<p>Hello everyone!</p>
<p>It's been over an year since I took the SAT. I've finally taken the time to re-format my guide and post it on CC. I hope that you will find this guide helpful as you study for the SAT.</p>
<p>This guide contains the things that I've learned on CC over the past year. Some of the tips and ideas are my own while others I picked up from my time on this site.</p>
<p>This guide is meant for two groups of people: those completely new to the SAT and those trying to bump up their scores. Thus, I have included some explanations about the test along with tips for anyone trying to raise their score.</p>
<p>I hope that this will be a very helpful resource. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Cheerioswithmilk's Guide to the SAT</p>
<p>1) Introduction
a) This Guide
b) Why Study?
c) How the SAT is Scored
2) The plan, in brief</p>
<p>3) Recommended Books</p>
<p>4) Tackling Each Section
a) Critical Reading
[indent] i) Vocabulary (Sentence Completion)[/indent]
[indent] ii) Passage Based Questions[/indent]
b) Math
c) Writing
[indent] i) Essay[/indent]
[indent] ii) Multiple Choice[/indent]
5) Putting it All Together: How to Study and Prepare
a) Practice Tests: Where to Find Them and How to Use Them
b) Tips, Tricks, and other Techniques
6) My Strategy</p>
<p>7) The Day of the Test</p>
<p>8) A Final Word of Inspiration</p>
<p>9) Appendices</p>
<p>1. Introduction</p>
<p>The SAT is a 3 hour and 45 minute long test that helps colleges determine whether or not to admit students. The SAT tests students on three subjects: math, writing, and critical reading. Students register online, for a fee of $49.Typically, students arrive at the testing center at around 7:30 (though this may vary between test centers) in the morning, begin at 8, and leave before 1. The test itself is ten sections long, always begins with an essay, and includes an experimental section that doesnt count towards the final score (more on this later). Students receive their scores three weeks after taking the test, usually on a Thursday, and can access them online. If they wish to do so, students may retake the test at a later date. The test is important, but isnt the sole determinant to which college a student will be admitted to. Rather than testing ones knowledge, the SAT tests ones ability to analyze and understand information. The test does NOT ask you to memorize large amounts of information or facts, though memorization is a part of any effective study plan. </p>
<p>1a. This Guide</p>
<p>This guide was written by me, cheerioswithmilk. Ive been on College Confidential for a little over an year, and noticed that there are many people seeking help on the SAT. There are many fantastic guides out there, but I decided to compile this one to share some of the more recent techniques that people have devised. This guide is not meant to be a comprehensive teaching device; I cover very little actual content that is tested on the SAT. Rather, it is meant to serve two distinct purposes. The first is for it to be an introductory tool to the SAT for those who are unfamiliar with the test. For this reason, I have included sample problems that are meant to give an idea of the types of questions. However, this guide is also a collection of tips that can help people boost their scores. Many people who have taken the SAT have already mastered the content, but are still looking to grab those last extra points. Whether your goal is to go from a 1600 to an 1800 or a 2100 to a 2300, this guide is designed to help you do it. However, do not solely rely on this guide; rather, this guide is meant to complement and not replace effective studying. Many of the techniques that I discuss are not my own (though some are). I have taken measures to give credit to those who deserve it, and wish to ensure that I dont present ideas of others as my own. However, the passages and sample questions were written by me, unless explicitly stated otherwise.</p>
<p>1b. Why Study?</p>
<p>To some, this seems like a strange question. However, there are many who believe that the SAT is an either I know it or I dont test, and hence dont study. The reality is that the SAT tests a relatively narrow range of subjects, and that studying can result in score increases in the hundreds. Although the amount that one studies is dependent on individual levels of ambition, I still recommend that everyone does at least something to prepare.</p>
<p>1c. How the Test is Scored</p>
<p>The way the SAT is scored is a bit complicated, and there are some misconceptions about how its done. Ill try and do my best in this section to explain how it works.</p>
<p>Every correct answer earns you one point, each incorrect answer is -1/4 points, and questions left blank receive no points. The total points earned on each section are then added together, resulting in the raw score. If the raw score is a fraction, then it is rounded with .5 and .75 rounded up and .25 rounded down. The raw score for each section is then converted into a scaled score, which is what really matters. This is what colleges will see, and is what you will see when you check your scores. The scaled score goes from 200 to 800 for each subject, for a grand total of between 600 and 2400.</p>
<p>However, the conversion between raw and scaled scores is not the same for every test; the makers of the SAT adjust the curve each time based on the difficulty of the test. Thus, a more difficult test will have a more lenient curve. This ensures that the scaled scores remain roughly the same, despite the actual difficulty of the test. To establish this curve, the test makers use the experimental section, which is an extra 25 minute section of the test that doesnt contribute to your score; however, because it is very difficult to distinguish the experimental section from a normal section, be sure to put forth your full effort for the entire test.</p>
<p>The scaled writing score is dependent on both the multiple choice section and the essay. The raw multiple choice writing score is first converted into a scaled score between 20 and 80. Then, this scaled score is corresponded to your essay score, which ranges from 2 to 12, to get the final scaled score.</p>
<p>A few things to note: Generally, every question must be correctly answered to score a perfect in math. Very rarely can more than one question be missed. Reading is more lenient, allowing for between one and three wrong, depending on the curve. On writing, either a high essay or high multiple choice score can earn an 800; it is not necessary to have a perfect in both, though neither score can be too poor.</p>
