Understanding The SAT
and
Test-Taking Strategies
© 2008 TCA
The SAT Up Close
• Purpose
• Format
• Order of Difficulty
• Scoring System
© 2008 TCA
Purpose of the SAT
College Admissions
– provides a “standardized” score to help
admission officers make selection decisions
Competition
– students use SAT to win scholarships
– National Merit Scholarships (>$26M/year)
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SAT Format
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What is your score goal?
You Don’t Need to Answer Every Question
You need to know the score you want and what it takes to achieve it.
Make sure you don’t skip too many questions.
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SAT Scoring System
Designed to eliminate the benefits of random guessing
+1 point for every correct answer
0 points for every question not answered
- .25 point for every multiple choice question missed
0 points for a wrong grid-in math question
Theoretically
guessing on 5 questions will result in a net score of 0
(1 - .25 -.25 -.25 -.25 = 0 )
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Order of Difficulty
•The SAT ranks questions
 Easy, Medium, and Hard to answer
•Questions generally start easy and then get harder.
 Except critical reading passage-based questions and Improving
Paragraphs writing questions
•Easy questions count as much as hard questions !!!
Understanding the order of difficulty
can be a huge advantage if your goal is 600 or less in any section.
Focusing your time on the easy/medium questions
gives you more time per question.
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Order of Difficulty
Approximate distribution of questions
Level of difficulty within question types go from easy to hard.
The exceptions are the passage-based critical reading and improving
paragraphs writing questions where the difficulty level has no real pattern.
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General SAT
Test-Taking Strategies
• Set score goal and the steps to achieve it
• Know the directions
• Think with your pencil
• Realize the questions get harder (Difficulty level)
• Know your speed and control it
• Answer those questions first that are easiest for you
– write answers on test next to question number
– mark questions you don’t know (x or ?)
• Know when to guess
• Work the whole time and don’t panic.
Remember 1 = 10
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Individual Skill
Feedback Report
Score on a real Test
Focus on
weakest skills
Performance in
all areas
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SENTENCE COMPLETION
QUESTIONS
Student’s Usual Strategy
Plug in answer choices
until they find one they think fits
Preferred Strategy
Use clues to find
the definition within the sentence & anticipate the answer
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TYPES OF
SENTENCE COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Definitional – sentence contains the definition
Contrast – subordinate clauses change the direction
of the sentence
Cause and Effect – key word signal a resulting effect
(because, due to, as a result of, in order to)
Synonym – continuation of a matching thought
( since, furthermore, and)
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What Is The Missing Word?
• Find the question within the question…..what is
the blank referring to in the sentence?
• What part of the sentence are you being asked
to clarify?
• This process is essential to finding the key word
or phrase that will lead students to the answer.
© 2008 TCA
“LANDMARKS”
What question is the blank asking?
•
•
Punctuation , ;
Contrast Words
– Although, however, but
•
Similar Words
– Since, therefore, and
•
Sentence Structure
_____,
_____; _____is
_____and
“Landmarks” help you find
the definition within the sentence.
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Fill In The Blank Strategy
1. Do NOT look at the answers until after you work the
sentence.
2. Your task is to find the DEFINITION in the sentence.
3. Read the sentence looking for “landmarks”
4. Use the definition to help you to put your own word in the
blank.
5. Now look at the answer choices.
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FINDING THE ANSWER
Three things can happen now…
1. The word you put in the blank is one of the
answers.
2. A synonym for the word you put in the blank is
there.
3. None of the answers match the word you put
in the blank.
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BACKING INTO THE RIGHT ANSWER
If none of the answers match the word you put in the
blank…
• Try to eliminate answers that you know don’t mean
the word you put in the blank.
– Use prefix and roots.
– Try to eliminate three answers before guessing.
• Read the two remaining answers for “sound”.
If all else fails, skip the question!
Is the question in the last 1/3 of the Sentence Completion Questions?
© 2008 TCA
SENTENCE COMPLETION
Although I appreciate his romantic dreams,
he is _______, because they are unrealistic.
Try the strategy.
