<p>I recently took the godforsaken exam for the second time. I thought I was well prepared but I ended up getting a very low score. I've just decided that it would defiantly be worth it to take it again in December one last time.
I practiced a lot of CR but the problem seems to be that I run out of time. This sitting I got a score of 620 and I think this was because I skipped like 10 questions (due to the lack of time I had). My strategy is that I don't read the whole passage at first but I just do the detailed q's and then save the big picture one's till the end. It seemed to work fine when I practiced at home but on test day I REALLY ran out of time - and I didn't even read the passages!!! I understand the questions just fine but I don't seem to have a good strategy
AT ALL!
I scored a 600 on the math section. I guess my strategy is that I just do all the questions and leave the one's that I just can't even understand. I also skipped quite a few this sitting, maybe like 8 or so. Even though I'm bad at math , on the practice tests I usually scored about 650+ but I think this is because I usually did those tests without timed conditions. I really think my main problem is time and I don't know how to solve this at all (I have searched these boards all over and nothing
!)
My writing section was fine
Do you have any advice for me? I read most of the threads about the sat tips but it is basically what I did when studying for this test yet I still failed to see the fruits of my summer labors.
I'm really nervous because I MUST get a really good mark on the December sa'ts or else I probably won't get into the colleges I want with the merit money I need. I know that one month isn't much, but I'm willing to work really hard at it and spend all the time I have. I have some November SAT II's to take, but after those I will probably spend one or two hours a night doing (actually re-doing) practice tests or what ever else you guys can advise me to do. I have the Kaplan book, and my friend will lend my her PR sat book. I don't have the blue book, and unfortunately can not buy it because where I live they do not sell many English books and let alone SAT prep (its just to late to order it online..). Even though I have devised this plan I feel like this won't pay off because it's just what I have done in the past and this is where I have ended up!
If you have any advice for me I would really appreciate it
Thank you and have a nice day!</p>
<p>I can't tell whether you've read and followed xiggi's test prep advice?</p>
<p>Others are probably more experienced than I with SAT prep, but after working with my daughter on prep for the last year, I have some general thoughts on it. First, the "xiggi method" is probably the best approach I've seen or read about. You must have the college board book or sign up for the online course to get the actual tests from the college board. If you run out of time, you may need to continue on working on pacing yourself. I think that would mean sitting down and doing complete sections. It sounds as though your problem is completing the exam, not accuracy. Is that correct? It it's accuracy, then you need to study the question types and perhaps get some help in understanding your mistakes. If you are accurate but slow, then you probably need to work on pacing yourself better and speeding up a bit. Finally, I think most of us have a general "set point" (for lack of a better word) around which we will generally score. This can go up or down a bit, but probably won't dramatically change, although I've heard of exceptions here too. For what it's worth, my daughter has usually scored around the 75th percentile in math on every standardized test since the 1st grade and around the 99th percentile in English/Verbal/Reading on every standardized test she's ever taken since the 1st grade. And that was pretty much how she scored on the ACT and SAT, even after extensive prep.</p>
<p>Have you tried the ACT? Some students score appreciably higher on one than the other. My son did well on the ACT with no preparation. He had a lot tougher time with SAT, although finally got the score he wanted by following Xiggi's plan.</p>
<p>I would have liked to do the act but it's not offered over here.
shojomo Im kind of like ur D. Im pretty bad at math but Im really good at English even though it isn't my first language. I got a 780 on the SAT 2 lit. I think I understand everything, but pacing is my biggest problem. I really am losing hope because I do not know how to target this problem... i can not possibly work faster I mean HOW... i run out of time when i do not even read the passages!</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I can't advise you how to work faster. You may not be able to process the information any quicker than you already are. Fortunately, most reading in life and in college aren't timed tests, so it shouldn't be a problem that will dog you for life. :) It's interesting that your SAT II in lit was high as it also requires timed reading. How do you explain the difference between reading on the SAT II and reading on the SAT I?</p>
<p>IB_Victim,
see if you can order the college board book on-line. My guess is that you are overthinking some of the reading questions. You might try summarizing to yourself what is happening in the passage as you read it. And then just answer the questions.</p>
<p>If you analyse the way the math is scored, you don't need to finish all the problems to get a respectable score. Remember, its the number you get right, not the number you complete that is critical. Again, having the college board tests to work with will help. You need to look at the pattern of your errors (in math and cr) to figure out what is going on.</p>
<p>Amazon.com says they will ship the Official SAT Study Guide within 24 hours. Best advice - buy that one and toss the study guides you have.</p>
<p>really in 24 hours?? wow even if it's not in the US? Im going to look into that right away ... thanks so much! it's pretty cheap and will really help I think!</p>