<p>2. The Plan in Brief</p>
<p>If you dont have time to read this entire guide, then this is the section for you. In three steps, Ill outline how to do reasonably well on the SAT. Ready?</p>
<p>1) Buy the Official SAT Study Guide, made by College Board
2) Use the book
3) Make a College Confidential account</p>
<p>The Official SAT Study Guide, affectionately called the Blue Book, contains advice and lessons on how to tackle each section. However, the most important thing about it is that it contains ten real tests made by the actual test makers. As far as all the practice tests youll see, none will be better than the ones in the Blue Book.</p>
<p>I say to use the Blue Book because, all too often, kids will get the book from their overeager parents months or even years before the SAT, and itll end up gathering dust on their bookshelf. Then, the week before the test, the kid pulls the book off, reads the introduction, maybe does a practice test, and then tackles the real thing. The book costs $22, so use it to its full potential.</p>
<p>The last bit of advice may seem a bit strange. College confidential (not to be confused with College Board, the makers of the test), is an online forum for anything college related. The forums about standardized tests are among the most popular on the site, and youll find an enormous trove of information. In my opinion, it is a very important tool to anyone interested in doing well on the SAT.</p>
<p>3. Recommended Books</p>
<p>SAT preparation is a very lucrative business, and there is a whole host of companies that have created a dizzying assortment of workbooks, complete guides, and practice tests. Below Ill give my advice on which books to use for each section and the test as a whole, along with other resources youll want to tap. Asterisks denote resources that I personally have used. Keep in mind that some books work better than others for different people; like with anything else, people will have personal preferences for prep books. Be sure to look through a book at a bookstore or library before deciding to use it. Prices were found off of Amazon.</p>
<p>The Whole Test</p>
<p>The Official SAT Study Guide* by College Board - $21.99</p>
<p>See my above blurb about this. Id say that this book is absolutely essential, required reading for the SAT. Like I said above, its advice is nothing special, but its practice tests are priceless. Recently, College Board released the third version of this book. It is a bit pricier than the second edition, and I would recommend sticking with the cheaper second edition as it has largely the same content and tests.</p>
<p>Hack the SAT: Strategies and Sneaky Shortcuts That Can Raise Your Score Hundreds of Points* by Eliot Schrefer - $15.00</p>
<p>An entertaining guide to the SAT. This book helps you get a sense of the test and understand more about it. It also provides you with lots of helpful tips and tricks. However, I wouldnt call it a complete guide. Its best used with other SAT prep books.</p>
<p>Reading</p>
<p>Direct Hits Volumes 1&2 by Larry Krieger and Ted Griffith - $14.95 each
Ive never used these books before, but from what I hear they are the most effective vocabulary lists by far for the SAT. The lists consistently perform very well in identifying words that commonly appear on the SAT.</p>
<p>Sparknotes Top 250 Most Difficult SAT Words* by Sparknotes Free
Not exactly a book, but definitely a helpful resource. This list is another great place to find words to study and memorize. Available online at sparknotes.com</p>
<p>Writing</p>
<p>Barrons SAT Writing Workbook* by George Ehrenhaft - $14.99
This guide thoroughly goes through all of the rules of grammar that you will need to become acquainted with. It does a good job of covering all the material necessary, and also includes several practice tests. The advice on the essay, however, isnt particularly helpful. Nonetheless, I would consider it one of the best guides to the multiple choice writing section.</p>
<p>How to Write a 12 Essay in just 10 days* by AcademicHacker - Free
Hands down, this is the most helpful guide to the SAT essay. It can be found online at College Confidential, and is definitely worth printing off. This thread lays out exactly what is needed for the essay. Following the advice given will almost certainly yield a high essay score.</p>
<p>Math</p>
<p>Dr. John Chungs SAT Math by John Chung - $27.99</p>
<p>This is one of the most highly recommended math prep books. It has a large number of practice tests and tips to help you get a high score. Generally, it is regarded as being more difficult than the real test.</p>
<p>Grubers Complete SAT Math Workbook by Gary R. Gruber - $14.99
Another good book for the math section. I cant say much about it since Ive never used it, but I hear that it is helpful for teaching all of the concepts.</p>
<p>4. Tackling Each Section</p>
<p>This is the meat of the guide, where Ill explain how to take on each section. For the sections that have different question types, Ive broken it down into individual sections. For those of you who are already familiar with the test, skip down to the lists of techniques that Ive compiled.</p>
<p>4a. Critical Reading</p>
<p>There are three critical reading sections on the SAT; two 25 minutes long with 24 questions each and one 20 minute section with 19 questions. In total, critical reading consists of 67 questions. 19 of these are known as sentence-completion questions, which essentially test your vocabulary. These questions are fairly straightforward and easy to prepare for. The remaining 48 questions are passage-based questions. You will be asked to read a passage and answer questions about the content. This second part is a bit more difficult, and is best prepared for through practice.</p>
<p>4ai. Vocabulary (Sentence Completion)</p>
<p>As said above, these questions basically test your vocabulary. You will be given a sentence, with either one or two words left blank. The answer choices will consist of potential words to fill in the blanks, and your job is to pick word(s) that best complete the sentence. Here is an example of a typical sentence-completion question:</p>
<p>Ex. Because Sally hated people of all types, she was considered very ______.
