Getting Ready for the SAT UNF SOAR Cohort 8 Spring 2007

SAT Reasoning Test This is a standardized test, so colleges can rank you against other students who take the test. Measures YOUR critical thinking skills to help predict how well you will do in college. The test measures your Math, Critical Reading and Writing skills

Scoring The MAXIMUM score on the SAT Reasoning test is 2400 (it used to be 1600) You can score up to 800 for each of the three subtests.

Test Taking Strategies Read and think carefully Keep track of time during the test, work at a steady even pace, but KEEP MOVING Answer the easy questions first Don’t panic if you can’t answer every question, skip questions you can’t answer without spending a lot of time on Mark each question you don’t answer so that you can easily go back to it later

Test Taking Strategies Use your test book for scratch work and mark questions to go back to Check your answer sheet regularly to make sure you are in the right place Keep in mind that most questions in a section will range from easy to hard, except for passage-based reading questions and improving paragraphs Read ALL the answers to a critical reading or writing question before choosing your answer Make drawings to help you figure out math word problems

Test Day Eat a good breakfast Bring a picture ID Bring your SAT Admissions Ticket Bring two #2 pencils Bring an appropriate calculator Be on time NO CELL PHONES

How long is the test ? One 25 minute Essay (1 st section) Six 25 minutes sections Two 20 minute sections One 10 minute multiple choice writing section (comes last) 3 hours and 45 minutes

Scoring GET 1 point for every correct answer Don’t earn or lose points for questions you omit LOSE ¼ point for each wrong answer on a multiple choice question NO POINT DEDUCTION if you miss a math grid-in question

What should you do?? Activity 1

Guessing Make an educated guess when you can eliminate at least one choice. The more incorrect choices you can eliminate, the better your chance of making an educated guess and getting it right. Cross out the answers you know are wrong so you can clearly see which choices remain.

Pacing Keep moving Questions are ordered by difficulty level (except Critical Reading) Spend time on the questions that you have the best chance of getting right Keep track of time, set up a schedule Know which questions are best for you All questions are worth the same Go back and try the questions that you skipped Check your answers

Critical Reading fill in the blank – 2 strategies Try coming up with your own answers before you read the test answers Look for Key Words such as introductory and transitional words that will help you figure out if you are looking for words that are: –similar –opposites –cause and effect

Directions: Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicates that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or sets of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. Hoping to the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be to both labor and management. What words would fit in the blanks?

Hoping to the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be to both labor and management. (A) enforce… useful (B) end… divisive (C) overcome… unattractive (D) extend… satisfactory (E) resolve… acceptable

Directions: Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicates that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or sets of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole Although a few contemporaries the book, most either ignored or mocked it. HINT: Look at Although and most. They are Key Words that can help get the right answer.

Although a few contemporaries the book, most either ignored or mocked it. (A) degraded (B) disregarded (C) ridiculed (D) slighted (E) appreciated

Using Key Words to Fill in the Blanks Activity 2 Work with a partner to identify Key Words and to fill in the blanks with words that you think make sense.

1.If your garden plot is small, it will not pay to grow crops that require a large amount of in order to develop. (A)sun (B)rain (C)fertilizer (D)space (E) care 2. At a recent press conference, the usually reserved biochemist was unexpectedly in addressing the ethical questions posed by her work. (A)correct (B)forthright (C)inarticulate (D)retentive (E)cautious

3. Despite her---- nature, DeMott was capable of tactful negotiation and even won praise for her efforts toward ---- when a local squabble developed. (A)diplomatic….amity (B)congenial…concord (C)altruistic…dissension (D)rebellious…insurrection (E)tempestuous…reconciliation Hint: look at the second blank first! 4. Many famous scientific inventions have been -----, the by-products of research whose goals were quite unrelated. (A)fortuitous (B)neglected (C)inoperable (D)lucrative (E)unfeasible

5. The excitement does not but his senses, giving him a keener perception of a thousand details. (A)slow….diverts (B)blur….sharpen (C)overrule….constricts (D)heighten….aggravates (E)forewarn….quickens Hint: “but’ indicates the answers will be opposites 6. In many Latin American countries, work performed by women is often conducted outside the commercial sector and is, therefore, unfortunately by economists compiling national statistics. (A)monopolized (B)approved (C)overlooked (D)subdued (E)analyzed

Passages The passages are about words long. Some selections are from single sources and others are pairs of related passages on a related issue or theme. Subjects cover humanities, social studies, science, and fiction. Passages may be narrative, persuasive, and/or expository.

Approaches to Reading the Passages Mark the passages to make short notes Use your knowledge and experience carefully Read actively If you are having a hard time reading the passage, READ THE QUESTIONS FIRST.

Answering the Questions Remember…..the answers are IN the passage Read the questions and answers CAREFULLY Try eliminating choices before selecting an answer Don’t jump from passage to passage

Writing – 2 Parts Essay You will have 25 minutes to write a First DRAFT of an essay. It’s the first test! Multiple-choice Questions Identify sentence errors Improve sentences Improve paragraphs 10 minutes- it’s the last test!

Sample Question Directions: The following sentences test your ability to recognize grammar and usage errors. Each sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. No sentence contains more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlines part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct. Select choice E. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English. The other delegates and him immediately accepted the resolution A B C drafted by the neutral states. No error. DE

Remember… Read each sentence quickly but carefully. Examine the underlined choices (A) to (D). Consider which kind of correction may be needed for each one. Look for the most common mistake people make in grammar: subject/verb agreement, pronoun agreement, and adjective/verb confusion. Remember that some sentences have no errors. Move quickly through the questions. Mark questions that you have skipped in your test booklet.

How can you improve these sentences? Here is a a better way- “I read in our daily newspaper that the air quality index reached unhealthy levels.” “I read that the air quality index reached unhealthy levels in our daily newspaper.”

“ When looking for bargains, the small shops off the main street usually offer good sales prices” Here is a better way….. “The small shops off the main street usually offer good sales prices to shoppers looking for bargains.”

Pop Quiz Name a test taking strategy for the SAT…..

Math 44 multiple choice questions 10 grid ins Numbers, Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data Analysis, Statistics, Probability

Hints Know the directions ahead of time Don’t spend too much time on any question Work out the problems in your test booklet Try and eliminate answers. Cross them out in your test booklet. Don’t guess unless you can eliminate at least one answer.

Math Reference Information Check your PSAT book for the reference information they will GIVE you, such as formulas and the number of degrees in a circle. Usually figures are drawn to scale. Pay close attention when it says “Not drawn to scale”.

Calculator Use Bring a calculator you are familiar with The problems can all be solved without a calculator, but using one can save time. Using a calculator can help avoid answering a wrong problem because of a calculation error.

Math Quick Test Activity 3 Pair up with a partner and see how many you can answer correctly. 5 minutes

Math Multiple Choice What is the question asking? What do I know? Work the problems in your test book. Substitute numbers when they give you variables (letters) in a problem. Try substituting in the answer choices (working it backwards).

Student Produced Response Remember that only the answers that are entered on the grid will be scored. (If you don’t bubble you don’t get credit!) Some questions have more than one correct answer, you can grid any of them and get full credit Mixed numbers like 3 ½ have to be gridded as 3.5 OR 7/2. You can start your answers from the left or the right _201 OR 201_

Evaluation time !