<p>@seventocollege
School is hard. But I can always manage sometime to do sat practices.
I guess my motivation is I really really really need a great score to get into my first choice college.</p>
<p>MedicalBoy
I did Jan 2011 SAT test. The novel about one protagonist’s old house was really hard. Went -2 and one SC, that’s a 760. Darn…</p>
<p>One quick question on Section 9 Q19.
I got the correct answer by POE.
But how do you understand the formative stage of a writer’s development? My understanding is that it can either mean granddaughter developed her style, for example,developed it from simply followed her grandma’s oral speech to added more details in it, to taught grandma to write love or it means grandma’s development, for example, cursory sentences to practice writing love.</p>
<p>What do you think of this question?</p>
<p>Took a test this morning and it went rather oddly. I got 9 wrong with cr I somehow got 5 wrong in one section. This is not just bad but rather abnormally bad. I **** up but rarely this much. My writing section is the other odd part I got one wrong I normally do much worse. My math was typical I got one wrong however this time it was not an arithemtic error but more so a problem I don’t know how to do. So today’s test total is 770 writing (presuming a 10 essay) 660 critcal reading and 760 math a total of 2190 not horrendous but i really want to break 2200. I will go over critical reading later today</p>
<p>Jeff, how to get a perfect score on writing??? I am pretty demoralized!!!</p>
<p>To be honest i think it was kind of a fluke since I’ve never gotten close to that before. However I’ve been using erica metizlers (i know it’s misspelled) grammar book theirs a pdf of it floating around.</p>
<p>I have trouble with CR as well! I’m not sure why but yep… but yes! After reading some of the CR guides on here it helped me! </p>
<p>I like doing a section of each a day (CR W M) but sometimes there’s just too much schoolwork and I don’t have enough time for it :(… But even when I do have time, I end up doing other things like checking my email, youtube, etc. Practice tests are really tedious and boring but the feeling after taking one is great if you see improvement. Good luck to all! </p>
<p>As for my motivation, I think about how much I want to go to my dream college as well (UPenn). I have the UPenn logo on the wall that I usually face when I do my studying so whenever I feel unmotivated, I just look up at the wall in front of me haha!</p>
<p>Benjamin</p>
<p>On question 19, it makes sense to say that the writer developed her own style by “falsifying” her grandmother’s letters and writing in great detail. The connection here I believe they are trying to make is that the granddaughter learned much from these various experiences and allowed her to become a better writer as an adult. Thus it would be a “formative stage” in her development as a writer.</p>
<p>Sooooo I took a test this morning and its not working out as well as I had hoped before. </p>
<p>I ended up with a 2190(ouch).</p>
<p>A main contributor to my score decrease was -1 in the math section which put me at a 760. It’s insane how much I lost from just one question…</p>
<p>Reading was -6 with 1 omit which is around a 700. I’m okay here. I would like to do better but with the amount of time I have left, I would just like it to stay consistently >=700. </p>
<p>Writing was -3 which was shocking because I never got lower than a -2. The last mistake I did was something I have gotten correct MANY times in the past and resulted in a 30 point decrease. </p>
<p>These small errors are very, VERY costly and I can’t afford them. 2 questions would have bumped me up to a 2260! But I can’t think of hypothetical situations and believe that “I could have gotten it right”. I have to stop making mistakes period.</p>
<p>I have decided to drill math every day by just taking practice sections with extreme care and scrutiny. By doing this, I might be able to prevent silly mistakes and pick up some important strategies on the way. </p>
<p>My math score will immensely help my M+CR score which much more important than my writing score. </p>
<p>Reading I will also continue to practice and have a solid hour of vocabulary studying every night before I go to sleep for the next 19 days. I will also try to study as much vocab during the day also. I might just carry on 10-20 words and whenever I have time, just look at them. </p>
<p>Alright so this is my plan and I want to execute it well. Clock is ticking and its do or die…</p>
<p>On a more brighter note, after this we have college apps and then at least a half year of relaxation before college. If everything goes well and if our timing is perfect, we might be able to achieve our goals.</p>
<p>Did Oct 2010 SAT yesterday
-2 on CR 800
-0 Math 800
-6 WR 660
Damn writing is pulling me back. I need to cut down the error.</p>
<p>UGGGH School takes too much time. First practice test in a week
-1 Math (such a dumb mistake!) 780
-1 CR 800
-1 Writing 790</p>
<p>Does anyone have good tips on how to stop making dumb mistakes?</p>
<p>Finish quick and review again and again. Re-read every rules and questions prompt.
