I took the March SAT and got a 1510 (770 English, 740 Math) with very little studying. I’ve improved each time I’ve taken the PSATs and now this SAT. I generally know how to do everything on the SAT, save for one or two math problems; my problems can’t necessarily be fixed by going over math skills or practicing grammar. What can I do to increase my score to be a 1550 or above? I plan on only taking the SAT once more.
Thanks!
With the scores you have, you are probably right that you don’t need drills. But you may need more practice. If you have not done the official practice tests, I would start with #8 and work backwards. I would not even worry about doing them timed – there’s no need to worry about predicting your score. Just do the test, then go over everything you got wrong and everything that took longer than you would like.
A hard decision is how many to do. There comes a point when the time invested in practicing is no longer worth the tiny gain that you are after. On the other hand, you only want to sit for the test one more time. So I guess I’d recommend doing n+1 practice tests, where n is how many you feel like. Maybe even n+2. But don’t move on to an additional test until you have thoroughly reviewed the last one.
One other thing: as you review the math, try to find different approaches. Use trial and error. Make up numbers. Draw diagrams. Not everything that looks like an algebra problem really has to be one.
For example: on one of the released tests, there is a problem like:
x^2 = y
2(x+4) = 2y+8
Find xy
(Or something like this)
Before you do algebra, it’s worth taking a moment to play with numbers. And the fact that there is such an incredibly easy set of numbers that works is a clue that the SAT actually favors students with this skill. So as you review, be on the lookout for the other pathways…