Just started studying for SAT II Lit...

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
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<p>I took my first practice test and got 30 right (out of 60, hah), 16 wrong, and 14 omitted. It ended up being a 540, which... I don't know what to say to :S</p>

<p>I am SO lost with poetry but I got everything right for the plays (Shakespeare). Proses are fine, too, it's just those damn poetries I don't even have enough time to read, not to mention interpret.</p>

<p>Can anyone please offer me some helpful tips for the poetry section? I tried to apply some CR tips but I realized that they just don't work with literature. Literature seems to have some weird and extremely subjective questions... :(</p>

<p>My test is in May (so it's about 3.5 months left) and I'm just really anxious now.</p>

<p>Please help me!</p>

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<p>woah calm down. 3.5 months is a long time. Haha, I just started studying for my Lit II for this month!
Are you using any prep books? I’m using Barron’s right now and I think their review is really helpful with poetry and literary terms etc. And if you don’t want to buy it, maybe your local library has prep goods (I was sort of ****ed when I found out my library had a year-old version of the prep book I bought XD)</p>

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<p>^yeah, i’m using Barron’s too. and Princeton. use both of those. they pretty much cover everything. Barron’s is harder than Princeton, and they’re both harder than the actual test. </p>

<p>For poetry, I know that the actual test will most likely (99% sure) ask about the meter, form, and rhyme scheme. and if you see metaphors and similes while you’re reading, chances are, they will have a question regarding those.</p>

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<p>Any tips for “oh-my-god-I-am-blanking-out” moments? It happened to me when I was reading Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats. I couldn’t even figure out that it was describing the urn in the first stanza until I read it for the 4th time :(</p>

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<p>Oh dear, I was under the impression that the SAT II Lit would be easier than the AP Lit exam, but now I am worried :(</p>

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<p>Yay. Everyone with worries.</p>

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<p>Haha, I got a 600 or something on my first random practice test, and I ended up with an 800. I didn’t prep much or anything - my score went from a 600 to a 750 on the second practice test. It’s just that the first test is sometimes completely unfamiliar, you don’t read carefully enough, you don’t know the pattern…don’t take it to heart. I’d recommend going through the PR review section once. It’s really helpful. And then taking practice tests (PR, Kaplan and the CB book is what I used) and just reading everything really really carefully and getting used to answering questions the way they want you to.</p>

<p>I do read a lot for fun, though - and I mean A LOT - so I don’t know how much that affected my score. But it’s mostly prose. I’ve never really read poetry for fun, particularly the kind they give you on the test. For Lit, you just need to get used to the test and focus completely. :)</p>

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<p>^ Yep, I did what you did and also got an 800.</p>

<p>You might find this helpful though: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-subject-tests-preparation/585615-how-ace-literature.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-subject-tests-preparation/585615-how-ace-literature.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@ QuasiProfound: so with (more than) enough practice, do you think I’ll have a chance to raise my score from where I’m sitting (540) to at least 700?</p>

<p>@ lolcats4: thank you SO MUCH! I printed the post out… I’m going to tape it on my desk :D</p>

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<p>Yep, I definitely think so. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Aww, thanks for the encouragement :)</p>

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<p>Yep, I feel like a lot of the Lit test it just getting familiar with the type of questions they ask…well, and knowing those terms. But you’ve got that covered in the prep books. Similar rate of improvement here: first practice test: 620 -> actual test: 790, in a month.</p>

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<p>

Quasi, and others, what do you read for fun? Do you read hard books (like, 17th c.) for fun? Just curious.</p>

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<p>One more question: what should I do if I really get stuck on a poem? When I first read John Keat’s Ode on a Grecian Urn… I don’t even want to remember. All I was thinking was “what is this guy smoking D:” So… what should I do in this case - I mean, I can’t skip the whole poetry section and expect for a score above 700 :(</p>

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<p>Um, just look at the solutions in the answer section and try to figure out what CB’s thinking making something the right answer, you know? If you practice enough you’ll get it.</p>

<p>shmluza: Well, I have read Shakespeare, and I’ve read stuff like Paradise Lost and Tom Jones, but that was out of curiosity. Mostly the farthest I go back for FUN is the 19th century. I love Vic lit and grew up on it. Don’t think that’s necessary to do well on the test though. Like I said, I don’t really read poetry for fun and that’s a huge chunk of the test.</p>

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<p>Quasi, just like you i don’t like to read poetry for fun, esp. those old ones but i guess… i’ll keep my daily reading. what is Vic lit? some examples of it please. thanks.</p>

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<p>Vic lit: I really like Dickens and Hardy.</p>

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<p>Will it really help to read things like that for the test? D:</p>

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<p>Haha um I guess in a way it helped me. But you don’t have to. If you’re not in the habit of it I don’t think there’s a point.</p>

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<p>Sigh, I have a whole list of books and things I want to read, if only I had the time… :(</p>