Avoiding Careless Mistakes

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Although I understand the reasoning behind the SAT math questions, I usually make 1 or 2 careless mistakes on practice tests. I know I am capable of an 800 on this section, but even one mistake could kill it. Do you guys have any concrete strategies for reducing the frequency of mistakes?</p>

2

<p>@Amphear
Read each question twice. It’s essential in order to get each question definitely right. Having gotten 800M twice on the SAT (and a 750M), I knew my 750 was a result of NOT READING THE QUESTION CORRECTLY. Also, if you finish early, quickly “re-do” each problem or at least the ones you aren’t certain about.</p>

3

<p>I was kind of in the same boat as you. I took the SAT in March, June, and most recently December. First time in March I thought I was going to get an easy 800 math… and I ended up with a 650. I made a bunch of ridiculous stupid errors, and I just went in way too confident. I started to panic when I couldnt figure out an answer, instead of trying to just solve it. Then came June, I was mainly focusing on improving reading/writing/overall score, and I ended up with a 710 on math, and still made 4 stupid mistakes. I got a couple wrong because I didn’t go with my first instinct, and because I just messed up. Now on the december test, I took it a bit more like the march one, where I really just wanted to improve my math. According to what has been said on CC so far, it seems I only messed up one question, where I forgot to square part of the answer. I had it right on my paper, just gridded it in wrong essentially. Hoping -1 is a 780, and Ill be happy enough. Anyway, SAT I Math is hardly a math test in my opinion, but more of a logic test. Just be careful with each answer, and after each question check to make sure your answer makes sense/works for all possible scenarios. I got an 800 on the Math II subject test with no problem, and I thought that was 100x easier than SAT I. Just take the test keeping in mind that it is a logic test, and what seems to be the correct answer may not necessarily be the right answer. Good luck</p>

4

<p>@defianced
While the Math SAT II tests similar concepts like the SAT I, the Math SAT II is SUPER CURVED. When I took it in June several months ago, an 800 was 89th percentile. I understand that people who are more apt at math are more likely to take it, but the percentile discrepancy to the Math SAT I is still huge. Congrats on the Math SAT II though!</p>

5

<p>I cut out my missed writing and math problems and compiled them into a notebook, making a portfolio of errors I’m prone to make. Then I flipped through it time to time and after a while I recognized where I made silly mistakes, effectively ending their occurrence.</p>

<p>Here’s what a page looked like <a href=“http://i.imgur.com/MhVg7.jpg[/url]”>http://i.imgur.com/MhVg7.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Im aware that it is super curved, but only people who either are planning on attending a top college, or are very strong in math take it, so 89th percentile is better than it seems. My point stands though, SAT I math is more of a logic test than a math test. SAT II math was more of a math test.</p>