Freaking out about SAT Math II

<p>Ahhh!!
So I recently started working through Kaplan's SAT Math II book and the time given is soooo short. The material is relatively easy for me but it only averages to about a minute and a bit for each question, which I struggle to achieve.
I'm freaking out cuz I'm taking it in May and I always run out of time!
I'm aiming for an above 700+ but do you think this is possible if I have this problem?
Any good tips or advice for completing the questions quicker?
Thanks so much</p>

<p>Don't waste your time double and triple checking your answer. If you're short on time, just do the problem, get the correct answer, and don't look back. Don't test all the other answers to make sure you have the right answer.</p>

<p>The actual test is 50 questions in 60 minutes, so yeah, just a little over a minute per question. The easier questions on the test shouldn't take more than 30 seconds or so, which will give you more time for the harder questions.</p>

<p>You can really approach this test differently than you would approach the SAT I math. On the SAT I, you have to get virtually every question right to get a top score. Math II is quite different. CB basically give you a 5 or 6 question "allowance" - you can miss or omit that many questions before you even start losing any points.</p>

<p>Use this allowance wisely. If you get to a problem you can't figure out quickly, just move on. Consider that one of your "freebies" that won't affect your score if you do well on the other questions. Better to leave out one question than skip three or four later because you ran out of time.</p>

<p>Latency is right - don't be overly worried about checking your work. First of all, this isn't the SAT I - the problems aren't designed to trip you up; they are meant to be challenging, but straightforward. A quick check is good, especially if the question type allows you to plug your answer back into the original problem, but don't overdo it. A couple of mistakes aren't going to affect your score the same way they would on the SAT I. Again, better to make a mistake or two than omit a bunch of questions at the end because you ran out of time.</p>

<p>So basically, my advice is not to be afraid to skip a couple questions here and there; just keep moving and make sure you at least take a look at every question on the test.</p>

<p>And also, don't panic if things seem to be going poorly. I ended up not being as prepared for the test as I thought I was, I couldn't figure out how to solve some of the problems, I ran out of time for a few, and I walked out of the testing center feeling like I had completely failed - and I still wound up with an 800. :)</p>

<p>I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU USE BARRON'S SAT 2C,,,I got a 800 as well:)</p>

<p>Yes, use Barron's. You will tempted to freak out even more because you will probably score low on Barron's (most everyone does), but you will score much higher on the actual test.</p>

<p>wow!! a 5 or 6 question curve?? o.O i cant wait to take this test!! :D</p>

<p>*CB basically give you a 5 or 6 question "allowance" - you can miss or omit that many questions before you even start losing any points.</p>

<p>Use this allowance wisely. If you get to a problem you can't figure out quickly, just move on. Consider that one of your "freebies" that won't affect your score if you do well on the other questions. Better to leave out one question than skip three or four later because you ran out of time.*</p>

<p>Not necessarily. </p>

<p>The 'raw' score is calculated for the Subject test and then converted into the 'scaled' [200-800] score.</p>

<p>For the raw score, you get one point for each question you get right. You are deducted 1/4 point for a question you get wrong that has five answer choices, 1/3 point for four answer choice-questions, and 1/2 for questions that have three answer choices.</p>

<p>No points are deducted if you omit an answer. Now, that doesn't mean that if you have sixty questions, and you only answer fifty and get them all right, that you make an 800. In addition to not getting any points deducted, you don't get any points added either. You aren't penalized, or rewarded; the omitted question is left out of the --sigh-- equating process that is used to calculate your scaled scores. </p>

<p>So, let's say that of 100 questions on the Subject test, you get 60 right, 30 wrong, and leave 10 blank. 10 of the wrong answers were five-choice questions, so that's -2.5 , 10 were four choice (-3.3) and the last 10 were three choice (-5), a total of -10.8. Now, we subtract that from 60, and we get 49.2. Those 10 that were blank are not deducted from your score, but you don't get any credit from a blank answer, either. </p>

<p>So, when the raw score of 49.2 is --again, equated-- to the scaled score, it would likely be a much different scaled score than one of, say, 59.2 (as if the omitted questions were actually correct). </p>

<p>So there aren't really any "freebies", so to speak, but the omitted questions don't hurt or help you, either.</p>

<p>Granted, you may leave 20 questions blank and still get a 750+. With College Board, who the hell knows? </p>

<p>I'm just saying, don't count on it. :D</p>

<p>Thanks guys, that was really helpful :)
I'm finding that i'm having trouble with some topics like solid geometry and I'm doing fairly well in coordinate geometry, trig, and algebra.
I've read many threads and people reccomending the barrons math IIC but I recently ordered the newest edition Barron's with CD. Should I get the IIC one as well or are they relatively similar?</p>

<p>
[quote]
So there aren't really any "freebies", so to speak, but the omitted questions don't hurt or help you, either.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well yeah, I wasn't saying omitted questions give you points like correct answers do. :) I just mean that you don't really need to aim for 50/50 because you can miss 5 or 6 and still get an 800. If she's pressed for time, instead of trying to nail every question she should look for the most efficient way of getting those 44 or 45 problems correct that she needs for an 800 (or whatever her goal may be).</p>

<p>
[quote]
Not necessarily.</p>

<p>The 'raw' score is calculated for the Subject test and then converted into the 'scaled' [200-800] score.</p>

<p>For the raw score, you get one point for each question you get right. You are deducted 1/4 point for a question you get wrong that has five answer choices, 1/3 point for four answer choice-questions, and 1/2 for questions that have three answer choices.</p>

<p>No points are deducted if you omit an answer. Now, that doesn't mean that if you have sixty questions, and you only answer fifty and get them all right, that you make an 800. In addition to not getting any points deducted, you don't get any points added either. You aren't penalized, or rewarded; the omitted question is left out of the --sigh-- equating process that is used to calculate your scaled scores.</p>

<p>So, let's say that of 100 questions on the Subject test, you get 60 right, 30 wrong, and leave 10 blank. 10 of the wrong answers were five-choice questions, so that's -2.5 , 10 were four choice (-3.3) and the last 10 were three choice (-5), a total of -10.8. Now, we subtract that from 60, and we get 49.2. Those 10 that were blank are not deducted from your score, but you don't get any credit from a blank answer, either.</p>

<p>So, when the raw score of 49.2 is --again, equated-- to the scaled score, it would likely be a much different scaled score than one of, say, 59.2 (as if the omitted questions were actually correct).</p>

<p>So there aren't really any "freebies", so to speak, but the omitted questions don't hurt or help you, either.</p>

<p>Granted, you may leave 20 questions blank and still get a 750+. With College Board, who the hell knows?</p>

<p>I'm just saying, don't count on it.

[/quote]

Something tells me you don't actually know anything about the Math II test, but instead you simply know the basic Collegeboard scoring process. </p>

<p>The test is standardized and is very predictable in terms of both questions and the curve. I doubt the curve fluctuates by more than 1 or 2 raw points for any given month. Your score if you leave 20 blank is extremely predictable (and get the rest of the questions correct), and it will ALWAYS be under 750 -- it would be 650 give or take 10-20 points.</p>

<p>I wouldn't think of omissions as not gaining or losing anything either. I like to think of it like this: you start out with 50/50 raw score. Each omission, you lose one point. Each incorrect answer, you lose 1.25 points. That helps to put things in perspective because most amateur test takers tend to think that omitting doesn't drop his or her score. But it does, sometimes just as badly as incorrect answers. The only reason to leave an answer blank on the Math II test is if you're pressed on time AND you don't know how to do the problem off the top of your head.</p>

<p>And yes, there ARE freebies, so to speak, and you CAN count on them.</p>