Introduction
to the SAT
What is the SAT?
 SAT
= Scholastic Aptitude Test
 The nation’s most widely used
college entrance exam
 A standardized test
 It is PREDICTABLE!!!
 Used to compare a student’s
aptitude without regard to ethicity,
origins, cultural background,
education, etc
How should I prepare for the
SAT?

Get familiar with:

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





Format
Scoring
Content
Directions
Timing
Gridding
And most importantly….DON’T CRAM!
Cramming is actually shown to increase
anxiety rather than improve your score
What is the format of the SAT?


Total test time = 3 hours 45 minutes
There are three components



Critical Reading
Math
Writing
TotalTime

70 minutes
70 minutes
60 minutes
 3 hours 20 min utes
What happened to the other 25 minutes?

One experimental (non-graded) section – don’t
know which one, or what topic it covers…so do
your best on ALL sections!
What is the format of the math
sections?
 There

are three scored sections:
2 - 25 minutes sections
20 multiple choice questions
8 multiple choice & 10 grid-in questions

1 - 20 minute section
15 multiple choice questions

All multiple choice questions have 5
answer choices
How are the English sections
formatted?
 Critical

Reading:
Two 25 minute sections
Sentence Completion (19 Questions)
Passage-Based reading (48 Questions)

One 20 minute section
 Writing:

Two 25 minute sections
Identifying Sentence Errors (18 Questions), Improving
Sentences (25 Questions), Improving Paragraphs (6
Questions) 25 Minutes
Essay – 25 Minutes (to Read the Prompt, Plan, and Write)

One 10 minute section
What else do I need to know?
 You

will be allowed to use a calculator
All questions can be answered without it
though!
 Directions


Become familiar with them BEFORE the test
You won’t waste time reading them during
the test
 You

are always the same
are only graded on your bubbles
If you don’t like showing work, you don’t
have to!!
What math concepts are
tested?
 Four
1.
2.
3.
4.


categories:
Numbers and Operations
Algebra and Functions
Geometry and Measurement
Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
Most of the math is from before 9th
grade!!
All math questions can be answered
without a calculator!
How much of each category is tested?
Math
Category
% Tested
Numbers and Operations
23%
Algebra and Functions
36%
Geometry and
Measurement
28%
Data Analysis, Statistics,
and Probability
13%
Get familiar with content!
 Math


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


formulas given on the SAT:
Pythagorean Theorem
Special Right Triangles
Area of:
 Circle (and Circumference)
 Rectangle
 Triangle
Volume of:
 Prism
 Cylinder
Sum of Measures of Angles of Triangle
Total Degrees in Circle
What English concepts are
tested?
 Sentence
1.
2.
Completion:
Vocabulary-in-Context Questions:
know how words are used in the
context of the sentence, know
definitions
Logic-Based Questions: know the
meanings of words and how the
words are used to create a
complicated sentence
What other English concepts
are tested?


Passage-Based Reading:
(100-850 words long)
1.
2.
3.
Facts, Inferences, Assumptions
Logic, Style, Tone, Parallelism
Comprehension
What other English concepts
are tested?


Writing – Recognizing Errors:
(Multiple Choice)
1. Sentence structure, proper
grammar, spelling, usage,
capitalization and punctuation
2. Improving paragraphs,
selecting the “BEST” version
What about the essay?
The Essay: Well developed
ideas, relevant supporting
details, clear thesis, logically
organized, elevated
vocabulary, with a variety of
syntax and appropriate
length
Getting familiar with scorING!
Total
score: 600 - 2400
Each section: 200 - 800
Wrong Answer Penalty
Cancels out the benefit of random
guessing
Only guess if you can eliminate
down to two answer choices!
Think like the test developer!
 SAT

