Totally screwed...

Test Preparation
1

<p>Really disappointing and embarrasing to sumbit my scores here....but i need some advice....</p>

<p>1st time:</p>

<p>Critical Reading 420<br>
Math 320<br>
Writing 350 </p>

<p>2nd time:</p>

<p>Critical Reading 520<br>
Math 420<br>
Writing 390</p>

<p>the first time i had my SAT exam....i wasnt rlly prepared as i had alot of family problems...including my dad suffered from a heartattack......second time though....i studied....but i guess not enough.....and i dont know if i shud retake the test the third time.....or just start preparing for SAT subject tests....i feel like crying and banging my head on the wall right now =(</p>

2

<p>I suggest that you either jump on the SAT prep bandwagon and start studying now or possibly look into the ACT. Most colleges weigh the tests equally and I personally find the ACT a lot easier.</p>

3

<p>rlly? i never tried the ACT before....i'm done with school and i planned to take a gap year....possibly improve my scores....do some careful planning.....tell me more about the ACT test....i might have some hope =)</p>

4

<p>Firstly, a word of advice: relax! SAT is just a test, and as I'm sure you've done throughout your academic career, you can study. </p>

<p>Your low scores indicate severe deficiency in writing and math, and only "mild" deficiency in reading. Luckily math and writing are the easiest to improve, so let's focus on bringing those scores up before we touch CR. </p>

<p>Buy the following books: </p>

<p>Princeton Review Cracking the SAT
Barron's How to Prepare for the SAT
The Official SAT Study Guide</p>

<p>Go through them in that order. Do every problem that shows up within the body of the text and learn all of the material and strategies. Then, and I stress this, you MUST do the practice tests. PR has 3 tests, so do them all under timed conditions and keep track of the questions you get wrong. When you do get some wrong, find out why they're wrong. PR has explanations, so it is imperative that you read them all and TRULY understand them. </p>

<p>After that, you should see some improvement. But, you'll want to go through Barron's -- it's a lot harder and much more comprehensive. Work straight through it, do every problem that shows up, read every explanation. Do all the tests, and follow the same procedure. Look up what you didn't know (words, math concepts, grammar rules, etc.)</p>

<p>Finally, to gauge your ability on the real thing, do all of the tests in the college board blue book. </p>

<p>This is a tough schedule that requires diligence, patience, and hard work. It's not going to be "easy" and you can't expect to just look at a few pages of a prep book and score highly. People have a misconception that "studying" for the SAT is like studying for a school test. That's wrong. SAT is a performance skill, thus the only way to get tangible improvements is to practice. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>thnx for ur advice ashraf....i will certainly buy the books u told me to....so u think i can still improve in the SAT exam....and try for a third time...? And how much time do i devote for this? i'm planning to retake it in oct.</p>

6

<p>Of course you can improve -- you just need to improve your skills at reading, writing, and math :) </p>

<p>Well, you should devote as much time as you need in order to go through every book/test.</p>

7

<p>ya...lol....JUST my writing, math, and reading skills =P </p>

<p>btw....i wanted to take AP subjects....but my school here in the UAE does not offer them....infact no school or college here does.....so what do i do? =/</p>

8

<p>Good news is that you improved by 240 points! That's awesome!</p>

<p>Devote a good amount of time on the practice books that you'll be getting and make sure you read the tips and advice and testing strategies and put them to good use.</p>

<p>Don't forget to relax and not sweat it all that much. It IS just a test and (speaking as someone who didn't do particularly well on my SATs [or any test for that matter] either), there is more to you than just this test, as both a scholar and a person.</p>

9

<p>Oh yea... And try the ACT. I got a score that was the equivalent of 200+ points above my actual SAT score. It couldn't hurt to try.</p>

10

<p>thnx lily.....that made me feel i still have hope =)</p>

11

<p>Hollow, I can't give advice, but I'd follow what Ashraf has posted. And you can constantly remind yourself that your score jumped 240 points in your second attempt. That's wonderful, and there is no reason that you can't realize another huge jump with preparation. Good luck to you.</p>

12

<p>yup stickershock....i gotta work my butt off these 2 months which can actually change my life drastically and for the better! its gonna be hard but i have all the luck to support moi! thnx =D</p>

13

<p>I recommend taking the ACT. Your CR the second time around is respectable, tho. Don't bang your head on anything.</p>

14

<p>Take the ACT, you might do better on the ACT...</p>

15

<p>well to figure out whether your scores are high enough, or perhaps how much you need to improve, it would help to know what schools you are looking at for next year.</p>