SATLadder App Review

Posted by Sharon Cohen on June 1st, 2011
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad

The controversy whether or not to rely heavily on results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college applications continues, and increasing numbers of schools are either not requiring SAT results or are giving greater weight to other criteria. That being said, SAT scores are still important for many colleges and universities. This is why there are so many SAT iPhone and iPod apps. Some of them focus on mathematics or vocabulary, others have a more general approach. Mark Anestis, a tutor for the last 13 years at a test preparation company and author of several test prep books, has jumped into the app market with the SATLadder.

Recognizing that many teenagers are not into the standard SAT computer learning programs because they are too much like schoolwork, Anestis decided to make an app that would turn the learning into a game. It was also important for the students to determine and enhance their strengths and identify and work on their weaknesses through practice and review. “I wanted to produce a test preparation product that capitalizes on the fact that teenagers like to compete and at the same time help them accomplish their goals.”

Users can play the solo mode and participate in five-round matches against the SATLadder app. Each of these rounds consists of questions in mixed areas of math, reading and writing, and all questions are automatically kept on the student’s profile page at www.SATLadder.com for later review. Students are told when they answer incorrectly and which answer is right. They are also see the length of time it took them to answer each question.

Students can also play in the head-to-head mode and have either friendly or SATLadder matches against specific or randomly chosen competitors and then be ranked on the SATLadder on performance level. The students can work toward making their way up the ladder to get up to the #1 spot. The SATLadder app includes more than 2,000 questions with answer explanations and definitions to over 1,000 high-frequency SAT words.

Admittedly, when I was reviewing the app, I kept on saying, “I’ll stop after the next set of questions…” and found myself wanting to see if I would get the next and then the next series right or wrong. Although I always had high grades in school, I never was a good test taker. I wouldn’t have minded having an iPhone game that I could play off and on during the school day to prep me a little. I don’t know if my score would have greatly increased, but every new thing learned would have been in my favor.

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

SATLadder screenshot 1 SATLadder screenshot 2 SATLadder screenshot 3 SATLadder screenshot 4 SATLadder screenshot 5
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