fyi October vocab is often the hardest of all months.
@pokemon1 where did you hear that? Any stats?
My sat tutor basically dissected every single part every single SAT and created a computar program that can, with 95% certainty, predict most parts of the SAT including the curve. He even hacked the New SAT by identifying particular parts of the practice tests and created a program that can easily generate questions with any reading sample. He says that since Bill Gates is one of the leads of the New Sat project, he will be too slow to act or do anything about it. And, he has a few friends in collegboard that recentely got laid off and replaced by computers so they told him the essay prompt’s general idea and he told us.
@pokemon1: So umm…any secrets about the SAT or SAT essay you could tell us based on your tutor’s dissection? Will the October SAT be hard in terms of the curve? Shouldn’t it be easier since the vocab is supposedly harder?
Technically you only need to know the vocab in 4 out of 5 answer choices to get the question correct.
well accoridng to him, the curve will be terrible for the most part. Also, the CB’s claim that they pre determine curves is false. They only create curves after figuring out everyone’s raw score.
You’re contradicting yourself. You’re saying that curve is determined after everyone takes the test, then how could your tutor predict the curve?
Also horrible curve (not generous?) usually means test is easy. However you said on the last page that vocab is going to be insanely hard.
I don’t understand your logic here.
SAT and ACT are called “standard tests” for a reason. At least in U.S. Territory I believe collegeboard is trying to make every test equal (not as for equally hard, but equal as for if a person deserves to score 750, he/she will score 750ish anytime of the year he/she takes the test).
That being said, I strongly suggest that instead of predicting curves and predicting tests, study the materials and improve your own ability. I actually think hacking collegeboard and desperately wanting to know what’ll be on the test is completely pointless. You definetly COULD see some patterns on standardize tests, but when you really get in college there’s no way of seeing any patterns whatsoever.
As colleges expect you to know that, your tutor should know it too. @pokemon1
I really recommend Erica meltzer’s prep books
Really helped be alot
Your tutor is a liar, @pokemon1 . Either it’s a flat out lie or it’s a (pretty feeble) cover-up for some serious cheating.
Not trying to be cynical and all that but I think pokemon1 is just trying to undermine our confidence lol
We should focus more on our prep than curves. ^^ I don’t think curves are really that significant since what we score shows how much effort we put into ourselves. Hopefully this time collegeboard won’t mess up on our scores like those in June. (>.<) Goodluck to everyone!
Junior here~Scored anywhere from 1800-2020 on practice tests. Hoping to get above a 1900 this test. Any last minute tips? Lowest score is Math ):
How did collegeboard mess up the scores?
Hey guys! I’m back. 2 weeks until the test! Super excited for all of this to be over. Took a practice test today and scored 2340 (800 Writing, 790 Math, 750 Critical Reading). I got one wrong on math and four wrong on CR (3 of which were vocab-- ARRRGHHH). I learned all of the first Direct Hits book in the last 2 weeks. Do you guys think I should memorize the 2nd book or memorize all the ones I missed on previous tests? Like everyone else, I’m sorta short on time here… Help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
@LucidGman
Good job!!! Sorry I can’t give you answers to your questions because I miss more on vocals 
So do you think direct hit is really helpful? My friend who scored 800 on CR told me that Barron 3500 is a good vocab book 
maybe you could try that!
@tina23 I know how you feel, vocab sucks!
I’ve only gotten through the first Direct Hits book, but it’s been pretty useful to me. Rather than reading the anecdotes that the DH book gives for each word, however, I think of an event in my life or word that sounds similar to the vocab word to remember it. I use DH because the words it gives are the ones that show up the most on the SAT. I will probably read through Barron’s 3500, but there’s no way that I’m learning all of that in 2 weeks.
Here’s a few examples of words that I find ways to remember them:
quixotic (adj) --> exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
How I remember it: Sounds like “quit” and “toxic.” Therefore, if you are quixotic, you strive to meet your idealistic goals even though they’re unrealistic, as if quitting is toxic.
propriety (n) --> the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals
How I remember it: Sounds like “proper” or “property.” If one is affluent and owns lots of property, they will usually be very proper at dinner parties and behave in a standard, polite way.
pugnacious (adj) --> eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
How I remember it: Sounds like “punk” or “thug.” A punk, or a thug, will come up to you on the street and start a fight for no apparent reason, therefore acting in a pugnacious manner.
Hope you get the idea! I’ve done something like this for about 80-90% of the words that I’ve memorized so far, and I’ve realized that it really increases retention when YOU are the one that comes up with the connection, not some book.
@LucidGman Thanks for your advice!! Hope you ace that CR on October 3rd
Man I got a 2400 on a practice test I took today and a practice I took just last week…hopefully I can do the same on test day but I seriously doubt it lol. I’m just focusing on learning more vocab and developing my essay more now.
@JuicyMango We’re in the same situation, except for me it’s a 2340. Something to consider: You’re not allowed to bring a timer that counts down to the SAT, so during practice tests, get used to doing the mental math of how much time you have left quickly in your head. Best of luck!
Guys. I need help. I took a practice test, and I’m pretty sure I bombed it (I did not finish it) the math portion was just terrible… I ordered the pwn the sat math book a while back, and USPS messed up and never shipped it to me. I just got it a two days ago… I’m about to go through the book today. Any tips to improve on the math portion? I’m on testive, I have a couple of apps like “SAT Up” , “Prep4SAT”, “Edupath SAT” & “SAT QOTD” I did however improve in writing (even though I never completed the test) I graded the writing portion. I need help! My goal is at least 2000.
Heres my advice – quit the apps (except SAT QOTD)
I personally found them useless and insubstantial. The PWN the SAT book is good! Read it from cover to cover (you might wanna commit to the study guide he gives in the front of his book). To improve reading: keep taking practice tests! For writing: memorize the grammar rules and take tests!