<p>I'll be quite honest, I consider myself a smart individual without trying to sound like a total vain prick. I was extremely shocked when I got my PSATs back and they were a 188. I have since started studying intensely and have come to the question of how much can I really improve? I scored 63 in reading, 67 in math , 58 in writing. After studiously studying all winter break, I've pushed my math to a hypothetical 760-800. What really worries me is my writing. I just don't understand any of the mistakes or corrections. I've started to attempt to go through Silver Turtle's guide but haven't gotten even close to finishing. </p>
<p>If anyone would like to leave some advice on dramatically improving the CR and writing section, I would immensely appreciate it. I've only ordered a ton of vocab workshop books and I still don't know what to use primarily for writing. I really need to score extremely well on my SAT's/PSAT's because I honestly don't have the money to go to college without a scholarship</p>
<p>The answer to your first question is an unequivocal yes. I boosted my 180 something to a 225. </p>
<p>For grammar - start from the basics - nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc. - and work from there. That’s what I did. I didn’t see instant progress. I did, however, see a steady climb in my scores that culminated in my 225 over several months of pouring over just about every SAT book there is in the market.</p>
<p>Wow! This has really encouraged me and reinvigorated my spirit to do extremely well! I appreciate your response. Just a bit of a follow up question, which books did you find great for CR? I’m a little stringed for cash so I’m just wondering what you did for that</p>
<p>For CR stick with official tests and the Blue Book. You want to know the psychology of the CR question makers, so the Blue Book and official tests are best.</p>
<p>Ok thanks! I’m sorry for asking again but have you tried the rocket review revolution? Its extremely pricey but everyone says its amazing for CR so I’m not sure. By the way I answered your question in your other thread</p>
<p>I did, and the book is a great resource for CR, math, and writing. Make sure to check your local library for copies. My local library has about a dozen copies, and no one knows about them because the last version was released in 2006 (or whereabouts) :D. All to myself :D!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t fret. There are plenty of other great books out there. Bookstores should be your number one resource. Just take a stack of books to the caf</p>
<p>Try Barron’s writing workbook. It really helped me for the SAT, and does a great job of outlining all of the necessary rules of grammar. It’s also fairly easy to read.</p>
<p>Hey I have problems with grammar too! I actually just read a lot of classics and BAM, my score jumped like 100 points (from a 550 to a 650s).</p>
<p>p.s, adding on from the previous post, barron writing workbook is amazing, I’m using it right now and I feel like I can score igh with it. Try it!</p>
<p>It is definitely possible to make that improvement; you just have to put in the effort. For the CR preparation, I recommend buying the Direct Hits vocabulary books and also reviewing your answers thoroughly after taking tests. Make sure you know why every single answer is correct.</p>
<p>Thank you so much guys. But something else I wanted to ask, how much did you guys work per day? Its kind of hard to balance academic teams, rigourous course load, along with SAT prep. I sometimes squeak an hour a day in</p>
<p>I studied during the summer, and then from late October to early December. I know how you feel; it is difficult to get the studying in, and my grades did take a bit of a hit. I find that if you establish the same time everyday to study, maybe even before school, that it is easier to study. Generally, I put in maybe an hour each school day and full test on weekends. Ended up with a 2360.</p>
<p>If you still need CR help, I’ve compiled a guide that includes some CR tips. Here’s the link to the thread:</p>
<p>But the problem is that the 10 tests in the blue book are golden and I don’t want to use them up until I get close to the PSAT/ SAt. I don’t know of any other reliable tests</p>
<p>If it makes you feel any better, S went from a 45 to a 76 in writing. All he read was the Blue Book’s section on Writing. The week before the PSAT he read the Blue Book and took the Oct SAT and scored a 620 on Writing. Then, he again read the BB Writing section and a week later scored a 76 on the PSAT. It is the easiest section to improve upon.</p>
<p>I actually improved from an 1840 (October test of my junior year) to a 2290 (December test of my senior year). It can be done, you just have to put in the hours. I was very motivated to improve my score, and the only things I used were the SAT official guide and some other gathered practice tests. I put in easily about 75-100 hours studying for this test. But hey, it was all worth it in the end. I got into my dream school, and proved to myself (as dumb as it sounds) that I could in a sense defeat this test. And if I were to take this test today, I’m fairly confident I could score in the 2300+ range. It’s all about really understanding the way the test is written.</p>