Easy, Medium, and Hard
 The


ranks questions
questions in each section are in order by difficulty
EXCEPT in the Passage-Based Reading , Sentence
Completion, and Improving Paragraphs Sections (the
simplicity or difficulty of questions presented is completely
random. The easiest questions could be at the end of the
section or from the final passage!)
In Math section that has Grid-In questions: Multiple
Choice are ordered, then Grid-In are ordered
 Understanding
the order of difficulty can be a huge
advantage if your goal is 600 or less in a section.
 Focusing your time on the easy/medium questions
gives you more time per question.
Getting familiar with Scoring
 How




is the SAT scored?
Correct Answer
Blank
Wrong MC
Wrong Grid-in
+1
+0
- .25
-0
Is it better to get one really hard question
correct, or 5 easy to medium questions
correct?
5 Easy!!! Easy and hard questions
are scored the same!!

You might not need to answer every question!
What is your score goal?
 But
make sure you don’t skip too many questions.
Get MORE familiar with format!
 Approximate
levels:
 Depending
distribution of difficulty
on the score you want to
achieve, you may not have to answer any
hard questions!
It’s important to know that- You


can only work on one section at a time
No going back to previous sections
It’s ok to skip around within the section
 Don’t
be surprised by the Math Grid-Ins
 The sections won’t be in the same order and
breaks won’t always be in the same places
 You may only have 30-60 seconds to answer a
question—so work quickly but carefully.
Getting familiar with: TIMING!
 WORK
THE WHOLE TIME!!
 Don’t get finished and fall asleep
 Go back through the questions are work
on ones that you either skipped or
guessed on
 Know when the time is up and keep an
eye on the clock
 You have a little over one minute to
answer each math question
Getting familiar with: Directions!
 For Math:
 Multiple Choice
“Solve each problem in the section. Then
decide which is the best of the choices
given and mark your answer on the answer
sheet.”
 Grid – In
“Questions # - # require you to solve the
problem and enter your answer by marking
the circles in the special grid on your
answer sheet, as shown in the examples
below.”
 HINT:
You don’t want to have to look at the
examples!! It wastes too much time!
Get familiar with Directions!
 For
English:
 Multiple
Choice Critical Reading
(Sentence Completion):
“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.”
For English:
Multiple Choice Critical Reading
(Passage-Based Reading)
“The passages below are followed by
questions based on their content; questions
following a pair of related passages may also
be based on the relationship between the
paired passages. Answer the question on the
basis of what is stated or implied in the
passages and in any introductory material that
may be provided.”
HINT: Always read the title and
introductory materials (when provided)
For English:
 Multiple
Choice-- Identifying Sentence Errors
“The following sentences test your ability to
recognize grammar and usage errors. Each
sentence contains either a single error or no
error at all. No sentence contains more than one
error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and
lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select
the one underlined part that must be changed to
make the sentence correct. If the sentence is
correct, select choice E. In choosing answers,
follow the requirements of standard written
English.”
For English:
Multiple Choice-- Improving Sentences
“The following sentences test corrections and
effectiveness of expression. Part of each sentence
or the entire sentence is underlined; beneath each
sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined
material. Choice A repeats the original phrasing;
the other four choices are different. If you think the
original phrasing produces a better sentence than
any of the alternatives, select choice A; if not,
select one of the other choices.

In making your selection, follow the requirements
of standard written English; that is, pay attention to
grammar, choice of words, sentence construction,
and punctuation. Your selection should result in the
most effective sentence – clear and precise,
without awkwardness and ambiguity.”
For English:
 Multiple
Choice--Improving Paragraphs
“The following passage is an early draft of an
essay. Some parts of the passage need to be
rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers
for the questions that follow. Some questions are
about particular sentences or parts of
sentences and ask you to improve sentence
structure or word choice. Other questions ask
you to consider organization and development.
In choosing answers, follow the requirements of
standard written English.”
For Math:
Getting familiar with GRIDDING!

