SAT is certainly not the longest test in the world. However, as a high school student, the 3~4 hour test can be quite demanding. Unfortunately, many students are not aware of this and take the test. When they reach the sixth or seventh section… well, you can probably guess what’s going on in their minds. “When will this end?!”

For those striving for at least a 1500/2200, obviously preparation is a vital part to reaching it. While practice by solving hundreds of problems and memorizing hundreds of words may help, how you manage your time could make a huge difference in your scores.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on how to improve your time management during the test. I probably wouldn’t be blogging about how to manage your time, if I was going to regurgitate what everybody believes of time management during the test: skipping hard questions and doing easier ones first, taking a timer with you, and so on. SAT is a test where you cannot manage your time the same way you would in an ordinary school test. It is a combination of both preparation and experience.

Are you looking to take that small, yet extra step to achieving a high score?

Tune in to next Friday for the first post of the series in Time Management.

- Cetra

Tags: cetra, Cetra's Insider, SAT, SAT tips, sat tricks, time, time management

This is a postscript from a student who took SAT reasoning test on October 2007.

I took SAT on October which I aimed to get at least 2000. Before taking SAT, I was extremely nervous studying because some people said that October SAT is the hardest of all SATs. I went to Elite Institute where I only studied SAT only for 2 months. This Elite school improved my writing score and a little bit of Critical Reading score. This school provides a weekly test and reports our school on following day. My score gradually improved and I was surprised about my improvements too. On the last weekly test, I was able to achieve 1930 which is a dramatic improvement because first time when I took a weekly test I got 1590. I was very surprised and I appreciated Elite school. I had to increase my score by at least 70 more points which looked easy. After, I did not have enough time to study because of massive numbers of homework and other works. This prevented me from studying SAT for a while. I was able to study SAT from just 2 weeks away from the real test day and obviously 2 weeks is not enough time to study and prepare completely. Since I did not have confidence in Critical Reading section, I decided to boost up my score in Math and Writing section both of which I did not have difficulties and troubles. However as I expected, test did not go as I wanted to. For some reason, the passages in Critical Reading are very hard and I was very embarrassed to read. I had no choice but to skip a few questions due to a lack of time. Math and Writing section were okay but still not enough to satisfy me. This ended up making me think that I have to take SAT on December again. I am preparing for December test and I am hoping that I can get above 2000 on this test.

Tags: SAT, SAT Postscript

This is a postscript from a student who took SAT reasoning on test on May 2007.

I took the SAT in May of 2007. I was quite nervous about taking the test, seeing as I had not prepared much for the test, which was my first mistake. I tried to stay positive about the whole test though I knew I was not as prepared as I could have been. I had bought an online preparation test book, and had planned on studying it, though I never got around to using it. Before I took the test, I did have the chance to read up on some tips for the test. One of them that I remembered very well was that the test questions go in order from easiest to hardest, with the exception of the reading response questions. That was one thing that helped me to know whether or not a question was really hard or not, by the placement of it in the test. Another thing that helped me was remembering that for every question I got wrong, I got 1/4 of a point off, which means it is better to leave an unsure question blank, because blank does not give you points, nor take them away. Overall, I felt it was quite a difficult test, though I think had I prepared more for it, I would have done a lot better. I decided not to take it again, but instead take the ACT, that way I would have one score of each.

Tags: SAT, SAT Postscript

Each SAT sample reading comprehension passage in this section is followed by questions based on the content of the reading passage. Read the SAT sample comprehension passage carefully and chose the best answer to each question. The questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

Passage

But man is not destined to vanish. He can be killed, but he cannot be destroyed, because his soul is deathless and his spirit is irrepressible. Therefore, though the situation seems dark in the context of the confrontation between the superpowers, the silver lining is provided by amazing phenomenon that the very nations which have spent incalculable resources and energy for the production of deadly weapons are desperately trying to find out how they might never be used. They threaten each other, intimidate each other and go to the brink, but before the total hour arrives they withdraw from the brink.

Question

1. The main point from the author’s view is that
(a) Man’s soul and spirit can not be destroyed by superpowers.
(b) Man’s destiny is not fully clear or visible.
(c) Man’s soul and spirit are immortal.
(d) Man’s safety is assured by the delicate balance of power in terms of nuclear weapons.
(e) Human society will survive despite the serious threat of total annihilation.

