SAT Prep

1. SAT Prep Information take from The Princeton Review’s Cracking the SAT 2012 Edition

2. OVERVIEW • Not a test of aptitude • Does not indicate how good of a person you are • Is not a measure of how successful you will be in life • Simply tells how well you take the SAT

3. OVERVIEW • Sat runs 3 hours and 45 minutes and is divided into 10 sections • One 25-min essay section (present viewpoint) • Two 25-min math sections (MC/grid-ins) • Two 25-min critical reading sections (SC/RC) • One 25-min writing section (error ID/Improving sentences and paragraphs) • One 20-min math section (only MC) • One 20-min critical reading (SC/RC) • One 10-min writing (only improving sentences) • One 25-min Experimental section (math, writing, or critical reading)

4. Remember Two Things • It doesn’t measure the stuff that really matters, intelligence nor what you are learning in school • Doesn’t predict grades • Schools are hesitant to use the essay • It under predicts the college performance of women, minorities, and disadvantaged students. • Historically, women have done better in college than men, but worse on the SAT

5. The Basics • For every correct answer = 1 raw point • For every incorrect answer = -1/4 • For every blank = 0 • Raw score is a combined score for each section (math, critical reading, and writing) • Each of your three raw scores is scaled to a 200 – 800 score for each subject

6. Multiple Choice Questions • What is the capital of Azerbaijan? • The capital of Azerbaijan is • Washington, D. C. • Paris • Tokyo • London • Baku

7. Look for the Wrong Answers • Wrong answers are easier to find • Put a check mark next to an answer you like • Put a squiggle next to one you kind of like • Put question mark next to one you don’t understand • Cross out the ones you KNOW are wrong • POE - Process of Elimination

8. POE • The capital of Qatar is • Paris • Dukhan • Tokyo • Doha • London • Can eliminate 3 of 5 choices • Should you skip this question and go on? Or should you guess?

9. The Big Bad Guessing Penalty • Correct answer = 1 raw pt. • Blank answer = 0 raw pts. • Incorrect answer = minus ¼ raw pts. • 1 correct answer – 1 incorrect answer = ¾ of a raw point • If you select 1 correct answer and 4 incorrect answers? You end up where you started, with nothing. Which is the same thing as leaving all five questions blank. If you can eliminate 1 wrong answer, random odds say that in four questions, you may get one write. So, that is in your favor.

10. The Big Bad Guessing Penalty • The sun is a • Main-sequence star • Meteor • Asteroid • White dwarf star • Planet • If you paid attention at all in school, you know that the sun is a star, so you can eliminate 3 wrong answers. 50/50 is good odds on the SAT. Guess! • By the way, the answer is A.

11. Your Test Booklet • Write in your test booklet • Proctor will tell you this • The only scratch paper you are allowed • Will be thrown away when you’ve finished with it • Geometry questions • Diagram? – draw on it • No diagram – draw one • Sentence completion • Write down your attempts with your own words • POE (Process of Elimination) physically cross out and symbol answers • When you answer a question but don’t feel entirely certain, circle the question or put a big question mark beside it.

12. Transfer Answers • Mark you answers in the test booklet first • Sentence completions – transfer answers at the end of a group of questions; put a circle or a question mark beside those you can’t figure out • All other questions (except grid-ins) – mark the answers then transfer them one page at a time • Grid-ins – you will have to grid each answer as you find it; these are 10 non-multiple choice math questions

13. Order of Difficulty • In some sections, the questions get harder toward the end • Sentence Completion • Math Questions • Error ID’s • Improving Sentences • Question types with no order of difficulty • Long and Short Reading • Improving Paragraphs • Essay • Order of difficulty is generally divided into thirds

14. Pace Yourself • Some difficult questions on the difficult third you shouldn’t even bother to answer. You’ll waste too much time. • Most test takers improve their score by attempting fewer questions and devoting time to questions you have a better chance of answering correctly. • Slow down, Score more • Answer the easy questions first; save the hard ones for last.

15. Pick an Answer that Feels Good? • Timed test • Tremendous anxiety • Many rely on sense of what “feels right” • ETS hopes that you do this • Easy MC: you can trust your gut • On medium – difficult: your gut instinct may not work

16. Joe Bloggs • Is an average student • Isn’t brilliant • Isn’t dumb • Joe Bloggs is ETSs dream student • He always does what ETS expects and gets an average score

17. Joe Bloggs • Graham walked to school at an average speed of 3 miles an hour and jogged back along the same route at 5 miles an hour. If his total traveling time was 1 hour, what was the total number of miles in the round trip? • 3 • 3 1/8 • 3 ¾ • 4 • 5 • Joe Bloggs picks “d” because he thinks all he has to do is average the two speeds.