(A) robust
(B) commendable
(C) practical
(D) remediable
(E) quixotic
© 2008 TCA
“TWO BLANKS” Questions
•
•
•
•
Work on one blank at a time
Use either strategy
Check the answers for that answer position.
Two or three of the answer choices may be
eliminated.
• Now switch to the 2nd blank if needed.
Make sure you line out answers you’ve eliminated
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Positive and Negative Strategy
Use this if you can’t plug in a word
Use positive (+) and negative (-) connotations
This strategy can be particularly useful
for questions with two blanks.
Although the British public once _______
+
Prince Edward VIII,
the would-be king who renounced his claim to the throne in
order to marry a commoner, recent revelations about the
Prince’s Nazi sympathies during World War II have _____
—
such positive feelings.
A.revered..assuaged
B.ridiculed..alleviated
C.dismissed..enhanced
D.loved..augmented
E.admired..minimized
Answer: E
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Try The Strategies
American pioneers moved west with tremendous hope, but
often only ____ awaited them, given the ____ realities of
the new land.
(A) excitement..bleak
(B) disillusionment..harsh
(C) success..strenuous
(D) surprise..golden
(E) failure..abundant
Answer: B
© 2008 TCA
Critical Reading Passages
• What are the two words students always use to
describe reading passages?
• Students need a strategy to stay focused.
• Students must recognize the types of questions
being asked.
Remember
The only reason you’re reading the passage
is to answer the questions
© 2008 TCA
Types of Reading Passages
• Single Long passages
• Paired Long Passages
• Single Short Passages
• Paired Short Passages
Passages range in length from about 100 words (short passages)
to about 850 passages (long passages).
Passages typically come from social studies, natural sciences,
humanities, and literary fiction.
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TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Quick answers
• Specific Detail
• Vocabulary
• Main Idea
• Tone
More thoughtful answers
• Inference
• Attitude
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HOW QUESTIONS ARE WORDED
Specific Detail
•
Primarily in order to
•
Functions to
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HOW QUESTIONS ARE WORDED
Vocabulary in context questions
Treat like a sentence Completion problem
On line 36 the word “ameliorate” most nearly means
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HOW QUESTIONS ARE WORDED
Main Idea
• The primary purpose of the passage…
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HOW QUESTIONS ARE WORDED
Inference Questions
•
•
•
•
•
Suggests
Inferred
Implied
Feels
Seems
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HOW QUESTIONS ARE WORDED
Tone and Attitude
These questions typically just have the
words in the question.
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Just The Facts
For some very small animals, survival means existing in a state
that conventional biology defines as death.
Which of the following is the primary concern of the author?
(A) redefining the significance of death
(B) giving specific examples of animals that do not die
(C) calling into question traditional definitions of death
(D) announcing the discovery of a new species of animal
(E) attacking biology texts as erroneous and inadequate
© 2008 TCA
3 Strategies for Reading Long Passages
These are 3 different approaches to attacking the Critical Reading passages.
Students can try each one and see which one works best
1.
Read the passage then answer the questions
2.
Read the passage paragraph by paragraph (Chunking)
•
3.
Answer the questions associated with the paragraph (line refs)
Read each question (not the answers) and annotate the part of the
passage associated with that question
•
•
•
Use line number references.
Continue through the passage
Read the passage, focusing on annotated areas
© 2008 TCA
Annotate The Passage
Use the line cues to show you where to focus
Read the question – NOT the answers
• Circle or underline vocabulary words
• Bracket lines & include “notes” to remind you of
what to focus on.
• Mark the line cue of the last question – there
may be no need to read beyond that line!
This Should Take About 3-4 Minutes
Now Read the Passage and Answer the Questions
© 2008 TCA
Divide And Conquer
Paired Passages
•
Most students will try to read both passages
and then answer the questions
– The second passage is what’s in short-term memory
– The initial questions relate to the first passage
•
Divide And Conquer
1. Read Passage one, answer questions pertaining to
the passage – use line number cues
2. Read Passage two, answer questions pertaining to
the passage
3. Answer the compare and contrast type questions
When reading the Passages
use one of the three long passage reading strategies
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Short Reading Passages
• Single Passages
– Read the passage, then answer the questions
• Paired Passages
– Use the divide and conquer strategy if possible
– Many of these questions are like analogies
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SAT Math
It’s Not Just About Numbers!
