AP & SAT Multiple Choice Strategies

1. AP & SAT Multiple Choice Strategies Practice Using the Excerpt

2. Biggest Suggestion to Improve • Enroll in a SAT Preparatory Class – the SAT test is made by CollegeBoard, too! • If you cannot afford to go, or do not have the time: you must dedicate yourself to vocabulary acquisition and learn to close read in order to pay attention to details

3. Major Changes • Style questions are no longer used on the multiple choice questions (more focused to the essay prompts now) • Further, style is inherent in all writing modes; it’s a waste of a question. • Foot note’s are now the questions in place in lieu of the style questions.

4. A Theory or Two… • When about to read a passage: there is a variety of theories with reading the questions first. • Never read the questions first when the passage is really long and lengthy. • If the passage is one paragraph, they should read the questions first. • You could skim the question for line number and write the question number in the margin of the document.

5. Strategy #1: • Write the line numbers down with the numbers of the corresponding questions in the margin. When you get to that line, go to the questions immediately and answer it at that exact moment. • The reasoning is because they are now reading the part that is specifically designated with the context clues. • It’s right in your mind, so you are less likely to fall for any distracters that might show up during the rest of the text.

6. Strategy #1 Explained • Scan questions, not reading the questions, for only line number with the corresponding number to it. Put the number of the question it in the margin on the passage you have to read. Then, once you start reading the piece, and come to a number, answer that question immediately.

7. Strategy #2 • If you practice certain techniques, you can overcome content knowledge. This makes your ability to take a MC test better.

8. What this means is… • When the question says “refers to” – it’s not looking for a synonym. • Review the answers and then eliminate the “big suck fest” answer/distracters. They are meant to make you go “hey, that’s similar”. Words and connotations are always all over the place. • All/never/absolutes – they are dangerous. • Sometimes the best thing is to look for the wrong answer, and to stop looking for the right answer. Techniques should be about finding the wrong answers and eliminating ideas.

9. Strategy #3 • Poor readers do not choose the antecedent – which is the noun that replaces the pronoun. • Adjective: Preceding in time or order; previous or preexisting. • Noun: A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another. • In the passage "I did not see John because he wasn't there", "John" is the antecedent of "he"; together "John" and "he" are both refer to the same thing (in this case, a particular person).

10. Other ideas… • Scrutinize each answer – look for faults. • Don’t be tricked by what sounds good, but was not in the passage. • Re-read the text that is identified by line number to be sure you targeted the right idea. • Annotate your text to keep focused.