<p>Hi, all! Uh, so I took the SAT literature test this past june and scored a miserably low 650. I took a practice test or two (got 680 and 690) a few weeks before, but I didn’t prepare too substantially. </p>
<p>My questions are:</p>
<li><p>is it within the realm of reason that I could raise my score to a 700+ by October? </p></li>
<li><p>if the above is “yes”, how can I do so? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>EDIT: for reference, I got a 760 SAT Critical Reading and a 4 on the AP lit exam (taken cold).</p>
<p>760 CR and 5 AP Lit myself. Both taken cold.</p>
<p>But, I didn't bother to take the Lit SAT because of how poorly--IMO--I had been doing on practice exams.</p>
<p>650 is not "miserably low." It is not an excellent score, but it is an acceptable one.</p>
<p>What you COULD do to break the 700 mark would be to take as many practice tests as possible. One can't really study for this exam. It depends heavily on your interpretive ability and ability to pace yourself given time constraints.</p>
<p>It's definitely possible to get past 700 by October. Take lots of practice tests and increase the frequency as October approaches. I improved my practice test scores by 70 points and scored my highest practice score on the actual test. Remember to always go over the answers you got wrong and try to figure out why you got them wrong. Slowly change your way of thinking to match the test's logic.</p>
<p>OP, I totally feel your pain. I've just taken my first diagnostic test for Lit (Barrons) and I haven't checked the answers yet, but there wasn't ONE question that I felt confident that I got right. HOW DO PEOPLE GET 800 ON THIS SUBJECT TEST?!!</p>
<p>I'm not sure yet, but I will figure it out and get the 800, and then let you all know.</p>
<p>Right now it just seems like a beefed up CR that</p>
<p>a) requires knowledge of some literary terms (easy part)
b) is a lot more interpretative than CR. This I think is mastered through lots of reading and practice tests.</p>
<p>I think the poetry passages are what trip people up the most. The prose sections are fairly straightforward. Spend some time acquainting yourself with poetry--terms, literary devices, vocabulary, etc. Get a feel for some pre-20th century poetry, especially. Practice close/analytical reading.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you don't know a term, don't choose it as an answer. Most of the super-technical or advanced terminology is rarely the answer.</p>
<p>you can not "study" for the test but you can get better at taking the test. There are tricks to getting better ... pick up one of the good prep books. D went from 690 to 740 in a week by reading a prep book and taking three tests while also studying for another subject test.</p>