GENERAL TACTICS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL ON THE SAT

Get a baseline score by: Taking a practice test under ‘simulated’ conditions. Spend 3 hours 45 minutes. Time yourself on every section. Take no more than a 2 minute break between sections. After section 3, take a 10 minute break. After section 7, take another 10 minute break. Find your raw score and convert it to the scaled score. 1: Set Your Goal

2: Know How Many Questions to Answer - Math RawScaleRawScaleRawScaleRawScale

2: Know How Many Questions to Answer – Critical Reading RawScaleRawScaleRawScaleRawScale

Never get bogged down on any one question Never rush Here’s a guideline for a Math section: 20-Questions (you have 25 minutes) Questions 1-5: 1 minute each Questions 6-10:2 minutes each Questions 11-14:2.5 minutes each Questions 15-20:Don’t even read them! 3: Pace Yourself

4: Know how to guess, and when.

Bring a watch and set it on your desk. Make sure it will not make a beeping sound. 5: Keep careful track of your time.

6: Don’t read the directions or look at the sample questions.

7: Each question, easy or hard, is worth just 1 point!

8: Answer the easy questions first; then tackle the hard ones.

On the easy questions your first hunch is probably right. On the difficult questions be wary of an answer that strikes you immediately.. You may have fallen into a trap. 9: Be aware of the difficulty level of each question.

You can temporarily skip a question that’s taking you too long and come back to it if you have time. Just make sure to mark your answers in the correct spot on your answer sheet. 10: Feel free to skip back and forth between questions within a section or group.

As we review sample problems from this class, make special note of which types of problems you are comfortable with. When you see similar problems on the actual SAT test, be sure to answer those first to gain points. 11: Remember which sorts of questions you do well on and aim for them.

These questions are more subjective than the math questions. Remember, you are looking for the BEST choice. Even in A or B looks good, check out the others because C, D, or E, may look better. 12: In the reading and writing sections, read each choice BEFORE choosing your answer.

This is a time-saving tip. * When you get to the last two or three minutes of the section, be sure to fill in the answers as you go. 13: Fill in the answers on your answer sheet in BLOCKS.

In math, check units and specific vocab words. In reading, beware of questions that ask for “the LEAST likely” or “all of the following EXCEPT”. 14: Make sure you answer the question being asked.

Use only the material in the reading passage to answer the questions. Use only the data or graph given about a topic, never make your own interpretation. 15: Base your answers only on the information given – never on what you think you already know..

Circle questions you skip and put big question marks on problems you want to come back to. Circle or underline key words such as although, therefore, and not. Mark up diagrams and cross off answers you can eliminate. Use the space to work through the problem. 16: Remember that you are allowed to write anything you want in your TEST booklet.

The answer sheet is scored by a computer. If the computer registers two answers where there should only be one, it will mark that question wrong. 17: Be careful not to make any stray pencil marks on your answer sheet.

Don’t doubt yourself if you finish a section and it looks like you’ve answered almost all B’s. Random patterns do exist so don’t second guess yourself because of this. If you realize that you made a mistake, by all means go back and correct it. 18: Don’t change answers capriciously.

Many students waste time using their calculators on problems that do not require them. Don’t overuse it. Remember that all problems should be ‘solvable’ without a calculator. 19: Use your calculator only when you need to.

Remember to use order of operations and parentheses on your calculator. Type everything in accurately. 20: When you use your calculator, don’t go too quickly.

We already discussed the benefits to omitting problems – it is possible to omit more than half of the problems and score above the 50 th percentile. More importantly, earn points on problems you are sure about. 21: Remember that you don’t have to answer every question to do well.