<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore and recently took this Princeton Review practice test given under testing circumstances. I got the results back and got a 1350 :(
I am really really really scared and don't know where to start. How will I improve? I know its next year, but still how do I improve. I really want to aim for a 2000+. What books do you recommend to start? What should I do to improve?</p>
<p>I would buckle down this summer and do some serious studying. First off for math go purchase Grubers Math Workbook, go through this whole book learning and relearning every math concept and make sure you understand them thoroughly. If you do this right and truly understand you should be able to attain a 700 in Math.</p>
<p>For English I’ve been improving by practicing and going over grammar rules on spark notes. Go buy the Official SAT book by college board (Blue Book) which has 10 real SAT tests. This is known to be the easiest section to improve on for the SAT, once you get comfortable with the common grammar mistakes you will see a pattern and will become comfortable answering them.</p>
<p>Critical Reading is well known to be the toughest section. For this vocab can be tough but context clues can get most people 70-80% of the vocab right. If you want to be comfortable answering vocabulary questions you should purchase Direct Hits Volumes I and II.</p>
<p>I started out with a 135 PSAT Sophomore year, 150 PSAT Junior year and I am now scoring in the 1800’s SAT for this Junior year. I plan to study hard during summer to attain a 2100 for my October SAT. Pretend this is a test and you have to cram for it everyday until the day of the test, that’s been working for me.</p>
<p>The way you wrote it you got a 1350 with all three scores? so about 450 on each part?
You should put your scores for each section up. CR and Math are the two most important; most east coast colleges don’t even look at writing.</p>
<p>First, your book score isn’t your real score. Each part can go up or down 30 or so points because the SAT is based on everyone’s scores to get a bell curve, not just how many you got right or wrong.</p>
<p>Now, get an SAT prep book, one that explains how to do everything and has at least 4 practice tests. Review your math definately; that’s the one thing you can really study for. Critical reading is more difficult but still look over the tips (if your score is that low you’ll need to use them). If you can, start reading a lot so you will learn to read faster so you can answer more CR questions.
Look over sentence mechanics section next. How a ; is used and comma splices are in a lot of the sentence questions.
When you’re done take all of the practice tests, then review the questions you got wrong (there should be explinations in the back of the book).</p>
<p>If I’m all wrong and you really got a 1350 on two parts then that’s good. You don’t need to panic because it’s a fine score that will get you into most private colleges except ivy league. You know the concepts you just need to apply them, so just review.</p>
<p>Finally, retake the SAT at least once. With little studying my score went up 150/170 points (M+CR/M+CR+E) the second time I took it in my senior year. I was happy with my score so I didn’t take it again.</p>
<p>If your SAT is still really bad then think about the ACT if the college you want to go to accepts that. It has a very easy graph-based science part, and most people score higher on the ACT then the SAT.</p>
<p>no overall i got a 1350/2400
i took the ACT too i got a 18 on that 
because i just hate science
i don’t know anymore</p>
<p>Don’t give up hope. You are still a sophomore, and it is good that you took the tests early to see where your weaknesses are. You should invest in a SAT tutoring program or do some self studying to start improving. You can do it :D.</p>
<p>Don’t give up hope at all! You’re a sophomore and you’ve got plenty of time to practice. Have you tried the Official College Board SAT book? I found it to be much easier to understand as well as much more accurate in terms of the SAT’s content; the Princeton tests were a lot harder. If you can’t afford an SAT tutor or class (which was my deal as well), then I would definitely also suggest studying vocab.</p>
<p>Abd also, this may seem obvious, but make sure you’re reading a lot! Challenging yourself and reading a lot on your own will improve both your reading and your writing scores; if you’re not a reader already, this could actually help dramatically, because it will give you a better command of language, grammar, and sentence structure, not to mention probably better vocabulary.</p>
<p>Don’t panic - you’ve got plenty of time! you can do it. :)</p>
