I'm about to give up on the SAT? :(

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>So, I'm going in to my senior year and I haven't taken the SAT yet, but my projected PSAT score was a 148, without studying at all. It's summer time now, and I'm determined to raise my average terrible score to a 2000+. </p>

<p>I just started studying for the SAT today, but the material is so hard and I got distracted, even though my goal for studying is 6+ hours each day because I heard its VERY hard to raise an average score, but in determined to do it . The thing is, I'm in the honor society and I have high grades so I don't know why the material looks so difficult. </p>

<p>I'm so discouraged and unmotivated right now and I feel like it's not possible for me to raise my score. Any people in a similar situation who were able to beat all odds and get a high score? I'm just about ready to give up :(</p>

2

<p>I improved 410 points between two sittings, and they’ll be my only two.</p>

<p>Improving a score is nowhere near as hard as you seem to think. Now, studying 6+ hours a day for the entire summer is noble enough, but rather impractical and idealistic.</p>

<p>Don’t get burnt out. Yes, the PSAT is good and all, but I personally do not believe that it is an accurate representation of your SAT abilities. My sophomore PSAT was a 173, my junior PSAT was a 185. Needless to say, I didn’t earn any National Merit Scholarship. Even then, I’ve still managed to hit a score in the high 2300s on the actual SAT.</p>

<p>So, yeah. Don’t get discouraged. The learning will come over time. Enjoy your summer a bit more, and don’t worry so much about it. Studying will still help, but only if you do it in moderation. The next test date is in October- if you plan on taking it then, keep in mind that you have three full months to study. Just be confident.</p>

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<p>I hope you realize what your problem is? Think about someone looking at a mountain and running around the base over and over instead of attempting to climb it slowly. </p>

<p>Forget that 6 hours a day non-sense. Get the blue book and work through ONE section at the time, check ALL your answers and move on. Do not waste your time, including reading lists of words. Do not waste your time on the web for elusive secrets and shortcuts. </p>

<p>If you make a lot of mistake, check what I wrote eons ago. Start with the blue book and answer the questions but check the suggested answer immediately. Yes, you answer the question with the answer in front of you. The purpose is for you to understand what the question is all about. Do that with 2-3 tests and then get back to the one section a day. </p>

<p>You will have covered 6-10 tests in no time, and feel comfortable enough to get a higher score. And again, do not waste your time, and stick to practices. </p>

<p>Lastly, make sure to use THIS site to discuss elements that you do not master on your own. Nothing beats being proactive and using this site.</p>

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<p>Instead of 6 hours each day, try studying effectively for 10 to 20 minutes per day in each subject area for the next 4 months. And take a College Board practice test about once per month to keep track of your improvement.</p>

<p>Note that I am only an expert in SAT math, so if anyone disagrees about the time needed for the verbal sections, please state your opinion.</p>

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<p>Are 10 tests from the blue book adequate for studying?</p>

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<p>@xiggi - how long do you suggest studying? And did u study long to get a high score?</p>

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<p>Instead of taking it once a month, it’s recommended to take a practice test once a week, especially if your test date is coming up in 3 or so months. Instead of studying for 6 hours a day, think about studying less and more effectively. There’s so much other stuff out there to do, the opportunity cost for studying isn’t worth it anymore.</p>

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<p>This is my own opinion, based completely off of what has worked for me. </p>

<p>You should not take more than 1 full-length practice test in a week. I would really only recommend a max total of 3 full-length tests before you take the actual SAT, because it is likely that you won’t use the practice tests effectively if you take them all as full-length tests.</p>

<p>For example, if you were going to take the SAT in October, I would suggest that you might take one around this time in the summer, and then another on a Saturday morning in September. </p>

<p>I saw the most rapid improvement when I would focus on one type of section, each day. For Math, it would work like this:
Take a 25 minute section–>Review—>Take the 2nd 25 minute section–>Review–>Take the 20 Minute section–> Review</p>

<p>I made sure I knew exactly how to do each question that I got wrong, and I soon saw my score rise. </p>

<p>This method is also effective because it brings positive, immediate results that motivate you to keep on studying. If you take a whole practice test on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and see your scores respectively turn out as 1780, 1810, 1790, you won’t feel motivated to keep studying.</p>

<p>Studying by taking multiple practice tests in a week is highly ineffective. It likely means that you are reviewing your incorrect answers inadequately, and at the same time, your scores might drop because you are burning yourself out from your study habits.</p>

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<p>Although taking full length practice tests is not the worst way to study, it is very inefficient. Why would a 700 math student waste so much time on level 1,2, and 3 problems. And if you’re a 400 student I sincerely hope you are not wasting time attempting level 4 and 5 problems. </p>

<p>It is ok to only use the blue book to study, but if you do, use it the right way. Save the first 3 tests and the DVD test to use as full length practice tests since these are the only actual SATs, and use the other tests for day to day study in 10 to 20 minute sessions. But try to focus on your current level of ability in each subject area.</p>

<p>After taking your first practice test, look carefully at where you are in each of the 4 subject areas: Number Theory, Algebra and Functions, Geometry, and Probability and Stats (I include Counting and Data Analysis here too). If you’re struggling with Level 2 Geometry, then only practice Level 2 Geometry. If you got all the Level 1,2, and 3 Number Theory questions right, then focus on Level 4 Number Theory, etc.</p>

<p>If you practice with this kind of efficiency, then 10-20 minutes of math prep a day is plenty.</p>

<p>Also, try to focus less on the quantity of problems you work on, and focus more on quality. You’re score doesn’t go up by attempting lots of problems. It doesn’t even go up when you get problems right. The only way it goes up is if you get a problem wrong, learn how to do it, and then get it right. So keep redoing those problems you get wrong every few days until you can get them right on your own. If you get a problem wrong for any reason at all (even what you would consider a silly mistake), do it again a few days later. </p>

<p>Again, note that I am really commenting on the math sections. You can probably follow similar advice for verbal, but I’d prefer a verbal instructor give advice in this.</p>

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<p>Some might disagree, but my approach (detailed in the stickied post) was to spend less than one hour per day and work in small increments. No marathon sessions and almost no “full-time” tests taken ever. Suffering on a Saturday morning was enough. </p>

<p>My sessions were to take a section and then review EACH answer, including the correct ones, to make sure I understood how the writers approached the problem and see if I could develop a quicker answer. </p>

<p>For the math, I always tried to answer the problems, even in the beginning. For the verbal parts, I spent a few weeks merely reading the sections and checking the answer (without messing with taking the test.) All I wanted was to, again, see what it is was all about and build the correct reflexes. As it is known, the SAT is highly repetitive in its format. </p>

<p>This said, during my prep time, I also spent time on CC discussing the tests with others and liked to answer the questions posed here.</p>

11

<p>As the premeds say, “if you’ve considered quitting, you’ve lost already.” </p>

<p>Set yourself a reachable goal. 6 hours is not reachable or productive.<br>
Then, reach your goal each day. You will gain confidence and your performance will gradually increase. </p>

<p>Simple as that.</p>