<p>I took the SAT on January 28th, so I just got my scores back, and I received a 1950 (630 CR 670M 660 W)... Pretty disappointing. I took 4 practice tests, and 1950 was my lowest (and first score), after that, I improved every time, and my highest score was a 2080. Every practice test I took was a previously administered CB test, so the scores should have been legitimate. yet, I still did horrible. I took a practice test earlier today, and I scored (it was test 5 in the blue book, so i only got a range) a 1980-2250.</p>
<p>On test day, I didn't feel any anxiety; I was completely confident in my abilities and preparation, and I felt as though I did pretty good after taking the test. This happens to me all of the time in school, mostly on math tests. In fact the last math test I took was fairly simple, I understood everything fine and I had the material pretty well mastered. Even after taking that test, I was thinking about 98%, but when I got the results, it was an 85% because of a bunch of stupid errors.</p>
<p>So, this leads me to my question: do you have any tips for test taking during the test? I eat a healthy breakfast, sleep enough, and that kinda stuff, so I guess maybe i'm just asking for a magic formula for the actual test here. Anyways, if you have any tips, they would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Also, just in a vacuum, is 1950 good enough for Berkeley or university of minnesota-Twin Cities Econ&business double major?</p>
<p>I used to have that problem on the math section especially. What I did was I deliberately took sections slowly while talking myself through the problem out loud (I know it sounds weird, but it worked for me). I wouldn’t time myself at first, and I would make sure to underline exactly what the question is asking for (I’m sure you know the math questions are tricky like that). It eventually becomes habit and you can kind of do the same thing for reading and writing. </p>
<p>Hope this helped!</p>
<p>I recieved a 2400 by the way. And I know this isn’t really test day strategy… but you know, practice makes perfect, blah blah blah</p>
<p>GeneralDanier, what did you use to study to get a 2400? Well done, by the way!</p>
<p>You need to check your work if you have time. D2 caught a few mistakes when she reviewed them.</p>
<p>I received higher on the real SAT than any other practice SAT I’ve ever taken (2110)</p>
<p>I actually think a lot of things went into play</p>
<p>-RELAX the day before the test. I played call of duty… LOL
-Bring good snacks and eat a healthy breakfast, anything will work really
-For me, being nervous was actually beneficial. I was SO scared for every choice I made sure I justified all my answers
-Wake up an hour and a half before the test (around 6:30ish), I find its the perfect balance between a good sleep and being awake enough to concetrate</p>
<p>Anyway, that’s what happened to me on test day… I’ll probably repeat the same breakfast, routine, and even MW3 LOL</p>
<p>If your results aren’t meeting your expectations because of “a bunch of stupid errors” you may want to train yourself to take a slightly more methodical approach to how you take the test. Here are a few tips:</p>
<p>Skip difficult questions: If you’re working too long on a single question, mark it in your test booklet and continue with the next question. You can return to the ones you skipped after you’ve finished.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if you are truly stumped, you don’t have to answer. Leave it blank! Questions left blank are not counted. Use this to your advantage.</p>
<p>Use the process of elimination: Start by eliminating any obviously wrong answers, then continue from there. Eliminating just two answer choices gives you a better chance of getting the correct answer out of the remaining three answer choices. But only guess if you can eliminate at least two answers.</p>
<p>Work backwards from the answer choices: This is helpful when you can plug choices into a given formula or equation. Often you can make an educated guess based on eliminating choices that you know do not fit the problem.</p>
<p>After each question, give yourself a moment to review your answer…</p>
<p>Make sure you’ve read all of the possible answers: If you think you know the correct answer to a question, don’t assume that your answer is automatically correct. Read through all answer choices to ensure that you are not making an error by jumping to conclusions.</p>
<p>Mark your answers carefully: Be sure that the answer sheet oval corresponds to the question and answer of your test booklet. Because the multiple-choice sections are graded mechanically, marking one wrong answer can throw off your answer key and ruin your score. Be extremely careful.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>@andreaval, Thanks! I just drilled out of the blue book and online course a lot, section by section. I would find the questions I missed in each section and maybe right some notes down of it was a recurring mistake.</p>
<p>Practice from the Official SAT Blue Book and then the online course if you run out. </p>
<p>Hit these up on google:</p>
<p>How to write a 12 essay in 10 days</p>
<p>How to attack the critical reading section effectively</p>
<p>As for math… as soon as you get the material down, carefulness is key</p>
<p>and practice more</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your help! I’ll get at least one practice test in this week, before March 10th, and hopefully employing these strategies pay off!</p>