<p>You know what a good incentive for studying is? Determination. I got a very unexpected low PSAT score and that just made me study more. Being sad about it is one thing, but actually having the determination to make that 1350 into a 2350 is another. Use it to your advantage… you are obviously affected by a low score… why not shoot for a higher? Best of luck. Ask us for preparation advice</p>
<p>completely agreed with RAlec, i went from 1430 to almost a 2100 with lots of studying, but having the determination to proceed is the hard part. You gotta be committed to studying.</p>
<p>Thank you all for encouraging me and suggesting some great books.</p>
<p>The way I improved from a 1270 (my first practice test I took…fail I know) to a 2220 (actual SAT) was just practice and practice a LOT of practice tests (I think I took like fifty [exaggeration, but it felt like it]…different books - PR, Blue Book, Kaplan, etc. - and some online).</p>
<p>WOW thats amazing! Now atleast I know I can break the 2000+ barrier</p>
<p>I recommend not taking a prep class, it’s a waste of money (just my opinion). Stick to books and, like others have said, review your fundamentals. Even the most difficult SAT math problems can be solved without a calculator, but only if you know how to tackle them. Go to your local bookstore and see if they have a copy of the Official SAT Study Guide from CollegeBoard; it’s the only prep book that puts out the legitimate exams (from previous years, of course).</p>
<p>I have a question regarding SAT practice books and specifically Gruber’s math workbook. On Amazon I found the 2010 edition of Gruber’s, and I was wondering if there is any difference in the book from year to year. Also, if there is, will there be a new book that comes out for next school year, even though it will still be 2010?</p>
<p>Try the ACT some people who do really badly on the SAT kill the ACT do a diagnostic</p>
<p>I suck at ACT too
I took both of them. I got a 20 on it :(</p>
<p>So basically I’m ■■■■■■■■…</p>
<p>Your not ■■■■■■■■, don’t let these standardized tests get into your head too much.</p>
<p>Summers here guys, I have Gruber’s Complete SAt Guide 2010
Blue Book
Barrons CR Workbook</p>
<p>I need a study plan for the summer, can i break the 2000+ line with my 1350?</p>
<p>let me make you feel better got milk…i got a 1210 and i am rising senior…and i am getting ready to work a$$ off this summer to alteast get more then +1700…sometimes i think its impossible…but CC posts inspire me…sometimes i think the sat is not someting your can study 4 but i m wrong…nothing comes easy in life…!!!i have slacked all my life and now i have decent grades and in borderline of decent colleges…so its time for me to prove me wrong…and work MY A$$ offf…YES WE CAN lol</p>
<p>“Your[e] not ■■■■■■■■, don’t let these standardized tests get into your head too much.”</p>
<p>A succinct yet ridiculously true statement. As everyone said, you have quite a bit of time to work and get your scores up, and it’s quite clear that you have the drive and motivation to do so (which will take you much farther in life than this test… honestly)! </p>
<p>You have a starting point (1350), you have a concrete goal (2000+) and you have the time and the tools (or will have the tools :)) to meet that goal. The trick with the SAT is to understand how the test works; to get into the collegeboard’s mind. Use online resources, the SAT section of this site which has a lot of helpful users, do the SAT question of the day, and take practice tests until your hand falls off!</p>
<p>When I first started prepping I took as long as I needed on each section (but still timed myself to see how long the sections were taking me) and then as time went on I lowered the time until i was at the section’s actual time. Additionally, once I had a section in the bag (namely writing… which is of course the section of most little consequence, haha) I just focused on Math and Critical Writing. I would literally cut up tests and just do section after section in M and CR. I bought every book with a practice test that I could find, got a free practice test from the college counseling office, signed up online on CB to get those tests… and yeah.</p>
<p>My PSAT (in JUNIOR year) was: CR640, M610, W570 (1250/1820 composite) (…Yikes). By the beginning of my senior year my scores were: CR720 M720 W780 (1440/2220). That’s a 190/400 point increase. Keep in mind, that in addition to practicing, you’re growing, advancing and developing – we’re teenagers… we’re meant to be inconsistent! So don’t be afraid to take a break every now and let your mind do its thing.</p>
<p>You know, not everyone is cut out for college. You could have a completely fulfilling career in the trades, or the food service industry.</p>