A) amiable
B) loquacious
C) munificent
D) misanthropic
E) reticent</p>
<p>Tricky? To answer this type of question, use context clues found in the sentence to find the word that best fits. Amiable means kind, so that cant be right. People who are loquacious are talkative. The fact that Sally hated people makes it unlikely that she would be talkative. Munificent means generous, which also doesnt make sense in the context. Those who are misanthropic, by definition, hate people, so D) is the best answer choice. (In case youre interested, reticent means shy and reserved). </p>
<p>Once you build your vocabulary, these questions become fairly simple. For example, had the question been written like this, you could have answered it in a snap:</p>
<p>Ex. Because Sally hated people of all types, she was considered very ______.
A) talkative
B) kind
C) anti-social
D) shy
E) generous</p>
<p>Ive switched the answer letters, but the answer is clearly C). (Okay, anti-social isnt the best way to put it, but its the best I could think of).Once you develop a mastery of vocabulary, these questions become fairly simple.</p>
<p>There are also questions where there will be two blanks instead of one. These questions are slightly more difficult, and its generally recommended to answer the second blank first.</p>
<p>Ex. Despite the impressive ______ of the runner, Jim was ______ by his past history.</p>
<p>A) size
intimidated
B) power
paralyzed
C) reputation
unimpressed
D) tameness
unfazed
E) humility
unperturbed</p>
<p>Ive kept the vocabulary simple to make it easier to demonstrate how to tackle these problems. The word despite indicates that the sentence is setting up a contrast. Also, the words past history is a synonym for the first blank. With this information in mind, C) is the best answer.</p>
<p>So you understand how to analyze these questions. Easy. The hard part is that the SAT wont be nice and give basic words; youll see words like curmudgeon and lugubrious instead. However, the good news is that the makers of the SAT tend to recycle the same words over and over again. Realizing this, many companies have published lists of words that appear frequently on the test. The books recommended above contain lists of common SAT words, but Ive also included a few lists that I wrote up in the appendix. You should also create lists of your own that contain difficult words that you come across.</p>
<p>So how do you learn vocabulary words en masse? Here are a few common techniques that are used:</p>
<p>1) Flash cards. The most time honored technique, with definitions on one side and the word on the other. You can also purchase flashcards, such as the ones from the Princeton Review. Buying flashcards may be preferable because cutting and making hundreds or even thousands of cards can become tedious.</p>
<p>2) Writing the words and definitions. Some people copy words with their definitions several dozen times to help them memorize the words. This may also be too tedious for some people, but is a good idea for particularly challenging words.</p>
<p>3) Use a Gadget. This is the method that I prefer, and requires the least work when using long lists of words (the lists included at the end were made specifically for this method). The basic idea is that you use a piece of paper to cover the definition but not the word, think of the definition, and then move the paper to check it. This is similar to using flashcards, but doesnt require hours of cutting and writing.</p>
<p>Another way to expand your vocabulary, aside from memorizing long lists of words, is to read. Read magazines, newspapers, books, and other texts that have advanced vocabulary. </p>
<p>How many words should you learn? I memorized around 2000 words for the SAT, although a large number of these were either repeats or words that I had already known. Depending on how advanced your vocabulary already is, youll probably memorize at least a few hundred new words. However, dont spend all of your time memorizing vocabulary. Remember, there are only 19 sentence-completion questions, and the SAT is 170 questions. Vocabulary is important, but not everything. It can be tempting to attempt to memorize every last list and word that you can find, but this is NOT recommended since, after a certain point, memorizing more words wont help anymore.</p>
<p>4aii. Passage-Based Questions</p>
<p>The bulk of the SAT reading is composed of 48 passage-based questions. These questions ask you to read either a single passage or a pair of passages. The questions will then ask about certain aspects of the passages. Here is a sample set of questions about a passage that I wrote:</p>
<p>The following passage was written in 2011. Recently, the Kepler telescope had discovered several earth-like planets outside our solar system.</p>
<p>Is there another earth? It is a question that has plagued mankind for millenniums, going back to the time of the Greeks. The recent discovery of the planet Kepler-22b has sparked even more interest in this ancient topic. This planet was discovered by the Kepler satellite, a marvel of modern technology. Costing $600 million, Kepler was launched into a heliocentric orbit trailing the earth. The satellite is designed to stare incessantly at the same batch of stars, watching for a miniscule drop in starlight that could indicate the existence of a planet. Since its 2008 launch, Kepler has identified over two-thousand potential exoplanets. However, critics have expressed contempt towards projects such as Kepler; they assert that such projects are wasteful, and that money would be better spent on problems back on earth. What these critics dont realize is that projects such as Kepler help advance our knowledge and inspire children to study science. In addition, they represent a microscopic fraction of Americas federal budget.</p>