It usually takes me about 10-15 minute on a 25 math section. So I review twice before I bubble. In that way, I ruthlessly eliminate every possible error.</p>
<p>I find passage comprehension hard ! I badly need a 650 ,but its not happening :(:(:(
plz guys help me out , suggest some good books or an effective strategy ! 
i got a month to prepare cr so i think with right prep material and strategy imma score high</p>
<p>@variable: same here. First practice test in 6 days! Noooot good no bueno D: </p>
<p>The only help I can give is to read some of the CR posts in the SAT section on CC. or go to thecriticalreader blog for some drills and tips. Other than that… Practice practice practice! </p>
<p>And now I am off to do some math practice :(</p>
<p>Variable, how did you get so good at the math section? I really want a 700+</p>
<p>@benjamin8451 - as suggested I searched on google and was not able to find proper pdf versions of official sat tests - pl post links - thank you!!
And how to improve the CR score in 18 days? urgent suggestions pl…</p>
<p>Whitelillies</p>
<p>Try googling “The Critical Reader”. I just read it today and going to try and put it into practice tomorrow.</p>
<p>jalyssa A lot of my math skills come from taking courses at school. Most people say you need up to Geometry, but I think Alg 2 comes in handy sometimes.
The most important thing is to practice! Don’t just give up on problems, make sure you understand how to do them first, before you look at the answers. Oh, and don’t make stupid mistakes, like me Those little points really add up, especially on the math section. Good luck!</p>
<p>@MedicalBoy thanks will try that.</p>
<p>Hey guys, I know I’m not the only one who is having trouble with CR, so I made a little “crash course” guide that has all the little tips I’ve been using
MY SAT VERBAL STRATEGIES:
- NEVER JUSTIFY AN ANSWER – PLAY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE. WHY IS THIS ANSWER CHOICE WRONG? IF AN ANSWER IS IN ANY WAY WRONG, IT’S PLAIN WRONG.
- YOU MUST MUST MUST BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE OTHER FOUR CHOICES ARE WRONG. SO, FOR EVERY PRACTICE READING COMPREHENSION, MAKE A CHART THAT LOOKS LIKE:
A) ______________
B) _______________
C) ________________
D) ________________
E) ________________
YOU MUST SPEND TIME ON REVIEWING PRACTICE TESTS!!! RULE OF THUMB: REVIEW AS MUCH TIME AS YOU SPENT DOING A PRACTICE TEST! PINPOINT YOUR WEAKNESSES AND FIX THEM!! WHICH QUESTIONS ARE YOU MISSING, WHY ARE YOU MISSING THEM, AND WHAT TO DO TO FIX THEM
-BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
EXPLANATION SHORTCUTS:
-NOT STATED IN THE PASSAGE: IF IT WASN’T SAID IN THE PASSAGE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH SENSE IT MAKES, IT’S WRONG
-TOO EXTREME
-TOO BROAD: UNLESS IT’S A MAIN IDEA QUESTION
-TOO NARROW: MIGHT BE STATED IN THE PASSAGE, BUT NOT THE FULLEST EXPLANATION
-TRUE BUT UNRELATED: THIS IS WHY YOU READ IN CHUNKS
-ONLY HALF-TRUE: IF EVEN PART OF AN ANSWER IS WRONG, THE WHOLE DANG THING IS WRONG. MOST QUESTIONS WILL HAVE THESE!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>THE RIGHT ANSWER MUST BE SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE. DON’T JUST SAY THAT THERE IS A “GENERAL” SENSE. IF YOU ARE CONFUSED, FIND DIRECT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR THEORY.</p></li>
<li><p>WHY??? WHY DID THE AUTHOR WRITE SOMETHING? WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THAT SENTENCE, LINE, PHRASE, ETC?
-DOES IT EMPHASIZE A CERTAIN POINT BROUGHT UP EARLIER?
-DOES IT OPPOSE THAT EARLIER POINT?
-IS IT A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THAT POINT?
-IS IT MAKING A CLAIM?
-IS IT A TRANSITION BETWEEN IDEAS?
