The SAT: a simple phrase that tends to scare just about every student who sees it. Some view it as a one way ticket into college and others see it as a test they just can’t wait to get over with. Regardless of how you think of the SAT, it is important to understand one basic principle that will help you receive the score you have always dreamed of. In simple terms, the SAT simply measures how well you can master the SAT! So next time you get a few questions wrong, you can realize it is not because you are bad at reading and math, it is most likely because you are just getting accustomed to the test’s format.
The Reading Portion
The reading portion has always been one to give me some trouble. Over the past few months, I have been working hard to achieve my desired score. Throughout the process, I began to learn easy SAT tricks which ultimately helped me boost my score. Since they were so helpful to me, I wanted to be able to share them with anyone in need!
One of the first tips I learned was to annotate each passage based on the line numbers or quotes from the questions. I do this before starting each passage and it definitely helps me read proactively.
When you are looking at your answer choices, try to avoid the choices that include extreme words. Examples would be (never, always, extremely)
If there are graph questions, make sure to stay in the scope of the graph. If any part of the answer choice includes something that is not in the graph, it is most likely wrong!
Identify flaws in each choice and ask yourself “is this supported by the passage”? If there is no evidence anywhere in the passage, it's wrong!
The Writing Portion
The writing section can be meticulous so it is very important to review basic grammar! Some topics I recommend studying are:
Non-essential commas
Idioms
Subject-verb agreement
The use of colons, parentheses, semicolons and dashes
An important tip i’ve learned is that the SAT looks for answer choices that get ideas across in the simplest terms or the fewest words
The Math Portion
Finally, we reach the final portion of the test. At this point, most people are just ready to move past the test and trust me, I know exactly how that feels. Even though you are three-fourths of the way there, you still need to give it your full focus! You start off with a 25 minute non-calculator section and a 55 minute calculator section. Over the past few months of studying, here are some topics I think are extremely important for you to master the SAT!
Basic algebraic problems like inequalities, system of equalities, lines and etc.
Exponents! The SAT loves these so make sure you memorize your exponent rules.
Polynomials and quadratics and their graphs
Circles and triangles!!! These problems usually show up in the open ended portion of the test
Mean, median, mode and range! You’d be surprised how much they include this.
Manage your time wisely! Try not to spend more than two minutes on a multiple choice question because you will definitely need that time for the open ended questions instead. I suggest you leave multiple choice blank, finish the open ended and go back to the multiple choice when you are done.
These are just a few tips and topics that I highly recommend you study! It is a difficult test so remember not to get discouraged so easily! You are able to take it more than once, and with time, you will learn the ins and outs of the SAT. I hope you all can benefit from my advice and reach all your personal goals! To anyone taking the test in upcoming months, I wish you the best luck!
- By Urja Patel
Comments