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Use Logic to Answer Math Questions
All problems are designed to be answered without a calculator.
This is a level 5 (hard) that can be answered with no calculations
A sock drawer contains 15 pairs of colored socks. There are 5
blue, 5 white, and 5 red pairs of socks. Without looking, what is
the fewest number of pairs that can be taken from the drawer to
ensure that there are at least 4 pairs are of the same color
taken?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 6
D. 9
E. 10
Answer: E
© 2008 TCA
There’s Only One Right Answer
Learn to Eliminate the Wrong Ones
Using Basic Math Facts
If abc < 0, which of the following could be values
for a, b and c, respectively?
A. 0, 3, 5
B. 1, 2, 3
C. 5, -3, -7
D. -2, 5, -6
E. -2, -3, -4
Answer: E
© 2008 TCA
Words Matter on the SAT
If (2-x)(y-2) = 0, Which of the following can be true?
I. x = 2
II. y = 2
III. x = y
(A) None
(B) I only
(C) II only
(D) I and II only
(E) I, II, and III
Answer: E
© 2008 TCA
Words Matter on the SAT
If (2-x)(y-2) = 0, Which of the following must be true?
I. x = 2
II. y = 2
III. x = y
(A) None
(B) I only
(C) II only
(D) I and II only
(E) I, II, and III
Answer: A
© 2008 TCA
The Answer is There
Use The Backsolving Strategy To Find It
The sum of 3 consecutive even integers is 120.
What is the largest integer?
A.36
Strategy
B.38
Use the answer choices to solve the problem or set up
C.40
the problem
D.42
•Always start with (C)
E.44
•If (C) isn’t the right answer
• Determine if (C) was too large or too small
•If too small – Eliminate (A), (B) and (C) and then
try (D). If (D) isn’t the answer, (E) is
Answer: D
•If too large - Eliminate (C), (D) and (E) and then
try (B). If (B) isn’t the answer, (A) is
© 2008 TCA
Try Plugging In Numbers
x 6x
If 
and x  0, then g equals?
3 g
(A) 3
Strategy:
1. Pick a number that can easily “plug in”.
(B) 6
•Be aware of constraints (x>0)
(C) 12
•For percentage problems start with 100
27 x
(D) 18
2. Plug in the number(s) you chose into the problem
and solve the problem
(E) 24
3. Plug in the number(s) to each answer choice
If only one answer choice matches the problemthat’s the answer
Answer: D
If more than one (or no) answer choice matches
the problem – plug in another number
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Geometry
What is the area of the square ABCD?
(A) 6
(B) 12
(C) 18
(D) 24
Figure not drawn to scale
(E) 36
Answer: B
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Special Functions
AKA Math Problems Kids Have Never Seen!
Answer: D
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Educated Guessing
If 3a = -27 and ac = 3, what is the value of c?
(A) 3
(B) 2/3
(C) 1/3
(D) -1/3
(E) -3
Answer: D
© 2008 TCA
SAT
Writing Section
© 2008 TCA
Key Points to the Essay Rubric
1. Have a point of view
–
Don’t be “wishy-washy”
2. Support your point of view
–
Use appropriate examples
•
•
–
Personal experience or observations (Personal Essay)
Literature or classroom studies (Academic Essay)
Have a conclusion
3. Be organized -Stay on topic
4. Vocabulary - Use apt vocabulary, not “50¢” words
5. Sentence Structure – Use varied sentence structure
–
Most students write in short, declarative sentences
6. Grammar
–
Essay doesn’t have to be error free but serious errors, such as
punctuation, verb tense and subject/verb agreement, will be
penalized
© 2008 TCA
How To Approach The Essay
The Essay consists of two components
1. The prompt
– A boxed excerpt or quote
– Designed to stimulate thoughts on the subject
•
•
Problem: it can confuse you or slant you to write about the prompt
Solution: skip the prompt if at all possible
2. The assignment
– This is the “money” component
– It asks the student a question
•
underline the question
– This is the question you must answer in your essay
© 2008 TCA
Two Minutes, Two Decisions
25 minutes is not very long to write an essay so
time management is critical.