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The boxes above the bubbles are not scored
There are four columns – start at the far left
Leave not needed columns blank
No need to reduce fractions (unless they don’t fit in the grid!)
You cannot grid a mixed number
 Grid as improper fractions or decimals
You must use all four spaces for a repeating decimal
 For .6666…, .666 or .667 would be accepted
Do not grid in a leading zero for decimals less than 1
 Grid .5, not 0.5
No question has a negative answer
If the answer is a percent, disregard the % symbol
If the answer is zero, mark it in any box (except the 1st)
1.
The old man was practically the
definition of _______; ill tempered and
mean to every person he met.
a. arcane
b. profligate
c. bureaucratic
d. cantankerous
e. ancient
2. His non-profit agency has served as a
_______ in the community, bringing about
many changes and developing new
programs in local schools.
a. mandate
b. curiosity
c. disposition
d. hypothesis
e. catalyst
3. The professor’s _____ and seemingly
irrelevant digressions actually illustrated
how the ancient theories were ______
current research.
a. random . . . built upon
b. jarring . . . baffled by
c. focused . . . essential to
d. tangential . . . vital to
e. bizarre . . . dessicated by
4. Just as financial advisors for the company
predicted, the company’s ability to
expand into new markets has _______ ,
even though its profits are not very ______.
a. diminished . . . incremental
b. increased . . . substantial
c. deteriorated . . . abundant
d. endured . . . deficient
e. accumulated . . . inadequate
5. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which
gradually exposed the ________ of the
indiscriminate use of pesticides, is widely
credited with having ________ the modern
environmental movement.
a. dangers . . . launched
b. hazards . . . defused
c. benefits . . . inspired
d. deaths . . . contained
e. advantages . . . inaugurated
The actress _______ her parents when she
failed to _______ their parents contributions
to her career during her award
acceptance speech.
a. honored . . . recognize
b. cheated . . . accept
c. chagrined . . . acknowledge
d. avoided . . . understand
e. grieved . . .dismiss
1.
The curry had a lot of spiciness, this made Toby
drink a pitcher of water.
a. The curry had a lot of spiciness, this made
Toby drink
b. The curry, which was spicy, making Toby
drink
c. The spiciness of the curry made Toby drink
d. Because of how spicy the curry was, this is
what made Toby drink
e. Having a lot of spiciness, Toby discovered
that the curry made him drink
2. Scientists have found that foods such as
pomegranates and spinach contain
antioxidants, which help prevent heart disease.
a. antioxidants, which help prevent heart disease
b. antioxidants; heart disease can be prevented
c. antioxidants, that is what helps prevent heart
disease
d. antioxidants, they help prevent heart disease
e. antioxidants, and they help prevent heart
disease
3. A true friend is someone to whom you can turn
when one’s day has been a disaster and they
need someone to listen.
a. you can turn when one’s day has been a
disaster and they need someone to listen
b. a person can turn to when their day has been a
disaster and they need someone to listen
c. they can turn, they need someone to listen
d. one can turn when one’s day has been a
disaster and you need someone to listen to
them
e. you can turn when your day has been a disaster
and you need someone to listen to you
It was a Hungarian interior designer who
A
initially succeeded with introducing
B
the now iconic Rubik’s cube to toy stores
C
D
world wide. No error.
E
A decade in the making, the documentary
A
on penguins is both a response to widespread
B
misinformation with their mating habits and
C
an investigation into their behaviors. No error
D
E
At the concert, Lucy enjoyed listening to
her
A
friend Noah’s experimental music,
which she thought was more original than
B
C
the other bands. No error
D
E
No matter how many times a person has driven in
A
inclement weather, they should be especially
B
C
careful when driving down a road that is covered
D
with wet snow. No error
E
The brand-new, indoor basketball court was
A
extremely different than the cement
B
lot at the municipal park where the team
C
usually played. No error
D
E
By 2076, the United States will have been a
A
nation for three hundred years, while,
by the same year, China has been a nation
B
C
for almost four thousand years. No error
D
E