TAKING THE SAT?

The next SAT test is March 12. Are you preparing for it? It’s time to get started if you haven’t already.

Purchase a study manual: one that contains REAL SATs from the publishers themselves. Do NOT rely on another publisher to create an SAT-like test. Use the real McCoy so observations that you make during study will have direct application to the actual test.

1. Take a test and score it so you know where the points come from.
2. Observe the format (which is parallel to the PSAT that Juniors took in October, but is very different from the ACT that Juniors will take in April).
3. Check your pacing.
4. Determine your strategy for omissions.

Here’s an SAT tip for the Reading section. Notice where in the text you find answers to each question. Notice anything? If not, underline the statements within the text that support the correct answer. Number this highlighting with the question number. Notice it now?

As a general rule, the questions are asked in the order the answers appear in the passage. Read the first question, then read the text until you come to the answer. In most cases, you can go on to the next question and continue reading until you come to that answer. If you get to the answer for a subsequent question, you know you’ve missed the important clues. Line references help here, but in some cases you may need to know what the next question is also.

With this strategy, you are reading the entire passage while collecting points. No wasted time and a direct link to where discrete answers can be found.

Be prepared for the essays to be bone dry. Just resolve to find correct answers and don’t worry about the lack of interesting topics.

Remember to “study smarter, not just harder.”