18. Joe Bloggs • ETS’s Favorite Wrong Answers • In the last question D was included to lure Joe into a trap. But other tempting choices are A and E. They are numbers included in the question itself. When ETS selects wrong answers to hard questions, it looks for three things. • Answer using the simplest math • Answer after doing some but not all of the math • Numbers that are already in the question (A and E)

19. Joe Bloggs • Joe’s Hunches • His hunches are correct on the easy questions. • His hunches are sometimes correct and sometimes incorrect on medium questions. • His hunches are always wrong on difficult questions.

20. Use Joe Bloggs to Work for You • The Princeton Review calls this the Joe Bloggs’ Principle • Use POE to eliminate incorrect answer choices • Make up your mind when you have to guess • Avoid careless mistakes

21. Set the Right Goal Beforehand • Set an attainable goal • Taken the test before • Scored 400 on the Math • Set a goal that is 460 – 500 • Decide on a Pacing Strategy • Charts represent different pacing strategies • Answer more reading questions than the math • Slow down on the math to make sure calculations are correct • Numbers of questions you should attempt includes a few wrong answers • Don’t be afraid to guess

22. Set the Right Goal Beforehand • Pacing charts show you how many questions you should answer • Pacing chart shows to answer 14 in the 20 questions section • Concentrate your efforts on answering the easy and medium difficult questions • But find the best 14 questions for you to answer • It’s okay to skip a few instead of taking a blind guess, but use POE

23. Critical Reading Sections • Primarily test vocabulary and reading comprehension • Contain two question types: sentence completion and reading comprehension • Only sentence completion follow a definite order of difficulty • No such thing as “hard” or “easy” words, just words you know and words you don’t know

24. Critical Reading Sections • The researchers believe their experimental and observational data furnish the ______ evidence that proves their hypothesis. • trifling • experiental • intuitive • empirical • microscopic • This is a hard question. Only about 8% of test takers answer it correctly. Answers B and E are part of a trap because they are associated with science. Eliminate any choices that would be attractive to Joe Bloggs. The answer is D. Empirical means “based on observation.”

25. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Find the magic word to complete the blank(s) by finding the clue that ETS has left for you in the sentence • Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. Example: Desiring to _____ his taunting friends, Mitch gave them taffy in hopes it would keep their mouths shut. • Eliminate B. satisfy C. overcome D. ridicule E. silence The answer is E.

26. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Appear in each of the test’s Critical Reading sections • Arranged in groups of five, six and eight sentences • Will follow a rough order of difficulty • 1st third – easy • 2nd third – medium difficulty • 3rd third – most difficult

27. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Even though it is a dead language, rather than fading away, Latin is now being ______. What word did you come up with? rediscovered or restored • forgotten • excavated • mortified • revitalized • revealed

28. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Even though it is a dead language, rather than fading away, Latin is now being ______. • forgotten • excavated • mortified • revitalized • revealed • A and C are out • Language can’t be dug up. Latin hasn’t been hidden. • Revitalized is the correct response

29. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Cover up the answer choices before you begin each sentence with your hand • Read the sentence • Underline the clue, always a short , descriptive phrase that tells you what word goes in the blank • Come up with your own word or phrase to go in the blank • Use POE

30. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Searching for clues • What is the blank talking about? • What else does the sentence say about its subject? • The word you come up with doesn’t have to be an elegant word or a hard word or a perfect word • Recycle the clue by putting the clue in the blank instead of your own word • Trigger Words • single revealing word or expression • can either change the direction the sentence is going or keep it the same • Same Direction: because, and, since, in fact, colon(:), semicolon(;) • Change Direction: however, although, though, but, in contrast to, rather, despite, yet

31. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Other Triggers • Punctuation, especially colons and semicolons • Time Triggers • Identify whether you are looking for a positive or negative – for two blank sentences decide which is positive and which is negative

32. Critical Reading Sections: Sentence Completion • Two – blank Sentences • Focus on one blank at a time • Use same techniques with one – blank sentences • If you can’t come up with your own word, use the clue you found in the blank.

33. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Basic Strategy • Read the Italicized Blurb • Work the Passage • Select a Question • Read only what you need • Answer the question • POE

34. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • The Blurb • The italicized stuff above the passage • Tells you whether the passage is fiction or nonfiction • Example • The following is an excerpt from an essay published in a weekly San Francisco newspaper column. The author discusses his visit to a beached whale.

35. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Work the Passage • Nonfiction – can go right to the questions if you feel comfortable • Fiction – read the passage quickly • Don’t get stuck on details • Will have to go back to the passage anyway • Skim the passage to get a general sense of what it is about

36. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Select a Question and Read Only What You Need • Difficulty and Chronology • Questions follow the chronology of the passage • Work the questions in the order they appear • Don’t get stuck on hard questions; move on; you can always come back • Make sure you know what the question is asking • Line References and Lead Words • Most have line references, making it easier to find the information • If no line reference, you will find the information between the line references in the question before and after • Also, look for names, dates, quotes, italicized words, and easily spotted phrases • Don’t read only the line or sentence mentioned in the question. Usually, the answer will appear a couple of lines above or below the line to which you were sent • In fact, the specific line to which you are sent may contain trap answers

37. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Answer the Question • Try to answer the question in your own words before you look at the answers • Almost all the questions are going to refer to specific text in the passage • Don’t get creative • Don’t read too much into the passage • Just find what the author actually wrote

38. Critical Reading Sections:Types of Questions • Detail Questions • Remember that the answer most likely will not be in the line that is referred to in the questions • Purpose Questions • Will appear in the passage, just find the part • Suggest/Infer/Imply/Agree Questions • Will be supported by the actual text of the passage • Usually a minor point • Vocab-in-context Questions • Very similar to sentence completion questions • Use the same techniques • Tone/Attitude Questions • Relate to the author’s feeling or opinion

39. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Short Passages and Minor Questions Types • Don’t have a blurb • Option 1: skim or even read because it is short • Option 2: go right to the questions • Then follow the strategy for the other passages • Primary Purpose Questions • Ask for the author’s purpose in the passage overall • Weaken/Strengthen Questions • Ask for a statement that weakens or strengthens the author’s purpose • Figure out exactly what the author’s purpose is first, then select the answer

40. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Analogy Questions • Don’t show up very often • Answer choices contain information that is not directly related to the passage • Rather it shares some characteristics • Find the tightest fit • Except/Least/Not Questions • Find one answer that is not supported by the passage • POE still applies

41. Critical Reading Sections:Reading Comprehension • Dual Passage • Expect to see two sets of dual passages • One will be short, the other long • Do the questions about the first passage; then do the questions about the second passage; finally, do the questions about both passages • Questions for passage 1 will come before the questions for passage 2 • Questions for both passages can pop up anywhere • Use the same strategy for single passage questions

42. The Math Section

43. The Calculator • Allowed to use one • Use either a scientific or a graphing calculator • Type 3 + 4 x 6 = You should get 27. If it gives you 42, it is not a good calculator to use • Graphing calculators are not necessary • Cannot use your phone • Good for: arithmetic, decimals, fractions, square roots, percentages, and graphs (if it is a graphing calculator) • Use your paper first. Be sure to set up the problem or equation on paper. This will keep you from getting lost or confused • Always perform the calculations in the proper order • Don’t use the memory function

44. Math • 3 math sections • Two last 25 minutes each • One lasts 20 minutes • Four categories • Arithmetic • Basic algebra I and II • Geometry • Basic probability/statistics • Two different question formats • Regular multiple choice questions • Grid-ins

45. Math • Basic principles • Rules regarding positive and negative numbers • Positive x positive = positive • Negative x negative = positive • Positive x negative = negative • Integers – positive and negative • Odd and even numbers • Distinct numbers – don’t let this throw you; they mean “different numbers” • Digits – there are ten • Factors • Multiples • Remainders • Consecutive integers • Prime numbers • Standard symbols

46. Math • Six operations • Addition • Subtraction • Multiplication • Division • Raising to a power • Finding a square root • These six operations must be performed in the proper order • Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally; she limps from left to right. • PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Substraction • Clear the parentheses • Take care of the exponents • Perform all multiplication and division at the same time from left to right • Lastly perform addition and subtraction from left to right

47. Math • Parentheses • Distributive Law • If you’re multiplying the sum of two numbers by a third number, you can multiply each number in your sum individually • Fractions • Decimals • Exponents and square roots

48. Math • Principles of Algebra • Variables and equations • Some questions ask for you to solve for an expression rather than a variable • Some questions give two equations involving two variables and ask for the value of an expression • Simplifying equations – always look for opportunities to factor • Evaluating expressions – give the value of one of the variables and find the value of entire expression: plug in the given value • Quadratic equations: look for direct solutions and either factor or expand when possible

49. Math • There are three equations that they use al the time • (x + y) (x – y) = x2 – y2 • (x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y2 • (x – y)2 = x2 – 2xy + y2 • Be on the lookout for these because if you see a quadratic that contains two variables, it will almost certainly be one of these

50. Math • Princeton Review has a Math Workout for the SAT, which gives a thorough review of all the fundamental math concepts that you’ll need to know on the SAT