<p>I originally posted this in an answer to someone else's thread but thought some of my advice might be helpful.</p>
<p>I've got an 800 writing (80 mc/12 essay) and 800 CR.</p>
<p>General Advice for both MC sections
1) Check your work! Assuming you have time leftover, go back through the test. First-- and this is maybe just because I'm anal, but I highly recommend it--look at each of the choices you've circled in your test booklet and make sure you've bubbled in the appropriate letter on your scantron. Next, sort of redo each question, rather than just checking if the answer you put makes sense. Make sure the other answer choices are definitely wrong. Explain to yourself why.
2) This is more a matter of personal preference. But here's what I do, and it works for me: don't transfer your answers to the scantron after you answer each question. Instead, circle your answer to each question in your test book. After you've completed a page of answers, THEN fill in all the bubbles for that page. This method has a couple of advantages: a) You can concentrate on the test, more easily getting and staying in the "SAT zone" without breaking your focus. What I mean by the "SAT zone" is that you'll probably find yourself getting into a sort of rhythm. You don't want to disrupt this by looking over at a scantron every minute. b) You're less likely to make bubbling errors. For the critical reading, bubble in your choices after finishing the slate of questions for each passage/pair of passages (not each page).
3) If the question is in the least bit tricky, cross off the letter for each answer choice you're sure is wrong. Look at the remaining choices. If you have a gut instinct that one of them is right, draw an arrow pointing to it or something. Otherwise, just leave your potential answer choices unmarked. Then draw a big fat arrow in your test booklet or circle the question--whatever works for you. I also put a light mark by the question number on the scantron so I won't mess up bubbling and so I can make sure to go back to the questions I need to go back to. You can easily erase these marks before you turn in your test. Finish the whole test and go back to these questions about which you are unsure. (For comparison, in each section of CR or writing I probably marked about 5-10 of these "not absolutely positive" questions.) Sometimes you'll realize what was tripping you up and the correct answer becomes clear. Sometimes you're still not sure but you have to go with your gut. Sometimes you really have no ****ing idea. In that case, skip the question AGAIN (making sure you've marked it) and go through the rest of your "not positive" questions. Now go back to the ones you've skipped twice and give it your best shot. Of course, you've got to be aware of the time in this situation. I highly recommend getting a digital watch with a timer and then getting very comfortable with that (silent, don't be annoying) timer before the SAT. Bring and wear your watch!
For critical reading, I usually go over my "not positive" questions first right after I finish the section on those passages (before I move on to the next passages). At this point the passage is still fresh in my mind. But if nothing's popping out at me then I move on and come back at the end. If I have a lot of time left over in CR, and I'm REALLY stuck on a question, I might even reread the entire passage or pair of passages that the question deals with.</p>
<p>Writing
Essay
I used this advice almost to the letter: How to Write a 12 Essay in Just 10 Days
Very valuable and everyone who wants a good essay score NEEDS to read it.
Some of my tips:
1) Disregard everything you think you know about writing well. SAT essay is NOT a measure of how well you can write. I promise.
2) You know that saying, "Never use a big word where a small one will do?" ALL other times follow this advice. For the SAT essay, do the opposite. ALWAYS use the biggest/longest/smartest-sounding/most obscure/advanced vocab you can think of. I had like 1 min after I finished my essay. In this time I did not proofread but instead looked for simple words I could replace with more complex ones. Although, make sure you don't suffer from thesaurus-speak--that is, if you're not sure that a word has the right connotations, don't use it. Better to err on the side of caution.
3) Write as much as possible. Fill up the entire two pages. This is pretty much a necessity.
4) With two well-developed examples you might scrape by. Three examples is MUCH better, though. Try to use examples from different "categories" (don't, for instance, use a book, a short story, and a poem. Try one thing from literature, one thing from history/politics, and one from a movie or personal experience (although these tend to be weaker).
5) Since you have to fill up the full two pages, your time is pretty limited. You MUST start writing within 1 min, preferably in the first 30 sec. You know how your English teachers always tell you it's really important to plan your essays, and that the time you spend will make it a better essay? For the SAT, you have to disregard this (otherwise good) advice. Think of the first good examples that pop into your head and get going on that intro paragraph. Even if you've only got one example right now, just START. The rest will come to you, and by the time you get to that second body paragraph your second example will probably have popped into your head. If it hasn't, then just think of it now. Quickly. Doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't even need to know that much about it. If you're really in a crunch, make up a personal experience.
6) Intro and (less so, since you probably will be a little rushed by this time) conclusion are where you show that you're a good writer. Varied sentence structure, sophisticated syntax, all that. Last sentence of intro should be a thesis... something like, "Examples from literature, history, and my personal experience demonstrate that x is true/false (or that x is important--tailor it to the question)." Argue for whichever side you have more/better examples--not what you actually believe.
