<p>I'm in Pre-Calc and I'm doing really well in the class... A average.
Almost all the content on the Math II test is familiar to me but math standardized tests are my weakness and the problems will take me 2 minutes each almost! I took some practice tests on the Sparknote website and I'm getting consistent 500's on them (granted I only got to 30 questions on all of them because I didn't want to waste an hour FAILING).</p>
<p>I feel so embarassed and ...dumb quite frankly... I don't know what to do.
Should I just take Math 1 (WHICH IS SOO EASY)? Or not do a math test at all & wait until the fall where I can use the summer to study up?
I just don't know what good that would even do for me...
I'm not aiming for an 800 like most of you on here are... I really just want a high 600... I know I can pull 750-800 on my Bio Subject Test so I won't look that retarded lolllllllllllllll</p>
<p>I would really like some adviceee ):</p>
<p>Don’t take Math II If you don’t think you can get above 750. Anything below that is really bad and it will hinder, not help you. Just take Math I then, or don’t take anything right now and study.</p>
<p>Getting 500 with an A in Pre-Calculus makes me wonder about your school’s grading.</p>
<p>Thanks, bobtheboy.</p>
<p>That comes off as really rude, silverturtle
and now I feel embarassed thanks.</p>
<p>You come off really arrogant, jsyk. Especially after reading your visitor PMs or whatever they are called.</p>
<p>^ What have I said that was remotely rude or arrogant?</p>
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<p>You may want to actually take all 60 minutes you have; that will probably raise your score. Though you did say that each question takes you 2 minutes. So, how does not wanting “[to spend] an [entire] hour FAILING” equate to you spending approximately 60 minutes (the entire time) for 30 questions?</p>
<p>Also, I agree with silverturtle. Getting an A in a Pre-Calculus class should mean that you could score better than a 500, so your school must be quite lax with the grading. Or, you’re just not a good test taker. Either way, keep practicing. You’ll get better soon enough!</p>
<p>Well it was just the fact that you pretty much denounced my educational bg and that the cmmnt wasn’t entirely necessary/didn’t answer my question.
But that was really saucy of me, neverminddd lolll (:</p>
<p>Kinda random but,
Why do you talk so formally on here? Are you a really stiff person in real life alsooo?</p>
<p>So, how does not wanting “[to spend] an [entire] hour FAILING” equate to you spending approximately 60 minutes (the entire time) for 30 questions?</p>
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<p>Not sure I get what you’re saying? But I didn’t spend the whole 60 minutes on them… probably like 40ish</p>
<p>Well, you said that each question took you about 2 minutes each. So, doing 30 questions (like you said) would take about 60 minutes. That’s what I meant.</p>
<p>I think that if you took 20 more minutes, you could get up to a 550 or a 600. And just so you know, the SparkNotes tests are riddled with typos that screw up the whole question. Don’t worry too much if you’re not doing too well on them. I’ve heard that PR’s and Kaplan’s tests are more realistic. I would suggest you get one of those (or CB’s guide to the Math subject tests) and take one and spend all 60 minutes on it. You may surprise yourself.</p>
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<p>I respond to a lot of threads, and I don’t always have the time to cover every topic that is inquired about. I thought what I did offer would be helpful if you projected my interpretation onto any admissions officer who would be seeing your scores in context.</p>
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<p>I think that, if you read all of my posts, you’ll realize that I am not uniformly formal in my writing here. I certainly don’t consider it to be stiff; I just try to communicate clearly, and the formal assocation we often have with that may be contributing to your perception.</p>
<p>BTW: Get a Kaplan or Barron’s book. Everyone on here says that Barron’s is insanely hard, but I thought it was really easy after consistently getting perfect scores on the tests. However, in Kaplan I missed a few questions.</p>
<p>Counterintuitively, Math 1 is actually more difficult than Math 2. Math 2 tests a wider breadth of mathematical knowledge, but Math 1 more deeply tests one’s ability to think mathematically. Math 1 is closer to the test taker’s raw ability. Solving 50 problems within 60 minutes is more difficult than mastering mathematical concepts freely from time constraints.</p>
<p>If I were in the position of excelling at Math 1 but scoring less than what I hope to score in Math 2, then I’d take Math 1 as soon as possible and then take Math 2 after a summer of reviewing precalculus and solving textbook problems (not just practice tests written specifically for the SAT II). The kind of problem-solving on the SAT II is more of a technical skill than anything else; the more you drill yourself on it, the faster you can churn out solutions.</p>
<p>@ Carneyvore
Sorry if the truth seems “rude”, the truth can be shocking, many schools have this problem, with Valedictorians getting 1400s or other low SAT scores. Grade inflation is a real problem and that is why standardized tests exist, to rank you by your ability to everyone else.</p>