• Decision One – Agree or Disagree?
–
–
–
–
Decide your point of view on the subject
If you have a strong opinion – GREAT
No point of view – get one and stick to it
There is no right or wrong point of view
• Decision Two – Academic or Personal Essay?
– What example will support the point of view
– Students know themselves – shoot for the personal essay first
• School, home, sports, boyfriend/girlfriend, volunteer work
– Academic essays can be history, literature, or current events
– Only one example is needed
• One is hard enough – multiple examples make for difficult transitions
– Jot down thoughts in the test booklet to make a rough outline
© 2008 TCA
Tips On Writing a High-Scoring Essay
• Start with a quote
– It gets you writing
– Can grab the reader’s attention
“Well, what do you want to do now?” Joey demanded.
• Use one, well supported example
– Easier to fully develop a single example
• Use internal questions
– Helps to show insight
– “Should I stay or run?” I asked myself. I vacillated
because if I stayed I’d get in trouble but if I ran everybody
would call me a coward.
© 2008 TCA
Tips On Writing a High-Scoring Essay
• Vary Sentence Structure
– Use parallel structure followed by a short, punchy sentence
– Even though I knew I’d get caught, even though I knew I’d get
suspended, my friend needed my help. So I stayed.
• Always have a conclusion to reinforce your point of view
and show insight.
–
–
–
–
“In conclusion …” NO!!
What did you learn? This shows insight.
“This shows that it is…, I learned that…”
“We did get caught and I was suspended for a week. However,
Joey was safely at his mother’s. This taught me that sometimes
you do need to sacrifice your own goals for the benefit of others.”
© 2008 TCA
Multiple-Choice Writing Questions
3 types of questions
• Identifying Sentence Errors
• Improving Sentences
• Improving Paragraphs
• Unfortunately, there is no “magic trick”
Students need to be familiar with the rules of
grammar, usage, and mechanics.
© 2008 TCA
Typical
Identifying Sentence Errors/Improving Sentences
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Rules
 Subject-verb agreement
 Pronoun usage
 Comma splices
 Incomplete (faulty) comparisons
 Fragments
 Dangling participles
 Idioms
 Passive voice
 Parallelism
 Awkward constructions
© 2008 TCA
Identifying Sentence Errors
Directions: If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined
part that is incorrect. If there is no error, select choice E.
1. Shopping malls were designed to attract people which do not like
B
A
C
walking from store to store during inclement weather. No error.
D
E
Note: For Identifying Sentence Errors, answer (E) is always the
“no error” answer
The correct answer is (C).
Explanation: Use the pronouns who or whom when referring to people.
© 2008 TCA
Improving Sentences
High school students often study Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Virginia
Convention for his adept use of persuasive appeals and he mastered rhetorical
devices as he urged his fellow colonists to stand up to Great Britain.
A. appeals and he mastered rhetorical devices
B. appeals, and he mastered rhetorical devices
C. appeals because as only he could he mastered rhetorical devices
D. appeals while he mastered rhetorical devices
E. appeals and his mastery of rhetorical devices
Note: For Improving Sentences, answer (A) is always the “no change”
answer
Answer: The correct answer is (E).
Explanation: The underlined and is preceded by “his adept use of persuasive
appeals” (a noun clause) and it must be followed by the same grammatical
construction, his mastery of rhetorical devices.
© 2008 TCA
Improving Paragraphs
These are typically the most difficult type
of questions for students
•
•
•
•
Questions test your ability to:
Edit, combine and revise sentences within a paragraph
Improve the organization (flow) of a paragraph
Identify literary devices used by the author
Improve sentences or paragraphs using standard conventions
of English
– Eliminating passive voice
– Clarity and precision of language
© 2008 TCA