The #1 rule while taking the SAT...

<p>ALWAYS make sure you are marking the number of the question you are doing! It sounds basic, but even if you know the answer, you have to fill in the right bubble to get credit for it! </p>

<p>I am saying this, because I'm pretty sure I screwed up on the writing MC, because I did worse (64 subscore) than I got when I took it 2 years ago in 9th grade. (650) Either I screwed up and shifted my answers down one or something like that, or there was a scanning error, because that is just ridiculous. Writing was my best section. I was expecting a 750 at worst.</p>

<p>So, just make sure you don't do what I probably did. Good luck everyone...</p>

<p>yeah, I always mentally say the number and the letter to myself as I bubble the answer in. That way, if I skip a question, I won't get thrown off and miss a whole column.</p>

<p>I skipped a bunch at first, luckily midway I caught myself and fixed it all. It usually happens to me when I omit things.</p>

<p>It is definitely a horrifying feeling when you realize you are off by a line. I have caught myself many times, sometimes when it is too late. I'm sorry, fhqwgads2005.</p>

<p>What I do on all of my standardized tests is write my answers at the bottom of the page. If I skip one, I draw a box and write in the question number to make sure leave a space on the answer sheet. Then at the end of my first pass, I transfer my answers to the answer sheet, making sure that the first answer on the page matches the first answer on my answer sheet. It saves time and helps me avoid simple mistakes that could kill my score.</p>

<p>at least once per test i mess up and need to go back to fix it. usually i accidentally skip a question at the bottom of the a page and realize about 15 questions down when i happen to look at my scantron. then i go into frantic erase mode and hope i don't rip my answer sheet.</p>

<p>Yeah, the sad thing is, this is the 1st time i have ever done something like this. Why couldn't it have happened on a practice test instead?</p>

<p>i don't fill in question by question. for reading and writing MC, I fill in bubbles after every 5 questions. for math, it's usually after I solve the problems on one page. however, time constraints can be another issue... I just played it by ear (and managed to do decently on CR)</p>

<p>here's something embarrassing. every time i take a standardized test, i bring in three different packets of pencils and a few different erasers. during the sign-in part, where you bubble your name into the test booklet and everything, i test out the different pencils on the booklet to see which one has the best combination of darkness/erasability. i do this so that if i have a mis-bubbling/erasure problem i'll be able to clean it up.</p>

<p>sigh.</p>

<p>Hey, fhqwgads2005! What a miserable thing to have happen. :(</p>

<p>If I were you, I would definitely, definitely request that your test be regraded by hand. The College Board will do this if you ask, and in some (few) cases it has resulted in a significant score change. </p>

<p>It sounds like you just made a fill-in error. But just in case something happened with the machine grading--which it has for some students in the past!--I would definitely follow up with the CB. Maybe you will get lucky.</p>

<p>There have been threads about regrading on CC before: search for them and you should be able to find out some information about how to make this happen.</p>

<p>Good luck--either on your regrade or on your retake!</p>