7) Body paragraphs are more for putting in a lot of good details and evidence to support your argument. But what if I know very little about all the examples I can think of that fit the prompt? BS it. We're not talking full-scale fabrication of facts. More embellishment. Let me give you an example. One of my examples for my essay was a short story we'd recently read in English class. This was a fairly obscure story, which I'm 99% sure my essay readers would never have encountered. This is good because a) you get points for originality, but, more importantly b) THEY WON'T KNOW if you "misrepresent" the truth. Try to be honest, but if you're really stuck, make something up. (Using this approach, though, you do have to make sure your readers aren't confused and that you provide accurate background to the example. This can quickly be established with a sentence or two, however.)
To summarize for quick reference:
1) Disregard almost everything you have been taught about writing.
2) Use big vocab
3) Fill up the whole two pages (this is probably the single most important thing)
4) Use three examples from different categories
5) Start writing RIGHT AWAY. This means read the prompt, think for 20 sec of examples. Then get cracking.
6) Intro and conclusion showcase your writing. Intro needs clear thesis.
7) Body paragraphs show that you can back up your ideas. Use obscure examples and embellish/make-up details if you really need to.
Multiple Choice
I'm a grammar nerd. I don't really know how I got like this, and I don't really encourage you to get like this... lol. I don't think you can force yourself to be a grammar stickler. But what you CAN do is study grammar intensively. Consider reading The Elements of Style if you have a fair amount of time to prep. Critique (in your head, not out loud--that would be super annoying) every grammar mistake you encounter--whether in the school paper, the grocery store check-out line, peoples' posts on CC, your friends talking. I don't know too much about which books to study from for grammar. I'm sure you can find that advice elsewhere on CC. But a good command of grammar is only part of excelling on the writing section. You also must have a good ear. You know how sometimes a sentence in the writing section just doesn't seem "right"? That's because it sounds funny to your ear (as you read it in your head). The best way to train your ear is practice. If you are really dedicated, after taking a practice test you might look over every writing question. Reread in your head the question and all the answer choices, and then read out loud the question with the correct answer choice filled in. You'd be surprised how much this has the potential to help. Then, when you're taking the test, go with your instinct if you're unable to logically choose a correct choice using the rules of grammar. Try whispering very softly under your breath the answer choices which you are stuck on. Hopefully one will pop out.
You should always check your questions after you finish for as much time as you have left. On writing I tend to have a lot of time left, so not only do I check each answer choice, but I also DOUBLE-check each answer choice that's "no error" (for the circle the error questions) or "leave it as it is" (for the fix the sentences questions). I find these are where you are most likely to mess up. If you have a suspiciously high number of "no errors" or "leave it as it is" that's a pretty clear indication that you've messed up. I think that over like four no errors and four leave it as it is in each section would get me suspicious. I don't remember exactly though--see how many As and Es are correct on your bluebook tests. If you don't tend to have time to go over every question again, THESE are the ones you should prioritize for checking.</p>
<p>Critical Reading
I feel like this one is a lot less "study-able." Your best chance is to try to get inside the collegeboard peoples' heads. If you're really stuck between several answers (hopefully you've been able to narrow it down to two, or at least three) think as if you're the testmaker. Is there a reason one of the answer choices just wouldn't be right? Imagine yourself, knowing the right answer is B, looking at one of your potential answer choices--say C. How would you reason, knowing the right answer, that C is, indeed, wrong? If your reasoning of why C could be wrong comes fairly easily to you, it likely is wrong. But if you're struggling to come up with a good reason, supported by the text, that C is wrong, then circle C. I'm not sure if this entirely makes sense, but it works for me.
Now, how do you more specifically go about DOING the reading section? I feel this is up to personal preference, but while I see many suggestions to annotate the passages I never do that. I don't write a summary of each paragraph in the margins, I don't highlight what I think are important phrases, I don't look at the questions beforehand and mark the lines to which they refer. I practice close, careful reading. Only after I've read the passage do I go on to the questions. If the question refers to a line or paragraph, then after I read the question (but not the answers) I reread that line and any necessary context (i.e. sentence before and sentence after, if necessary). Then I sort of form a murky idea of the answer, read ALL the answer choices, and pick the best one. (OK, I know it's not THAT simple. But this is the basic idea.)
Looking to study? Do practice tests. Some people suggest reading. IMO, if you're not a voracious reader now then reading more isn't gonna help you. Your CR skills have been formed (or not formed) over years of reading habits. There aren't really quick-fixes. However, I do think a good English class can help. Always pay attention in English, and try to be a really close reader for every book/article you DO read. (The "you don't need to read anymore than you already are" suggestion assumes you're reading at least one high-quality book at least once every two months or so. If you don't read at all--well, then the CR section of the SATs is the least of your worries.)
Insofar as vocab goes, I don't really have any great advice because I've always had a pretty good vocab from reading a decent amount of good literature. Mostly study, hope you get lucky, use process of elimination, and go with your gut instinct. You shouldn't change what you've bubbled unless you're really sure; your first idea is most likely to be correct.</p>
<p>The most important thing is practice!</p>