2.  Be as simple as possible with your answers. Eliminate down to two possible--choose the simplest.  2. Read all of the passage  3. Avoid clichés. If cliché is in the sentence, change it-if in the answer, don't choose it.  4. Don't be redundant  5. Memorize the singular, plural, and both indefinite pronouns. Singular: each, either, neither, and any word with thing, one, or body.  6. Always split contractions--it's, you're, they're. Read it as: it is, you are, they are.  7. Who=He Whom=Him.  8. Don't be afraid of putting: no change.  9. Keep the tense the same: present, past, etc.

3.  1. Separate closely related main clauses NOT joined by a conjunction--and, but, or, nor, so, and yet.  Ex: Some coins are very rare; they are desired by collectors.  Also, use with conjunctive adverbs--however, therefore, consequently, moreover, and indeed.  Ex: I got some groceries; therefore, I took money with me.

4.  Use to separate main clauses with conjunctions.  Ex: We went to the store, and we spent our money.  Set off words, phrases, and clauses that are not needed.  Ex: Robert Frost, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is famous for poetry.  After an introductory phrase, clause, or adverb.  Ex: To be able to compete, one must know English.  To set off things in a series. Use Oxford rule—no comma after last thing in the series.  Ex: I am taking biology, English and history.  To separate adjectives  Ex: The old, dark blue shirt is ugly.

5.  Mark abrupt shifts in sentence structure or thought.  Ex: The father screamed at his son--his presence of mind gone--to stop talking back.  Sets of a series or list. May have the following: or as follows:  Ex: Anything can happen: a fight, a touchdown, or a loss.  Sets off a summary sentence that restates the meaning.  Ex: His explanation was believable: He had his car towed away with his homework in it.

6.  Dangling Modifiers:  Ex: Walking down the street, the wind blew me over. (Was the wind walking down the street?)  Misplaced Modifiers:  Ex: The teacher returned the essays to the students marked with her comments. (Were the students marked with comments?)  Parallel Structure: keep two or more similar ideas the same.  Ex: The teacher said I should write more and talk less.  Apostrophes: show possession or for contractions  Ex: Jill's skirt or the kids' trophies

7.  When reading, think of general questions, like "what is the author's main point? What is the narrator's attitude Tone? The passage as a whole suggests...  There are four passages with 10 questions.  The questions get harder as you go in each passage.  To be a good reader, you should READ EVERY DAY!

8.  Method 1: Preview the questions, briskly read the passage, answer the questions referring back to the passage  Method 2: Read the questions thoroughly; find the answers in the passage.  Method 3: Read the passage thoroughly; find the answers, quickly answer the questions.

9.  The test consists of 60 questions, and you will have 60 minutes to complete it.  It covers Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry.

10.  1. If a problem is getting extremely long and difficult, you are approaching it the wrong way. You should stop working and decide whether to approach the problem another way or simply guess and go on to the next problem.  2. On trial and error problems, start with the middle choice if the choices are in order from least to greatest or greatest to least, and start with the last choice and work to the first choice if the choices are random.  3. The problems get harder as you take the test. You may want to start with problem 60 and work back to problem

11.  Stay focused! Don't waste time on long, confusing words.  Don't reread the material several times. You must decide what is critical and non-critical.  Don't look for the right answer-- eliminate the wrong ones!!

12.  The test contains seven passages. They are equal length and equal difficulty. You have 35 minutes.  At the five minutes remaining time, you should be at the seventh question. Don't start guessing yet, just keep working.  You will need a working knowledge of Geology, Genetics, Chemistry, Physical Sciences, and Biology.