Anyone doing SAT?

[martee100]

Hey guys,

SAT ( Scholastic Aptitude Test ) is a test compromising of English and Maths. Most universities in the world require it, especially it is used for applying to the US. It is out of a score of 2400.

Currently I am preparing for it and I am getting a really bad score  so I thought if someone else is also giving so we can share solutions and get tips. 

[Bob]

Hello! It's great to see someone young and ready to take on the world. I'm going to assume you are not a senior, so you still have plenty of time to prepare.

The SAT has an English writing section, a critical reading section, and a math section. I love math very much, but since this is a language forum, let us focus on writing and critical reading.

The essay portion is very important because it is a large part of the English writing score. I believe that usually, the topic relates current events. Anyways, there is a limit to the amount of time so you should carefully plan ahead so that you don't get lost while writing the essay.

Primarily, create a thesis. This should be a strong sentence that summarizes your essay into an argument and focus. It should voice a side and be persuasive. The rest of the introduction doesn't have to be that long because time is constrained.

About two body paragraphs would be acceptable. These two should follow a strong ontology such as chronological, cause and effect, problem and solution, or just two examples that demonstrate and prove your thesis. The conclusion summarizes these and restates your thesis.

Critical reading is all about vocabulary. Memorize as much vocabulary as you can from flashcards or textbooks.

[ddrmario123]

Just a general test taking tip but look over the question and if you can't answer it IMMEDIATELY skip to the next one. The SAT gives barely enough time to finish, so finish the ones that you can answer first and go back later IF you have the time.

[devilishomar]

I'm planning on giving SAT's next year just to test my knowledge. However, if you are getting bad scores, don't panic! The great thing about SAT's is you can give them multiple times and only the best score matters. Some mathematic questions can be tricky, but if you prepare by immersing yourself in problem-solving situtations (for example, programming, or even mental maths) you can rid yourself of this problem in no time! (so I guess you 'solve the problem')

[Cookiesandcream]

Hey there, I took the SATs a year ago and the first time I took it I got about 1500/2400. I was pretty disappointed because it was below average. The main thing i've learnt about these aptitude tests is that there is no short cut so you just have to keep practicing no matter what. I worked on it for about 1.5 hours a day and I found it relatively easier during my senior year. Although the questions won't be the same, there were a lot of similar questions so that made it easier. Another tip I would give to you would be learning how to eliminate the answers and slowly work your way to the answers. Always go with your instinct too because that's usually correct. I got about 1980 at the end. But it still wasn't good enough for the colleges I wanted to go to and ended up applying to SAT optional colleges. You might want to check that out as well because there are a lot of colleges that don't necessarily require the SAT.

[jgar06]

I just did my SAT in November. My score wasn't to bad either, I received a 1730. My suggestion would be to skip the questions you don't get and try to answer them if you have time at the end. Try not to feel rushed during the test and keep your mind focused. Also eat breakfast before and bring a snack and water during the test, you'll need it.

[yossup]

To everyone taking the sat in the future, keep in mind that the test is undergoing significant revisions. There will be much less emphasis on archaic vocabulary so if you're worried about ancient vocabulary showing up, don't worry about it too much. Gone are the days where you'll have to memorize random lists of words that nobody really uses anymore.

[Miya]

My advice for SAT-takers is... don't overthink the questions! Go with your first instinct because they're usually right.

And also, do not guess unless you can eliminate at least half of the choices. I know prep books and prep classes say "If you can eliminate at least one of the choices, then you should take the risk and guess." I don't really know why they say this, but I don't agree with it. The chances of getting the answer wrong is still pretty high even when you can eliminate one answer. Not to mention, there is also the chance that you eliminated the right answer from the start right? In that case, you are left with 3 wrong answers that no matter what you choose will result in a markdown. So in my experience, if you can eliminate 2/4, then it's worth a guess. Otherwise, just skip it. A zero is better than a negative.

[dorannmwin]

Honestly, it's been years since I took the SATs and when I did it was only out of a possible 1600.

That said, one of the things that I found that helped me improve my English portion of the test was the study of words. There were a lot of "hot" words that I never knew before so getting a list of those and studying those helped me a whole lot.

Another tip is to not spend too much time thinking about a question. If you can't figure out the answer pretty quickly, skip over it and come back to it later. It is better to have skipped a few questions throughout the test than to have a whole section that you weren't able to get to.