Sat preparation

Test Preparation
1

How long and how did you study for your SAT exams? Any tips?

2

Heya
I started studying for the SAT the summer before my junior year, and focused on doing official practice tests.
In this thread
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21207440#Comment_21207440
we talked about several tips. Hope it helps!

3

I took them just once, in spring of 1975.

No one I knew did any prep of any sort. We showed up, followed the directions, and took the test.

But as someone who has taught SAT prep, here are the basics:

  • KNOW THE DIRECTIONS!! I'm referring particularly to the free response section in math, where the directions appear in the middle of a timed section. While I suggest you read and reread the entire section, some of the important points are:
  • No negatives here, there's no negative sign.
  • No mixed numbers; they'll be read as improper fractions. Instead, use a fraction or decimal
  • If your decimal doesn't terminate or repeat, either truncate (that means cut off) or round... but do it to for the last possible digit. You have 4 spots, and one of them is the decimal point. I suggest truncating every time.
  • Read and reread to the point where you're able to skip reading them during the exam.
  • I'm not at all a huge fan of Khan Academy. As brilliant a man as Sol Khan is, he's not a math teacher. His explanations tend to be too textbook, not in the words a teacher would use.
  • I like the Barrons books, because after each exam there's a grid. It classifies problems by topic. Each time you take a practice exam, highlight the problems you're getting wrong. After a few exams, you should have a good idea of the types of problems that are tripping you up.