<ol>
<li>In lines 9-10 (projects
science) the author express his belief that projects like Kepler</li>
</ol>
<p>a. are neither harmful nor important
b. should be funded, so long as they dont divert funding from other projects
c. are very important and cost relatively little
d. were already thoroughly done by the Greeks
e. require the help of the military</p>
<ol>
<li>In line 10, microscopic is closest in meaning to
a. negligible
b. crucial
c. imperceptible
d. wasteful
e. irreplaceable</li>
<li>The main purpose of this passage is to
a. present an unbiased assessment of the utility of Kepler
b. inform the reader about recent discoveries in the field of astronomy
c. explain the purpose of Kepler and defend it against its critics
d. press the government to step up funding for various research facilities
e. explore the philosophical debate about the discovery of earth-like planets</li>
</ol>
<p>These questions were written to have similar wording, format, and style to those found on the SAT. These are probably easier than the real thing, but they give a sense of what to expect.</p>
<p>Basically, there are two methods of attack when it comes to passage questions. The first is question first and the second is passage first. As the name implies, question first looks at the questions before even reading the passage; the thinking behind this is so that you know what to look for when you read the passage. There are some variations to this strategy, but Ill try and describe it as generically as possible.</p>
<p>Step 1) Skip the passages and head straight for the questions.</p>
<p>Step 2) Look at the questions, paying close attention to any questions that have line references.</p>
<p>Step 3) Mark up lines that the questions refer to.</p>
<p>Step 4) Read the passage, paying close attention to the passages marked.</p>
<p>Step 5) Do any questions that remain. </p>
<p>Obviously, there are variations to this general strategy. Some people like to answer questions as they go, and move back and forth between passage and questions. However, the idea is that by looking at the questions first, it enables you to know what youre looking for.</p>
<p>The other method is the conventional passage first, where you read the passage before answering the question. This is what most people do, but there a few things that you can do to increase your score considerably. Most of these tips are fairly generic, and are available from a variety of sources.</p>
<p> Mark the passages. Underline sentences that reveal author intent, style, or attitude towards the subject.</p>
<p> Circle words that may have questions about. In particulars, words that have multiple meanings.</p>
<p> Write brief notes and words that summarize the main idea of paragraphs. Be sure not to make them too elaborate; one or two words are fine.</p>
<p> Pretend to be interested. Even if the passage is about how bacteria eat, pretend to be interested because it will make you more focused on the passage.</p>
<p> For the questions, have an answer in your mind before looking at the choices; then, choose the one that most closely matches your guess.</p>
<p> Read carefully. One or two words can make a big difference. This is especially true when you have dual passage questions, and it asks for what the author of one passage thinks.</p>
<p> Stay focused. Losing focus will often slow your pace, causing you to have to rush the last several questions. Thus, it is important to keep up a steady tempo.</p>
<p> Circle questions you skip so that you know to go back to them. Skip questions when its taking too long to answer them.</p>
<p> Go back to the passage, especially if line numbers are given. After all, the answers are in the passage.</p>
<p>One last note about the critical reading section as a whole: If you finish and have time left to go back, I recommend that you check the sentence-completion questions. Read back the answers to yourself, and if time permits, check the passage questions. Also, be sure to do any questions you skipped.</p>
<p>The first question asks you to interpret the authors attitude, and gives line numbers that direct you to where the answer can be found. Youll want to look beyond just the line numbers given; the entire passage may provide clues. When you read the surrounding lines, you can tell that the best answer is C). The author discusses how little these project cost in context with the entire federal budget, and also says how projects such as Kepler advance our knowledge and inspire children to study science."</p>
<p>Question 2 asks for the definition of the word in context. These questions can be tricky because all of the answer choices may be possible definitions. The important thing is to find what the best definition in context is. This makes A) negligible the best answer.</p>
<p>Question 3 asks you to assess the entire passage to find the authors intent. You will find that there are key passages and sentences that can help reveal the answer. Specifically, the authors rebuttal to Keplers critics along with the description from lines 3-6 (Costing planet) reveal that the answer is C).</p>
<p>This sample passage was meant to show you the types of questions to expect on the SAT. Now lets look at some strategies that can help you tackle these questions.</p>
