<p>I need some help with my CR test taking strategies. I've broken 700 on both math and writing, so CR is all that is left. I have been scoring anywhere from 550 to 670 on a given day.
When I take the test, I underline important points in the passages and write <5 word summaries for each paragraph.
I usually do fine on the first section (I'm alert, I get 0-1 wrong), and really horribly on the middle section (like CR section2 - like 7+ wrong). Finally, I do okay on the third part, getting 2-3 wrong.</p>
<p>This isn't an excuse, but I can feel myself get tired during that middle section. I get a second wind afterwards, so I'm fine for the rest of the test.</p>
<p>yes, practice reading exhausting passages (from SAT prep books? Drills etc) and stay focused. Eventually, you'll have enough practice that you can do well in that middle section with those long passages.</p>
<p>Idk why you do bad in the middle, but it might be since you might be overly complacent from the first section. It seems like you do well in the 1st section b/c you're nervous and you want to get a nice first impact. Now that you've suceeded in the 1st section, you're suddenly content and relaxed and not as critical as you were before.</p>
<p>No idea, but then again stamina is also a part of this test. The only then you can do is probably build up some mental endurance. Dam, I can't believe you actually do the notetaking and underlining...</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice!
The notetaking and underlining actually seems to help me make sure that I understood exactly what happened in the paragraph I just read.</p>
<p>I'm in a class where we take 1 test a week for 15 weeks up until the October SAT, so I think my endurance is being built by that. But I definitely get tired in the middle. I have been taking these tests after 4-5 hours of intense work at a lab, so maybe on test day when I will hopefully be well rested my endurance will go up?</p>
<p>Dam...you are a direct parallel of my life or something.
I was working in a lab 8 hours a day 5 days week too for about a month, while at the same time I was signed up at some asian SAT prep place that would take me up until October 4th, taking 1 test a week. But I quit the prep place after a few weeks, because the tests were inaccurate and I felt it was a ton more efficient to study on my own.</p>
<p>Wow this is really scary! I work 5 days a week for at least 8 hours a day at two labs at UCLA (one lab I get paid, so I work at least 6 hours a day). And then I take the SAT prep course. Which course did you start? I did (am doing) Elite.</p>
<p>I was going to quit, but I didn't want to waste money...</p>
<p>Haha nice, I was working at a lab in CHLA, which is affiliated with USC, but I didn't get paid... I started with ACI institute - it's a terrible place. Very inaccurate tests, but since you're at elite, you should be fine, since elite is one of the better ones. From what I hear, Elite include QAS tests as part of their diagnostics. </p>
<p>Yeah don't quit, it probably won't be worth it. Though I lost money by quitting ACI, it was worth it for me, because ACI is just one of the worst ones out there. Let's just say the math was so hard that there were people in my class who scored perfect on the actual SAT, but only scored 680 on ACI's. The tests were very, VERY difficult. I think the highest I ever scored was a 1990 and the highest anyone in my class ever scored was like a 2050 and that was because she got an 800 CR, but a 500 something in math.</p>
<p>What is a QAS test?
And apparently elite uses a mix of their own tests and CB tests, but they adjust the curve to a much lower score to keep everyone "motivated" :(</p>
<p>I know why you miss so many in the middle section though. Same thing happened to me. I used to own the first and the last CR sections but not the middle. That is because it has 2 short and 2 long paragraphs... which are the most in the test. You get intimidated and get exhausted by it. At least that's what i felt like.</p>
<p>Well, couple of tips here:
1. Get used to reading a lot. Simple, just read all you can (doesn't have to be super high leveled books, just read anything.) I just used to get a headache from reading so much, even on the easy stories.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Get used to building up stamina (as in sitting in a chair for a long time and controlling the annoying pain in your ass from sitting so long.... and just stamina, mental focus)....</p></li>
<li><p>Get involved with the stories. Say you come across a story about gold miners. Instead of saying "Err okay.... here we go -_-" ... say to yourself, "Oh wow, i know nothing about this topic, It's interesting to learn something new" and thinking about it in a positive way as in you're gaining knowledge helps you stay focused as well.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>this may be unorthodox, but have you tried just not taking any notes and answering questions after you read the passage completely? As a slow reader, I found that reading while simultaneously being anxious about summarizing and answering the following questions only made me stressed out and not as efficient. In the end, I scored a 740 on CR (with all my mistakes in the passages), but still... I'd say it's worth considering.</p>