<p>I have taken the SAT twice. My first test, I got a 1680 (600 CR, 510 M, 570 W) and my second test, I got a 1710 (630 CR, 490 M, 590 W.) </p>
<p>I am far more intelligent than my scores indicate but I seem to freeze up when I take the test (I have a developmental disability which doesn't effect my intellect but does make it more difficult for me to immediately comprehend certain concepts and I am prone to anxiety attacks.) </p>
<p>I have applied to 5 UC's (Merced for safety reasons, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Irvine, Davis) and I need improvement in my math and writing scores for my December test. </p>
<p>My primary issues are with time management and feeling like the stress of the test itself is going to consume me (since this single test ends up being key for my future, especially due to some warts in my GPA from sophomore year.) </p>
<p>Math is my biggest weakness, so I have a habit of focusing too much on one question and am then forced to scramble from there, likely incurring the wrath of the guessing penalty. For people that struggle with certain parts of the test or share the same personal issues as myself, what strategies did you use to help bring your score up? Prep is a part of the equation but a lot of my problems with the test are mental and when I look at the scoring criteria, I just get frustrated (especially with the essay, which I got an 8/12 on for both of my exams despite writing usually being my strong suit.)</p>
<p>I know this is kind of rambling but I tend to write in detail. For those who had a lot on the line and managed to substantially improve your score, I am curious about how you coped with the pressure when it was time to retake the test. </p>
<p>I think that I can get my CR score up to the 650+ range (I get 660+ on the practice tests), but I was already good on that section for the schools that I applied to. On the writing sections, I miss only 8-9 of the questions but my essays never seem to get out of the “good but not great” range (although I cannot figure out their criteria for the life of me, a lot of people just tell me they automatically give a higher score to whichever essay is the longest.) Realistically, I would just like to cross the 600 threshold on the writing (this should be much easier for me than it has actually turned out to be.) I need to improve my essays but I can’t share my previous ones, so some general tips would be helpful for bringing an essay into the 10-12 range. </p>
<p>On the math section, I got basically the same amount right between each tests but I left 7 blank on my second test (3 of them were write-ins I believe, while I left 4 overall blank on my first test, one of them being a write-in I believe.) If you are not mathematically inclined (I am decent at math overall, I just take longer to process the concepts) but managed to bring your score up, any additional tips to bring up the score would be helpful (for me, it isn’t a matter of simple knowledge, a lot of it has to do with time management and panicking when the stuff that I struggle with the most comes up.) </p>
<p>I hope this isn’t asking for too much, I would just like some understanding responses.</p>
<p>for math, practice using the blue sat study guide book…those practice tests were released exams. It can help greatly to bring up your math score!</p>
<p>Learn some words and just take tons of practice tests. There are some strategies I guess like never skipping if you can consistently get 650-700s+, but honestly just do practice tests. Once you take a good amount of tests, you’ll start noticing patterns on some of the questions like certain mistakes on the grammar section or a certain type of problems/tricks on the Math section.</p>
<p>Got an 1850 on my practice test, not great but an improvement nonetheless. My CR and Writing were in the high 600s, just have to keep on working on my math score.</p>
<p>I have realized that I overstudied for the math on the first two tests, causing my performance to decline in the other sections and fueling my anxiety. I am trying to more evenly distribute my prep, since I can get my CR into the 700’s with a little bit extra preparation on passage-based questions and I can get my writing into the high 600’s at the very least with an improved essay (used inconsistent tenses and repetitive WC in my previous ones.) I am just trying to study in the moment to quell my anxiety, hoping for the best but not setting my mind on a specific score, that’s how people can burn themselves out.</p>
<p>LOL. If standardized test scores are the measure of intelligence, then anybody can be a genius. Seriously though, if I had enough time, I’d expound on creative shortcuts that I’ve found useful on just about any mass production test I have taken. </p>
<p>You give me a test that has instructions in English and with four or five answer choices per question: I’ll double the successes predicted by a binomial probability. </p>
<p>All standardized tests have design flaws. A set of related questions will betray subtle details that one can exploit to boost the odds of correct answers. Elimination of one answer choice can eliminate all of the above. Surety of one correct answer choice can eliminate none of the above. Candidate answer choices can be whittled down by contrived divergence in two similar choices. Guessing the same answer choice (out of two that alternate as correct) in different questions can hedge risk. Disregarding choices that are too verbose to be discerned by the average test taker can exploit system constraints. Disparate answer choices include obvious throw away suspects. It’s all about shortcuts and heuristic based inferences. There’s no reason why you should score at or close to the number that accurately depicts what you actually know. That number doesn’t reflect your skill at identifying patterns and making well informed guesses. </p>
<p>And practice alone should improve your privy, thereby mitigating time constraints. Examine your results on a test (simulated or real); then, work on the underlying cause of your mistakes. </p>
<p>If you don’t know geometry from geography or anatomy from accountancy, that’s the sign you need proper learning. That’s when you concede a structural problem and decide your next course of action. </p>
<p>Put another way, test prep companies would be a joke if they didn’t have know-how based on extensive experience. </p>
<p>Maybe you should get a second set of eyes. Genuine time with someone who has superior insight into “the test” is a solid method for disabusing yourself of fuzzy thinking. Good luck and remember that it’s just a score, so its impact is largely based on what you presume it in import.</p>