SOME COMMON REASONS WHY AUTHORS WRITE THINGS:
-SHOW HOW AN AUTHOR FEELS ABOUT AN ISSUE
-EMPHASIZE SOMETHING
-CONTRADICT OR CRITICIZE SOMETHING
-AGREE WITH OR ADVOCATE SOMETHING
-HIGHLIGHT OR DRAW ATTENTION TO SOMETHING
-MAKE A CLAIM
-CLARIFY OR EXPOUND A CLAIM
-PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF A CLAIM
-ADD ADDITIONAL DETAILS TO PROGRESS THE STORY
-TRANSITION
-DETAILS ABOUT AN EVENT OR PHENOMENON
-CREATE SUSPENSE
-ASK A RHETORICAL QUESTION – PERSUASION
-INJECT HUMOR
-BETTER CREATE A VISUAL SCENE FOR READERS
-CALL TO ACTION</p></li>
<li><p>THINK OF PASSAGES AS “FASCINATING” AND “CRAZY INTERESTING”! YOUR BRAIN WILL BE MORE ABSORBENT.</p></li>
<li><p>THE RIGHT ANSWERS ALMOST ALWAYS LINE UP WITH THE MAIN IDEA. </p></li>
<li><p>LOOK FOR REWORDED ANSWERS AND SYNONYMS.</p></li>
<li><p>COULD BE THE ANSWER = NOT THE ANSWER</p></li>
<li><p>KEEP TRACK OF POINTS OF VIEW
-DETERMINING THE ARGUMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!
-THE FACT THAT AN AUTHOR MENTIONS A POV DOESN’T MEAN HE/SHE AGREES WITH IT
-THE AUTHOR MIGHT AGREE WITH PART OF ANOTHER’S OPINION
-UNDERSTANDING THE AUTHOR’S OPINION AND THE WAYS HE/SHE SUGGESTS IT GIVES CRUCIAL INFORMATION
-PHRASES LIKE “MANY PEOPLE SAY,” AND “OTHER PEOPLE SAY” SHOW THAT THE AUTHOR DOESN’T AGREE WTH THIS VIEW</p></li>
<li><p>FIND THE TRAPS – WHAT MISTAKES WOULD SOMEONE ELSE MAKE?</p></li>
<li><p>MAIN POINT FORMULA: MAIN POINT = TOPIC + TONE + WHY DOES THE AUTHOR BELIEVE THIS?</p></li>
<li><p>GUESS THE ANSWER BEFORE LOOKING AT THE CHOICES </p></li>
</ol>
<p>HINTS/TIPS/TRICKS/REMINDERS:
- YOU AND I IF WE ARE “DOING” AN ACTION, YOU AND ME IF WE ARE “RECEIVING” AN ACTION. IF YOU ARE STILL CONFUSED, CROSS OUT THE “YOU AND” PART OF THE PHRASE, AND SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE.
- TAKE TESTS FOR ONLY 20 MINUTES INSTEAD OF 25.
- KNOW THAT TALENTS CAN BE DEVELOPED AND THAT GREAT ABILITIES ARE BUILT OVER TIME
- PUT DOWN A DAMN ANSWER AND MOVE ON. STOP OVERANALYZING AND RATIONALIZING
- READ VORACIOUSLY – ANYTHING
- TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO READ QUESTIONS – DON’T SKIM, REREAD
- EVERY QUESTION NEEDS A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
- THE REASON…IS THAT, NOT BECAUSE – REMEMBER THAT
- CAN BE “STORY OF” AS WELL AS “STORY ABOUT”</p>
<p>MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:
- FOR PASSAGE 1/PASSAGE 2 QUESTIONS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO FIND IS WHETHER THEY AGREE OR DISAGREE.
-THIS DETERMINES POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP
-CONSIDER DEGREE – BE CAREFUL OF ANYTHING EXTREME</p>
<ol>
<li><p>TONE QUESTIONS:
-FIRST THING: DETERMINE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
-ANSWER IS USUALLY NOT APATHETIC OR INDIFFERENT; AUTHOR USUALLY CARES</p></li>
<li><p>INFERENCE QUESTIONS:
-MOST INCORRECT ANSWERS FALL INTO REALM OF SPECULATION, CANNOT BE SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE COMPLETELY
-USE THE “IF X, THEN Y” AND “IF NOT Y, THEN NOT X” MODEL</p></li>
<li><p>RHETORICAL STRATEGY QUESTIONS:
-USUALLY HAVE “BACK-DOOR” ANSWERS
-WORK FROM CONCRETE TO ABSTRACT – CHECK PASSAGES
-THE ANSWER IS MORE LIKELY TO BE CONCRETE</p></li>
</ol>