<p>Basically, there are two methods of attack when it comes to passage questions. The first is question first and the second is passage first. As the name implies, question first looks at the questions before even reading the passage; the thinking behind this is so that you know what to look for when you read the passage. There are some variations to this strategy, but Ill try and describe it as generically as possible.</p>
<p>Step 1) Skip the passages and head straight for the questions.</p>
<p>Step 2) Look at the questions, paying close attention to any questions that have line references.</p>
<p>Step 3) Mark up lines that the questions refer to.</p>
<p>Step 4) Read the passage, paying close attention to the passages marked.</p>
<p>Step 5) Do any questions that remain. </p>
<p>Obviously, there are variations to this general strategy. Some people like to answer questions as they go, and move back and forth between passage and questions. However, the idea is that by looking at the questions first, it enables you to know what youre looking for.</p>
<p>The other method is the conventional passage first, where you read the passage before answering the question. This is what most people do, but there a few things that you can do to increase your score considerably. Most of these tips are fairly generic, and are available from a variety of sources.</p>
<p> Mark the passages. Underline sentences that reveal author intent, style, or attitude towards the subject.</p>
<p> Circle words that may have questions about. In particulars, words that have multiple meanings.</p>
<p> Write brief notes and words that summarize the main idea of paragraphs. Be sure not to make them too elaborate; one or two words are fine.</p>
<p> Pretend to be interested. Even if the passage is about how bacteria eat, pretend to be interested because it will make you more focused on the passage.</p>
<p> For the questions, have an answer in your mind before looking at the choices; then, choose the one that most closely matches your guess.</p>
<p> Read carefully. One or two words can make a big difference. This is especially true when you have dual passage questions, and it asks for what the author of one passage thinks.</p>
<p> Stay focused. Losing focus will often slow your pace, causing you to have to rush the last several questions. Thus, it is important to keep up a steady tempo.</p>
<p> Circle questions you skip so that you know to go back to them. Skip questions when its taking too long to answer them.</p>
<p> Go back to the passage, especially if line numbers are given. After all, the answers are in the passage.</p>
<p>One last note about the critical reading section as a whole: If you finish and have time left to go back, I recommend that you check the sentence-completion questions. Read back the answers to yourself, and if time permits, check the passage questions. Also, be sure to do any questions you skipped.</p>
<p>4b. Math</p>
<p>Math is the section that most people come best prepared for. Often, youll see people with amazing math scores, but mediocre reading and writing scores. The reason for this is that while reading and writing test rather obscure topics, the topics covered in the math section are largely taught in school.</p>
<p>Thats not to say that the math section is a cakewalk. The way that the questions are phrased makes them tricky, to say the least. Typically, they resemble story problems, rather than straightforward algebra. Thus, learning to crack the wording is an essential step towards mastering this subject.</p>
<p>In this section, Ill lay down some tips and tricks to keep in mind while working the SAT. However, I will NOT go into detail discussing everything that you need to know for the math portion. That would make this guide much longer, and there are other guides out there that do a much better job of it than I could.</p>
<p>Tips and Tricks
Read the questions carefully. Just like with critical reading, one or two words can make a big difference. For example, is it asking the answer as the ratio of x:y or of y:x? A few words make a big difference, so be careful.</p>
<p> Mark up the question, underlining crucial bits of information along with what the question is asking for. If it asks for what y equals, underline it so that you dont give x.</p>
<p> Plug in the answers. One of the best techniques out there, it can save you from the more difficult problems. Since the test is multiple choice, simply plugging in some of the answers can eliminate wrong choices or even yield the right one.</p>
<p> Dont over think it. If you are forced to employ calculus to solve the question, then you are doing it wrong; the SAT only tests up to algebra and geometry, so keep it simple and take the easy way out.</p>
<p> Look for shortcuts. As I said above, the SAT isnt meant to be extremely rigorous in math. Look for sneaky little shortcuts that can help you out.</p>
<p>With that said, there is one type of question that is a bit more difficult, and has ruined many peoples dreams of an 800. The which of the following is true questions, with letters I, II, III and answer choices of a combination of these statements. Given that these rely more on logic than hard math, they can be rather difficult. Here, Ill give tips specifically for these questions.</p>
<p>Ex. From the Blue Book, Test 9 Section 5:</p>
<p>If x is divisible by 3 and y is divisible by 5, which of the following must be divisible by 15?
