literacy Exam! Pricing can be found on our home page by clicking the Arkansas High School EOC link.

“Testing season” is upon us which, in turn, means that it is “stress season.” You can’t prevent the inevitable, but there are many things that you can do to help make sure that the experience is as painless as it possibly can be. There are lots of things to remember about, but here are just a few tips that may help.

• Don’t cram. It sounds painful and it can be counter-productive. Instead…
• Review plenty in the days and weeks before the test. Depending on when you read this and when you test is scheduled, that may not be possible. If that’s the case, do the best you can, but remember about the cramming….
• Get plenty of sleep the night before. Get to bed in order to ensure that you get 8 hours of restful sleep prior to going into the test. It would also help to exercise the evening before to get some of the stress out of your system.
• Eat a good breakfast. This does NOT mean lots of sugar, donuts, candy bars, etc. It does mean something that is packed with protein.
• Drink plenty of water. This is really something you need to do for a few days leading up to the event. On a similar note…
• Avoid having too much caffeine. Having a few large coffees before the test is a bad idea, and not just because of having to ask for a bathroom break during the exam. Having the caffeine jitters can distract your focus and lead to a poorer performance than you normally would experience.
• Go to the bathroom before you walk in the testing room. ‘Nuff said.
• Dress in layers. Ok, not the MOST important tip, but if you are too hot or too cold during the test you will be distracted, as well. Having a sweater to put on or a t-shirt to strip down to will help regulate your body temp. Besides, testing environments are typically on the cool side.
• Bring plenty of writing implements. 2 sharpened pencils and 2 pens? That should do, but have a few others just to be safe. Don’t forget your erasers, too.

Of course, remember the advice-  and lessons- of your teachers.
Good luck, everyone!

At USATestprep we are constantly working to update and provide new materials. We are happy to announce the addition of the following review products:

• Missouri U.S. History EOC
• Missouri Algebra II EOC
• Missouri English I EOC
• Pennsylvania Algebra II Keystone
• Pennsylvania English Composition Keystone

We also have made adjustments to the following products in Virginia (which are included at no additional cost to current subscribers of the earlier versions of the products):

• World History I & II SOL
• Virginia & US History SOL
• World Geography SOL

We aren’t done yet, so be sure to check back for updates!

USATestprep is pleased to announce the addition of a new test to our Missouri review.

We now offer material for the Geometry EOC Assessment for Missouri high schools. We continue to offer Biology, Algebra I, Government, and English II.

Be sure to check out our very affordable rates for these valuable products!

Earlier this month we made tracking student usage possible by displaying their yearly usage on their home page and on the administrative pages. Now, we’ve added it in a place that is even easier for teachers to find.

Any student you have in any class will now have their Total Time on site (for the year) displayed next to their name when you click “View Students” for any of your classes.

Let us know what you think!