<p>So I've done pretty much all of the practice tests in the old CB book (the one that has 8). I got the second edition which has 3 new practice tests that actually give you exact scores and I'm moving on to that. The old book used to only give ranges and when I started out I was getting around 2050-2260. I got that up to around 2150-2360 but I know I can do better. </p>
<p>I did one of the practice tests from the new edition that gives you the exact curve for 3 of the tests and I got a 2340 (CR 740 Math 800 Writing 800)</p>
<p>Math I'm almost always fine with. Maybe one or two that trip me up but I can usually figure them out in the end.</p>
<p>Writing - I've only ever done practice essays in school but I'm comfortable writing in the 25 minute frame. General tips for the writing MC? I tend to get tripped up by weird grammar rules that I've never even heard of before.</p>
<p>CR - this tends to be where I do pretty badly (for my standards at least). The vocab I'm decent enough with. I think I've studied enough words so that even if the answer is a word(s) I've never seen before, I can get it by PoE. The only ones I get trippe dup on are when I don't know 3 or more of the choices. How often does the SAT reuse words? I feel like some of the words I'm studying from the tests are so obscure that they're not likely to ever come up again...</p>
<p>The passage-based reading is really where I'm having the brunt of my problems. What's the most effective way to go about this? I usually read the first question then start reading the passage. Once I get to the answer, I do the question, then read the next question, keep reading until i find the answer, etc. I usually gave the general understanding questions for last. What kills me is that I can usually narrow the choices down to just two, then they're so similar I can't tell the difference. Any tips?</p>
<p>Also a question on the CR curve. Is it typical that 65-67 are all scaled to 800? I've noticed that when looking at the curves for the 3 new practice tests. </p>
<p>Anyways, I have two more practice tests to do before Saturday</p>
<p>I think the general curve is that a -2 is still an 800.</p>
<p>On CR I am in the exact same boat as you (low to mid 700’s) and it is always because of an obscure word here and there but mostly because of the passage questions.</p>
<p>I’ve read from here that you can cross out some of the answer choices simply if the words used are too strong, like an answer choice has “always” in it or something to that nature, but even then that doesn’t seem to help.</p>
<p>The reasoning for some of the answer explanations given by CB are just stupid IMO, making me feel that there is a small subjective part to CR.</p>
<p>I’m in the same EXACT situation, I was hoping that more people would have posted.</p>
<p>I don’t know much, but I have a few tips from teachers, SAT tutors, peers, and test-prep resources:
- Whether the answer is an assumption or inference, it is ALWAYS in the passage. ALWAYS. If you can’t confirm it, keep looking or move on to a different answer.
- When talking about the author’s perspective or tone, there are always 2-adjective descriptions. The author is almost never at an extreme (i.e. bitter hatred, joyous admiration, etc.). The author will have an emotion in prose fiction passages, but he or she is probably informational in scientific passages. Biographies are a little bit biased, but never at an extreme.
- There are always two stupid answers to every question.
- Vocab: if you have no idea whatsoever on a 2-blank question, find the synonym answers out of the first blank and mark them. Do the same for the second blank answers. The answer with 2 marks is your answer.
- Write down all the answers to the vocab in your booklet, then copy them into your answer sheet when you are done. Same for each writing section and passage.</p>
<p>Oh, and according to one study, eating mints while taking a test increases your score by about 5%. No lie. That brings a 2000 to a 2100.</p>
<p>yes that study has been done before, but I doubt 5% applies so easily here. For example, 600 points are yours if you sign your name. Also, 5% in terms of score? or # of questions right? they would result differently.</p>
<p>The point is not to rely on mints :p</p>