The SAT 3rd Quarter Tips
WHAT IT IS, HOW TO UNDERSTAND IT, &
WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT IT.
The SAT is…

The SAT is a way for colleges to objectively look at
the applying students’ abilities.
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The SAT is…
•
The SAT is a way for colleges to objectively look at
the applying students’ abilities.
•
Actually 2 different tests: the SAT I and the SAT II
Subject Test.
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What is On It & What Should I Know?
1. The “new” SAT I is 3 ½ hrs. long. But bet on
spending 4 hrs. there anyway.
2. 70 min. for the critical reading (2 sections 25 min.
long & 1 section that’s 20 min.).
3. 70 min. math section (same time breakdown as
above).
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1.
2.
3.
4.
The “new” SAT I is 3 ½ hrs. long. But bet on
spending 4 hrs. there anyway.
70 min. for the critical reading (2 sections 25 min.
long & 1 section that’s 20 min.).
70 min. math section (same time breakdown as
above).
50 min. writing section.
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All 3 sections are worth between 200-800 pts.
Shoot for a combined score of 1800 & you’ll be
looking good.
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1.
2.
3.
There are 3 sections to the test:
Critical reading (sentence completion and reading
comprehension)
The writing section (essay and grammar
identification)
Math (fractions, word problems, equations,
geometry, relations, exponents, & some
trigonometry)
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The SAT II Subject Matter Test are tests that are
subject specific. Here is the breakdown:
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The SAT II Subject Matter Test is a test that is
subject specific. Please note: it is NOT given every
month like the SAT I. Please check dates for
availability.
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What Is the SAT II?
1. English Literature
2. U.S. History (formally American History & Social
Studies)
3. World History
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What Is the SAT II – Cont.?
4. Mathematics Level 1 (formally Mathematics IC)
5. Mathematics Level 2 (formally Mathematics IIC)
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What Is the SAT II – Cont.?
6. Biology E/M
7. Chemistry
8. Physics
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What Is the SAT II – Cont.?
9. Chinese w/ Listening
10. French & w/ Listening
11. German & w/ Listening
12. Spanish & w/ Listening
13. Modern Hebrew
14. Italian
15. Latin
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What Is the SAT II – Cont.?
16. Japanese w/ Listening
17. Korean w/ Listening
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Critical Reading Section has three parts to it:
1. Sentence completion
2. Short reading passages
3. Long reading passages
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Basics
 There are 2 25 min. & 1 20 min. Reading
Comprehension sections.
 The sentence completion and reading
comprehension questions are worth the same
amount of points.
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Reading Comprehension Basics
 Simple vocabulary with 1 missing blank.
 Simple vocabulary with 2 missing blanks.
 Difficult vocabulary with 1 or 2 missing blanks.
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Tips
 Read the entire sentence and see if you can guess the
word that is missing.
 Look at the answers, if you see the word that you
guessed, or a similar word, then pick it and then
move on to the next question.
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Tips
If you cannot guess right away what word or words
is/are missing, realize that sentence completions
will fall into a particular pattern:
 Chronological
 Cause/effect
 Similarities
 Examples
 Compare/contrast
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Tips
After you decide which pattern the sentence falls
under, look for context clues to help you figure out
the missing word.
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Tips – Cause/Effect
 So
 Because
 For
 Therefore
 Consequently
 As a result
 Ergo
 Hence
 Thus
 Accordingly
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Tips – Compare/Contrast
 And
 Also
 Than
 Equally
 Like…as
 Similarly
 Similarly to
 Like
 On the other hand
 In contrast to
 However
 Despite
 In spite of
 Nevertheless
 Although
 Even though/though
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Tips – Chronological
 After
 Then
 Once
 Before
 Since
 While
 During
 Still
 Yet
 Until
 Up until
 Later
 Earlier
 Finally
 In the end
 Originally
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Tips
 Carefully read all of the sentence first.
 Don’t assume you know the answer since a clue word
later on may make your guess wrong
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Tips
 Check for word clues.
 Underline any words or phrases that will help you
decipher what you are looking for.
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Tips
 Decide what is being said.
 Look for clues to see if the word(s) is/are positive,
negative, or neutral.
 In the blank(s), write “+” for a positive word, “-” for a
negative word, and “n” for a neutral word.
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Tips – Plug-and-chug
 Make up a word that you think would fit.
 Look at the answer choices. If you see that same
word (or pair of words) it’s the answer.
 If you see a similar word, then it is the answer.
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Tips – Plug-and-chug
 Make up a word that you think would fit.
 Look at the answer choices. If you see that same
word (or pair of words) it’s the answer.
 If you see a similar word, then it is the answer.
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Tips
 Eliminate answers by using context clues.
 For example, if you know you are looking for a noun
and one choice is euphonious you can get rid of that
since it’s an adj. (-ous).
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Tips
 If there are difficult words in the answer section,
remember to look at the prefix, suffix, or roots for
clues.
2/21
Tips
 If there are difficult words in the answer section,
remember to look at the prefix, suffix, or roots for
clues.
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Tips – Guessing?
Question: Should you guess?
Answer: It depends.
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Tips – Guessing?
 Remember, you lose ¼ of a point for every wrong
answer.
 If you cannot eliminate any choices, skip the
question. You lose 0 points for questions left blank.
 If you can eliminate 2 or 3 possible answers, then
definitely guess.
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Tips – Guessing?
 Remember, you lose ¼ of a point for every wrong
answer.
 If you cannot eliminate any choices, skip the
question. You lose 0 points for questions left blank.
 If you can eliminate 2 or 3 possible answers, then
definitely guess.
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Critical Reading – Reading
Comprehension
Tips
 Never read the passage first. Read the
questions first.
 Once you’ve read the questions, you
know what you need to answer.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips – Why?
 As soon as you see the answer to one of the
questions, underline it so you know where to find it
instead of breaking your concentration and going to
the question.
3/1
Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips – Why?
 If the questions refers to a specific line or paragraph,
quickly mark it in your test booklet so you know
what to look out for.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips
 Somewhere in the passage you will read a few
sentences that reflect the author’s main idea & facts
that support it. As soon as you see that sentence,
underline it.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips
 One of the questions deals with what you, the reader,
thinks the author is trying to convey. So as soon as
you see it, mark it.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips
 Underline the main sentence in each paragraph.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips
 Remember, if you’re running out of time overall, and
still have one giant reading section to do as well as
the sentence completion, skip the reading
comprehension since all the points are worth the
same amount.
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Critical Reading – Reading Comprehension
Tips – What it Looks Like
 4 to 5 long reading passages in the section.
 There will be between 5 & 13 questions on the long
reading passages depending on its length.