I. xy
II. 3x+5y
III. 5x+3y</p>
<p>[indent]A. I only[/indent]
[indent]B. III only[/indent]
[indent]C. I and II only[/indent]
[indent]D. I and III only[/indent]
[indent]E. I, II, and III[/indent]</p>
<p>The best thing to do with this question, and many more like it, is to find numbers that fit the criteria and see which of the following are true. For example lets say x is 24 and that y is 15 (in reality, theres an infinite number of solutions for x and y). Once you assign them values, plug them into the three statements to see which are divisible by 15. </p>
<p>I. xy = (24)*(15) = 360, which is divisible</p>
<p>II. 3x+5y = 3<em>(24)+5</em>(15) = 147, which is NOT divisible</p>
<p>III. 5x+3y = 5<em>(24)+3</em>(15) = 165, which is divisible</p>
<p>Hence, the answer is D), I and III only. Be careful, because plugging in answers wont work 100% of the time. Sometimes, youll have to try multiple sets of numbers to make sure that one of the statements is definitely true or not. Be sure to try:</p>
<p> Integers
Negative integers
Fractions between -1 and 1
Zero</p>
<p>The last three bullets tend to be the ones that spoil questions like these. If you want to use the plug and chug method, make sure to also test these.</p>
<p>Although plugging in answers is an effective method for this technique, it is not full-proof. In order to be sure about these questions, it will be necessary to reason out the answer. A full length proof is not necessary, but being able to explain the answer in broader terms rather than for one case is a more definitive way of answering these questions. Employ whichever technique you are more familiar with.
Use of Calculator on the SAT</p>
<p>The SAT allows both graphing and scientific calculators on the test, so long as they dont have QWERTY keyboards. Use whichever calculator you are most familiar with; you wont want to spend two minutes looking for that square root key. </p>
<p>However, becoming good at simple computations in your head will help make you a better test taker. By doing an addition problem both in your head and with a calculator simultaneously, you can significantly reduce the chance of a slip up. Often, it will get to the point when you dont even need a calculator. However, I still advise that you use it, since calculators are a perfect way to double-check answers.</p>
<p>Pacing and Checking Answers</p>
<p>How fast you work through the problems is especially important in math, where there is an especially high chance for error. On math, you should always be checking answers, even if you have ten minutes left. I find that its easiest to do the problem, make a quick double check to make sure I solved for the right thing and didnt make a computational errors, and then move on to the next question. Once Im finished with the section, Ill go back and check the entire section a second time. I tend to start at the end and work backwards during my check, since the later problems are harder and easier to miss. Also, circle questions that are harder as you go along. These should be the ones that you check above others if you are short on time. When I check Ill often redo the entire problem, just to make sure I get the same answer. If making a mistake is rare for you, then doing it twice will be almost impossible.</p>
<p>4c. Writing</p>
<p>Writing is the quirky little sibling to math and reading. While the other two sections have been around for a while, writing was added in during the latest remake of the SAT, not too long ago. Often times, colleges arent all that interested in writing, but it still matters because it makes up, well, a third of your total score. Luckily, based on how writing is curved, it is arguably both the most teachable and easiest to master section on the SAT.</p>
<p>4ci. Essay</p>
<p>The SAT essay is a 25 minute essay that asks you to either defend or challenge a statement. It is scored by two human graders on a scale of 1 to 6, resulting in a total score from 2-12. However, it doesnt really test your essay writing abilities; instead, it tests how well you can memorize and apply a formula that is almost guaranteed to give you a high score, if used correctly.</p>
<p>The best guide to the essay writing portion can be found on College Confidential under the thread How to Write a 12 Essay in Just 10 Daysby AcademicHacker. Go ahead and search it to find the thread.</p>
<p>Ill give a brief blurb about how to write the best essay. Generally, youll get prompts such as, Is freedom something that we are born with or is it earned? that can either be agreed with or refuted. Heres a step by step guide to tackling the essay, largely adapted from How to Write a 12 Essay in Just 10 Daysby AcademicHacker.</p>
<p>1) The first thing to do is to come up with several examples that could support your viewpoint.</p>
<p>2) Take a stance on the topic. Dont pick the squishy middle road, pick one and go with it. Dont change halfway, and dont try and compromise. Often, Ill pick the one thats more easily defended, not the one I necessarily believe in.</p>
<p>3) The first sentence should be your thesis, where you make clear what your viewpoint is in a clear and concise sentence.</p>
<p>4) The second sentence can be a bit of fluff in which you explain why youre right.</p>
<p>5) The third sentence should do two things. It should transition into the body paragraphs while restating the thesis, using different wording.</p>
<p>6) The next three body paragraphs (three, not two) should use examples from history, literature, contemporary society, or personal experiences (though generally I stick with the first three) that back up your assertion. Be sure to show rather than tell the reader why it is correct.</p>
<p>7) Write a brief conclusion. In your conclusion, be sure to restate your thesis and tie it back in to the examples given.</p>
<p>If you want a more thorough explanation, refer to the thread that I suggested above since it does a much more complete job of explaining the essay.</p>
<p>I find that it is better to use a variety of examples, rather than all of one type. Also, your worst example should be the middle one and the best one your last. When restating the thesis, use different wording, but dont change the meaning of the thesis. Finally, start off each paragraph with a topic sentence that explains how your example relates to the thesis.</p>
<p>There are a few things to note about the SAT essay. First, make sure to write neatly enough for the reader to read it. Or else they will become frustrated and possibly give your essay a lower score.
