707. OVERLOOKED TEST TAKING SKILLS

707. OVERLOOKED TEST TAKING SKILLS

Author: Amy Seeley & Mike Bergin February 17, 2026 Duration: 35:54

Every exam is designed to assess an obvious array of knowledge and skills. However, much more than the obvious is often needed to truly excel. Amy and Mike invited educator Mike Settele to review overlooked test-taking skills.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

  1. What are the obvious or well-known test-taking skills? 

  2. What are some classic test-taking skills that influence the score?

  3. What are some overlooked test-taking skills? 

  4. Are any of these skills hard or impossible to improve during the test prep timeline? 

  5. What is the most important test-taking skill?

MEET OUR GUEST

Mike Settele is the founder of Settele Tutoring, an SAT prep company that specializes in creating user-friendly SAT resources. Mike has published thousands of hours of SAT lessons on his YouTube channel, which are watched every day by students around the world.

Mike began his SAT career while an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied political science and philosophy. He started as a Writing section tutor for Capital Educators, a test-prep company that offers courses in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. After graduating, Mike became a full-time program director for Capital Educators, but he eventually found his true passion in helping to create their curriculum for the new SAT in 2016. 

After the new test was released, Mike moved to Los Angeles and founded Settele Tutoring, shifting his focus to private tutoring so he could create new SAT materials. He has since published the "SAT Packets" study guides for both the Reading and Math sections of the exam, with new editions coming soon for the digital SAT. In fact, when he's not tutoring, Mike can often be found sitting on Santa Monica Beach, writing SAT questions.

Mike previously appeared in episode 573 for a Test Prep Profile.

Find Mike at https://setteletutoring.com/ or his YouTube SAT channel.

LINKS

Top 10 Overlooked SAT Skills — it's so much more than Reading and Math!

RELATED EPISODES

RESOURCES FOR THE DIGITAL SAT

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT MATH

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT READING & WRITING

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.

 


Navigating the complex world of college admissions can feel like a maze with ever-shifting walls. Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast, hosted by Amy Seeley and Mike Bergin, serves as a reliable guide through that maze. Instead of generic advice, their conversations delve into the nuanced realities of testing, admissions strategies, learning differences, and broader educational trends. They bring in leading experts to provide depth and clarity on the issues that matter most right now. Whether you're a parent trying to support your student, a counselor shaping guidance, or an educator within the system, this podcast offers substantive discussion that goes beyond the surface. Each episode aims to demystify the process, offering practical insights and thoughtful analysis. You'll hear honest talk about standardized tests, application essays, financial aid, and the many factors that shape decisions on both sides of the admissions desk. For anyone invested in understanding the journey to higher education-from students to consultants-this is a vital resource. Tune in for a consistently informative and straightforward take on an industry that affects so many futures.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
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