2. The phrase ‘Go to the brink’ in the passage means
(a) Retreating from extreme danger.
(b) Declare war on each other.
(c) Advancing to the stage of war but not engaging in it.
(d) Negotiate for peace.
(e) Commit suicide.

3. In the author’s opinion
(a) Huge stockpiles of destructive weapons have so far saved mankind from a catastrophe.
(b) Superpowers have at last realized the need for abandoning the production of lethal weapons.
(c) Mankind is heading towards complete destruction.
(d) Nations in possession of huge stockpiles of lethal weapons are trying hard to avoid actual conflict.
(e) There is a Silverlining over the production of deadly weapons.

4. ‘Irrepressible’ in the second line means
(a) incompatible
(b) strong
(c) oppressive
(d) unrestrainable
(e) unspirited

5. A suitable title for the above passage is
(a) Destruction of mankind is in evitable.
(b) Man’s desire to survive inhibits use of deadly weapons.
(c) Mounting cost of modern weapons.
(d) Threats and intimidation between super powers.
(e) Cowardly retreat by man

See the comment for the answers.

Tags: critical reading, reading comprehension, SAT

This is a postscript from a student who took SAT reasoning test on October 2007.

I took the SAT reasoning test on October 2007. before taking the test, I heard from my school’s previous students that the October SAT reasoning test is the hardest among all the SAT reasoning tests in other months because it’s the time when almost all the seniors take their SAT reasoning test. I had three critical reading sections, three writing sections, and three mathematics sections, and I think one more critical reading section for the experimental section.

The essay was the first section and the question was easy. It asked the test taker to talk about heroes and the celebrities. But as I got into critical reading sections, the vocabularies were getting harder, and the words that I haven’t seen before appeared. The reading passages are as confusing and boring as always. In addition, it was long so that I lacked time when reading the last passage in each section. So I thought that knowing many vocabularies are critically important. I think the math sections were okay and I was able to get through almost all the questions. And writing sections, they are the easiest among the critical reading and mathematics.

I cannot clearly say that this one was harder than the one that was in May, 2007 because my score rose to more than 150 points from the one in May. But I think that I could have raised more by knowing more vocabularies and having more time to read and think to solve the problems.

Tags: SAT, SAT Postscript

2. Plug in Values

Another quick way of solving a math question is by plugging in values. You do not have to solve an equation to get the right answer. Just plug in the values on the answer choices and you will get the correct answers. Let’s look at an example.

Example 1.

Define a # b = a + b - ab. Which of the following statements is true for real numbers a and b?

I. a # b = b # a
II. a # -a = 0
III. a # 0 = a

(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) all of the above
(e) none of the above

Solution.

In order to show a statement is true or false, you need either to prove the statement or give a counter example. Instead of doing this complicated job, you can just plot some numbers to eliminate the wrong answer.

Let a = 2 and b = 1.

I. 2 # 1 = 1 # 2. Correct. They both equal to 1.
II. 2 # -2 = 0. Incorrect. 2 # -2 = 4
III. 2 # 0 = 2. Correct.

The answer will be C, I and III only. You can try plotting other numbers and you will get the same result. Also know that it is much easier to find a counter-example instead of proving it.

Tags: Mathematics Section, SAT, tips and tricks

7. Main Street High School has 10 members on its chess team and 14 members on its science club. 5 students at the school belong to both the chess team and the science club. How many students belong to only the chess team or the science club?

(a) 5
(b) 9
(c) 12
(d) 14
(e) 19

8. Fawn lives on a hill. She goes to work by bicycle at an average speed of 20 miles an hour. Work is 10 miles away. She returns home at average speed of 15 miles per hour along the same 10 mile route. How long does she spend commuting each day?

(a) 30 minutes
(b) 35 minutes
(c) 40 minutes
(d) 60 minutes
(e) 70 minutes

9. Which of the following fractions has the smallest value?

(a) 8/7
(b) 10/9
(c) 23/22
(d) 51/50
(e) 1092/1091

See the comment for the answer.

Tags: math question, Mathematics Section, SAT