After completing the essay, go back and fix grammar mistakes. You wont be graded cruelly on grammar, but fixing small errors will make the reader happier, and of course, you want the reader to be happy.
Also, dont use too many SAT words just because you know them. Often times, people will sprinkle SAT words that theyve picked up all over their essay. Doing so makes your essay sound a bit fake, and it doesnt help to get your point across. A few words here or there arent bad (I almost always incorporate the words corroborate” and incontrovertible) but dont go overboard. Stick with words that youre most comfortable with using. Finally, the essay does matter. The essay has a sizable impact on your score, and can cause swings from a few to 100+ points. From what Ive found, anything under a 9 will hurt, a 9 is mostly score neutral, while double digits will start bumping up your writing score quite a bit. Given that the essay is formulaic, these should be fairly easy points to pick up.</p>
<p>4cii. Writing Multiple Choice</p>
<p>Writing consists of 49 multiple choice questions that either ask to improve a sentence, find an error, or improve an essay. </p>
<p>Heres an example of a correcting sentence error question that you will come across on the SAT:</p>
<p>Tom enjoys watching movies, eating cupcakes, and to sleep in during the weekends.</p>
<p>A. watching movies, eating cupcakes, and to sleep in
B. to watch movies, to eat cupcakes, and to sleep in
C. watching movies eating cupcakes and sleeping in
D. watching movies, eating cupcakes, and sleeping in
E. movie watching, the eating of cupcakes, and sleeping in</p>
<p>What you have to do is identify the answer that best corrects the error in the underlined portion of the sentence. You can see that the underlined portion is a list, which must have parallel structure. This narrows it down to B, C, and D, which all contain parallel structure. However, the phrase Tom enjoys to watch movies does not make sense, so B is eliminated. C and D are identical, but C lacks the necessary commas. Thus, D is the answer.</p>
<p>The other main type of question is the finding sentence error questions. In these, you need to find the part of the sentence that contains an error. For example:</p>
<p>The bears menacing growl was more frightening than the coyote. No error</p>
<p>In this sentence, the error occurs at letter D. The sentence improperly compares the growl of the bear to the coyote, rather than the coyotes growl (if you dont see why, check out an SAT writing guide).</p>
<p>The final question type gives a poorly written essay and asks how to fix it. For example:</p>
<pre><code> (1) Running has many health benefits. (2) Cycling is good too. (3) It can improve heart health, strengthen bones, and build muscle. (4) Running is also a good way to meet friends and improve mental health.
(5) Running became especially popular during the 1970s. (6) During that time, there was a nationwide surge in health interest, and people ran to get in shape, and were partly motivated by celebrities that also did so. (7) But then it died. (8) People began losing interest in the activity, and the craze slowly fizzled. (9) In addition, running can strengthen the cardiovascular system.
(10)Recently, running has began to gain traction again in contemporary society. (11) Race distances such as the 5K, the 10K, and the running of marathons has motivated people to lace up their race shoes and go for a run while the spread of running magazines has also helped to push people to start working out to lose weight and improve heart health while making friends. (12) Because running is good for you. (13) However, it is generally recommended that a doctor be consulted before starting a new training regime. (14) Doing so can prevent injury and ensure that running is done properly.
</code></pre>
<p>As you can see, this essay is rather poorly written. The SAT will then ask questions about how to improve the essay.</p>
<ol>
<li>Which of the following is the best way to improve paragraph 1 (sentence 1-4)?
A. Leave it as is
B. Delete sentence 2
C. Insert the sentence Cycling can also strengthen the pulmonary system"
D. Switch sentence 3 and 4
E. Delete the phrase to meet friends (sentence 4)</li>
<li>Which of the following is the best way to improve sentence 7?
A. Change it to interest in running
B. Add the word slowly to the end
C. Switch it with sentence 8
D. Leave it as is
E. Change it to they</li>
<li>Which of the following is the best version of sentence 10 (reproduced below?)</li>
</ol>
<p>Recently, running has began to gain traction again in contemporary society.</p>
<p>A. Recently, running has started to gain traction again in contemporary society.
