<p>I've taken 4 practice tests so far (from the blue book), and while my score increased a little from practice test 1 to practice test 2, I've actually had a significant decrease from practice test 2 to 3 and 4 (~100 points). I'm registered to take the SAT in October and in all honesty, I'm really scared now. :( Advice?</p>
<p>You have to review before you go on to the next test. Also, it helps to take a break to study the topic in which you’re getting questions wrong in. So say algebra, you’d want to learn the concepts that relate to the q’s in the sat. And if you’re getting similar/same q’s wrong in the tests then that means you have to stop and study those q’s thoroughly. I finished a whole practice book over the course of 2 months so now i’m going over the whole thing again, except erasing my answers. </p>
<p>@Annl233 - Thanks for your response!</p>
<p>How would you recommend tackling CR problems? CB took down their online explanations to the CR problems, and hiring a tutor is the last thing I want to do. 
I try to reason my way through the questions I get wrong, but what happens a lot of times is that I don’t /really/ see why the answer is correct and just convince myself that it is.</p>
<p>Blue Book tests, imo, tend to deviate a little when you compare them to one another. Some sections tend to be harder than others. If the drop is only 100 points, then it’s not completely out of range. When taking practice tests it’s good to give yourself some wiggle room +/- 50 points or so. I would take a break from taking Blue Book tests and practice from a few similar, but different books. The closest ones I found were from PR (11 practice tests, except for the last practice test from that book I believe). </p>
<p>For me, CR was the hardest to improve. I could improve math and writing with a few strategies and practice, but CR took me months to improve. For the passages, all I can say is that the answer to all of the questions is in the reading. If you’re stuck on two possible answers, look back in the passage for a key word. Sometimes an answer might sound right but I feel that the SAT is structured so that the correct answer is always the one that is supported. Ask yourself always if the answer is supported by text. There aren’t any parts of the passage/s that are superfluous. Hang in there, you still have a lot of time. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>@alwayswonderines - Okay, thank you so much! Definitely going to take a look at PR. 
I still have a huge load of summer homework to get done, and October is in 2 months; I really only want to take the SAT once so I’ll be able to focus on other things junior year, but I guess it’s not the end of the world if I have to retake.</p>
<p>Well for CR, before i’d go to check my answers online, I’d try to redo the questions i got wrong without looking at the correct answers.I’d usually find a few where i second guessed myself. And when I look over i’d narrow down answers by asking myself why this choice is wrong and then in the end, i’d ask why it’s right. There’s always direct proof from the passage, even if the proof includes a group of words or idioms that you’re unsure on what it’s supposed to mean. Like today I learned that “fudging facts” are actually where you manipulate to present a desired picture. Also, answer q’s as you go along, not all at once. And mark the lines in the paragraph that have questions related to them, so you can immediately answer them. And if you ever really need help on a question, you can try asking here on cc. </p>