<p>I just recently took my SAT and when I got my score back let's just say it wasn't what I was expecting (1,500 in total) ..... I'm just wondering if there's anyone that could give me a few good pointers on how to improve my score (mainly my critical reading and mathematics) I would really appreciate it!!! </p>
<p>study math and read more, take tests</p>
<p>First and foremost, USE THE BLUE BOOK - it’s the best book out there.</p>
<p>Critical Reading - Brush up on vocab with Direct Hits and/or Quizlet/flashcards. These vocab questions are easily preventable mistakes as long as you master the vocab. For passage-based questions, try to first go through a couple tests without timing yourself. Take all the time you need, but try to get all the questions right. As you improve your accuracy, go back to timed tests and gradually work on timing.</p>
<p>Writing - Most sentences can be corrected by the way they sound. If something doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t. That being said, I must warn you that it’s easy to second guess even “no errors” once you get into the 700s. As for the essay, use literature, history, current events, etc. but oftentimes, just using people gets you to that 10. It helps to brainstorm a list of examples organized by literature, history, people and current events, with attributes/themes associated with each example before the test. Make sure to learn this list, so that you are less likely to have writer’s block on test day (after all, you only have 25 minutes). Also, study the format of typical College Board essays and derive your own formula based on that. That way, you could write a crappy essay on one of those bad writing days, but still get a 10 (trust me, I’ve been there).</p>
<p>Math - Definitely brush up on algebra, geometry, number theory and counting & probability. Just as with critical reading, do some untimed practice. When you come across a question/concept that you don’t know, look it up.</p>
<p>Here are some study resources that I have gathered from my own personal experience and through skimming these forums:</p>
<p>CR:
-Vocab: Direct Hits (book), SAT Vocab Cartoons (book), Quizlet (online), Mindsnacks (found on the Apple App store), Test Your English Vocabulary (Android app - just drills you on vocab with 10 question quizzes; great for on-the-go practice rather than studying)
-Passage Practice: Untimed Blue Book tests, Erica Meltzer’s CR Guide (book)</p>
<p>Math:
-Khan Academy (online), PWN the SAT Math (book), Dr. Chung’s (book - mainly geared for high scorers to get up from 650ish to high 700s), Untimed Blue Book tests</p>
<p>Writing:
-Erica Meltzer’s Grammar Guide
-For the essay: your own list of canned examples organized by people, literature and history, with themes/attributes for each</p>
<p>Know that you don’t need all of these resources (since that would probably cost a fortune) but if I were to recommend a couple, I would say: THE BLUE BOOK (absolute necessity), Mindsnacks (found on the Apple App store - the first lesson with 20 words is free, the other 24 lessons can be bought for ~$5) and Erica Meltzer’s The Critical Reader (I haven’t personally used this but I have heard rave reviews - if you don’t want to buy her book quite yet you could check out her website, which also has Grammar resources: <a href=“http://www.thecriticalreader.com/”>A closer look at "being" - The Critical Reader).</p>
<p>I know that you were only asking for Math and CR pointers, but I hope you could benefit from some of the Writing tips, as well.</p>
<p>Hope this helps! Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>Awww thanks for all the amazing suggestions 
</p>
<p>This is all you need to do:
-Take EVERY SINGLE MATH TEST IN THE BLUEBOOK. If you know how to do every problem in it, that should put you at 700+ range.
-Buy both direct hits editions, take 3 practice tests and see how you do. If you learn those 450 words, you should be scoring 650+. If you want to improve more, learn more words from other sources. I don’t care what anyone says, don’t listen to them. The ONLY THING THAT MATTERS in the critical reading section is understanding the passage. Why do the CR passages trick people up? Because of complex vocabulary. Think about it; if you know every word you read in a book, you can perfectly understand what is being said. Like if you read Cat in the Hat, you would answer every question about the text correctly. People who say you need to read the NY Times and “read more” don’t know what they are talking about. Understand the complex words in the passage and in the question, score high. That simple. </p>
<p>Thank you </p>