B. Running recently has started to again gain some traction in todays society.
C. Recently, running has begun to gain traction again.
D. Running has traction in todays society.
E. Recently, running has again started to begin to gain the traction.</p>
<p>For #1, B) is the best choice. Sentence 2, which discusses cycling, is irrelevant and isnt needed.</p>
<p>In question 2, it is unclear what it refers to. Thus, choice A is the best correction.</p>
<p>Sentence 10 is unnecessarily long and redundant. In order to fix this, choice C is the best. It clearly and concisely expresses the idea that there is renewed interest in running without changing the meaning of the sentence.</p>
<p>These questions were primarily written to introduce you to the questions that will be seen on the SAT. Like with math, I wont go into detail about all the rules of grammar involved with the writing section. Guides such as Barrons Writing Workbook will do a much better job of that, and so will Silverturtles SAT guide. However, I will very briefly go through some essential tips.</p>
<p> Move quickly. You will often get bogged down on some questions later on, so dont waste time. Also, the number of questions in the writing sections (35 in 25 minutes, 14 in 10 minutes) requires that you move much more quickly than on other sections.</p>
<p> Parallelism matters. A conservative guess would say that about a third of all questions on the writing portion ask you to sniff out problems with parallelism. Do the pronouns match? Are the verbs in the right tenses? If you can master this, then youll be well on your way to an 800.</p>
<p> Cross out answers. This goes on all subjects, but on writing its especially important. You dont want to waste time redoing something youve already done, so mark off the answers in the test booklet that you know are wrong.</p>
<p> Read carefully. Like with the other subjects, a few words can change everything, so be careful.</p>
<p> Identify differences between the answer choices. If its down to B, C, and E, how are these three different? Which makes the most sense?</p>
<p> Be especially careful when selecting no error on the identifying sentence error section. These questions give a sentence with a potential error and ask you to identify where the mistake is. If youre marking up six or seven no errors, then you know something is up. However, make sure you dont indiscriminately avoid E, since odds are there will be some with no error.</p>
<p> Watch out for diction questions. These questions will have a word that doesnt fit the context but is very similar to a word that does. For example, effect instead of affect (effect is almost always a noun, affect is typically a verb). These questions are relatively rare, and may appear only once a test, if even. This rarity means that people often fall for them without realizing it.</p>
<p> Rely on how it sounds, but be wary. The truth is, most of us speak with imperfect grammar. If it sounds jarringly wrong like she gone done it again then its probably wrong. However, for more subtle things, use the rules that youve learned, rather than your ear.</p>
<pre><code> As I said earlier, I truly believe that writing is the most teachable and easiest to get an 800 in. However, there is no way getting around the fact that hard work and practice are really the only full-proof method of mastering writing.
</code></pre>
<p>5. Putting it all Together: How to Study and Prepare</p>
<p>Youve just been given a ton of tips and suggestions to prepare for the SAT. Great, but now what? How do you put this together into a comprehensive plan for the SAT? In this section, Ill offer additional advice on where to get practice tests, how to use them, and other techniques that I found useful. I youre looking for a complete plan, head over to section 6, where I outline the strategy I used to reach my goal.</p>
<p>5a. Practice Tests</p>
<p>A ridiculous amount of practice is the best way to improve on the SAT. Period. Reading prep books, guides, or surfing College Confidential will definitely be beneficial and I would argue even crucial, but the best way to properly train yourself for the SAT is through practice.</p>
<p>Generally, I recommend taking a complete SAT every Saturday each week before the actual test. The purpose of this is to give you a chance to practice and familiarize yourself with the content of the test. It is also a good way to track your progress and designate an appropriate goal.</p>
<p>However, where do you find said practice tests? The best source of course is the Official SAT Study Guide, by College Board. The book contains ten practice tests, three of which were actually administered. Some people advise saving the three real tests for last, but I dont think this is necessary given that all of the tests are accurate representations of the real thing. Another source of practice tests is of course the online SAT course offered by College Board, where you will find another ten tests. Then there is the SAT booklet (which can typically be found in your guidance office) where you will find another test, bringing the total to 21 tests. Finally, you can find links to two more past SAT booklets online at College Confidential. This makes a total of 23 practice tests, enough for almost anyone. Here is a concise list of the sources listed above:</p>
<p> Blue Book 10
Online course 10
SAT Booklet 1
Old Booklets, links online 2</p>
<p>But what if you need more? What if you have to retake and spend a few more months studying? At this point, running out of SATs becomes a serious problem. You can resort to practice tests made by testing companies, but these are often imperfect representations of the real thing. Here is a list of additional sources where you can scrounge up a few more practice tests. </p>
<p>1) Buy the old Red Book. This is an idea that I first came across in Xiggis SAT prep. The SAT was updated around 2005, making the guide to the old SAT with only two subjects (verbal and math) obsolete. However, the math and parts of the verbal sections are very similar to the current one, and can still be used. However, I have never tried this technique.</p>
<p>2) PSATs. There is a PSAT booklet that may be of some use, but most people have likely already used it. Ive heard that College Board sells past PSATs, but I havent been able to confirm this. Although many say the PSAT is easier content-wise, it still is fairly similar in my opinion.</p>
<p>3) And then of course there are the QASs. Students can choose to order the question answer service, which is essentially a copy of the test taken. However, the exchange of QASs is frowned upon by College Board, to say the least.</p>
<p>4) If necessary, use the tests made by other companies. Generally, Princeton Review is regarded as being fairly good, though a bit more difficult. Kaplan isnt good, and in fact copies many of the tests found in the Blue Book. The McGraw-Hill tests, Ive found, are too easy. Youll have to look through College Confidential to see what other people think of the other companies.</p>