So on the May 2016 SAT I got a 1320 (650 Math- 670 Reading writing). My college counselor wants me to retake in October and get it up to a 1400. Getting the math up would be my priority one. Any tips? This seems like a very high jump for a score to go up.
I think that is doable. I can’t give you specific math advice, because I tutor the SAT verbal section. However, I have some general recs for the test. For math, learn the back-solving technique. Google it, there is a lot of info. For writing, look at the shortest answer first, it’s usually right. For reading, when in doubt, choose the answer that most closely matches the theme of what you have read. Be wary of convoluted answers with big words.
I recommend students take a couple of practice test sections untimed so they can get an idea of how the test works and be familiar with the phrasing of questions. Then start doing sections timed. Finally, do one or two whole tests timed. I also recommend not wasting time doing questions you can’t quickly answer. Mark and go back if you have time. You want to maximize points by getting the most correct answers possible in your limited time.
@elena3142 , forgot an obvious one. If you can eliminate at least two answers, you have a 50% chance of getting the question right, so never leave a blank, and eliminate whenever possible. Cross out wrong answers so you don’t look at them again.
Yah, I did know most of those techniques. I don’t know how to get my math score up, I think I’m getting confused with the word problems. Would getting a tutor or taking a class be useful for that? I’m glad to hear that you think this is doable though!
Have you tried Khan Academy? I’ve personally found the videos and exercises really helpful and it’s good at identifying problem areas. Also, take practice tests especially if your issue is timing.
And it’s totally doable, I went from 1290 on the PSAT to 1420 on the SAT without much studying.
I raised my math score by about 90 points in a little under a month. What I found was that the SAT math section was very formulaic - not that it tests formulas, but the questions themselves seemed predictable.
What I did was expose myself to a lot of SAT-like math questions. I used mostly Khan Academy since they work together with CollegeBoard, as well as CollegeBoard’s practice tests and daily questions. Write down the questions that you got wrong, and how you could have gotten them right. After a while, you should have a list of everything you don’t know, or things you knew but did not think to apply them. Watch videos and familiarize yourself with these concepts.
If you spend enough time with these SAT-like questions and constantly adjust to them, you’ll be able to better predict what the question is trying to test you on, and then you’ll be able to respond with the best possible answer. It is not only important for you to be able to find the correct answer, but to use the best and quickest way to that answer.
For example, a question might ask: what is the sum of all the roots for this polynomial? ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d
My intuition tells me to factor the polynomial, find all the roots, and then add them together. This method will give me the correct answer, but the method itself is not correct.
The best way to this answer would be to use -b/a, or if the question is asking for the product of all sums, then I would use z/a or -z/a.