<p>On my Jan SAT (first test) I got an 1810..I know its terrible. (630 CR. 580 M 620 W) I'm confused because I preped for quite a while and took practice tests on which I scored around 2100-2200. Im planning on taking it again and wondered if there is anything I should keep in mind or any study tips that are helpful. Also, would my score go up anymore even if I prepared a lot or is this basically it? Thanks for the help</p>
<p>First of all, don't give up hope. I know it will be to easy just to beat one self up.
We are our worst critics. Those scores are not bad at all. They show potential to improve. And you will.</p>
<p>Yes your score will go up. BTW, did you use the offical tests for practice? Because they are the only ones you should use.</p>
<p>yea I used the official test book and scored very well</p>
<p>Maybe your problem is with timing or endurance if you consistently get 2100-2200 on practice and 1800s on the real test?</p>
<p>hello i'm new here...i need some advices ...i how can i improve my timing?</p>
<p>the only way you can improve on your timing is to time yourself; if you don't have any self control then have someone do it for you. when you keep practicing under time conditions you'll get really use to it.</p>
<p>mmm... i don't think that you must only do blue book tests...</p>
<p>I did only PR tests, no blue book and scored very close to my last PR test on the real SAT.</p>
<p>On the last PR test I had
780 CR
770 Writing
720 math</p>
<p>On the real SAT I had
800 CR
740 writing
740 math</p>
<p>The only reason I did worse on writing is cause I screwed up some random grammar stuff on the real test.</p>
<p>But no matter what kind of practice tests you take, take a lot. The test is mainly about endurance. Also make sure you have something to eat for the breaks. Banana and/or granola bar.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend the PR tests...they're great. Their Cracking the SAT book has good timing tips, btw.</p>
<p>Really, PR works? I should try it then...were you efficient in math before you tried PR, or did they really help you improve?</p>
<p>yeah timing oneself will help a whole lot..and practicing in an environment similar to one in which you will be tested (sitting at desk, no breaks, shutting out distractions...). I was in a similar situation... last practice test i took before the SAT i got an 800M 700CR and 775W, and then i got a 2030 (pretty good, but disappointing considering practice score) on the real thing...after i started timing myself and then i just took it again...march 1...felt much better, and i am hoping to be very happy this thursday :)</p>
<p>775W? Is that possible?</p>
<p>He probably meant 770.</p>
<p>You need to pinpoint the reasons why you didn't do well and concentrate on those mistakes.</p>
<p>Here's something I wrote a while back about preparing for the test and the necessity of setting goals for yourself and following them: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/469784-book-should-i-study-first.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/469784-book-should-i-study-first.html</a></p>
<p>First I would recommend looking at one of your old practice tests and going over every question until you know what you did wrong. You should try to make a list of what you are having trouble with and then work on that. That's the best way to improve: find what mistakes you're making (is it stress? a bad day? other psychological factors? or do you actually not know the material? What material do you not know (specifically)? Is it how to factor numbers, or are you having trouble with sentence completions, or do you have trouble with your essay, or is it a combination? Make a list of what you are having trouble with. Then you can think of ways to prevent yourself from making the same mistakes.</p>
<p>take the ACT.</p>
<p>Don't only use Collegeboard books. They do NOT tell you everything you need to know, regardless of what people say.</p>
<p>I used PR, Barron's, and Kaplan's. 2200 on SATs (let's just say I have terrible CR skills).</p>
<p>There was a really good thread around here about how to ace the essay, lemme see if I can find it.</p>
<p>To hopeful... yeah, PR has been very helpful for math. I am strong on algebra but decidedly weak on geometry (took me two months to learn how to do proofs, no joke), so it's been awesome.</p>