The THINK TANK at the University of Arizona
SAT Prep Course
General course inquiries: prep@email.arizona.edu
http://thinktank.arizona.edu/test-prep/sat
Instructors:
Critical Reading and Writing Instructor
Lisa Carotenuto (carotenuto@email.arizona.edu)
Office hours: to be announced in class.
Math Instructor
Kenneth Mwangi (kmwangi@email.arizona.edu)
Office hours: to be announced in class.
Location:
To Be Announced
Introduction
The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and
how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects
that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or
senior year of high school, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission
decisions. Taking the SAT is the first step in finding the right college for you — the place where you can
further develop your skills and pursue your passions. But SAT scores are just one of many factors that
colleges consider when making their admission decisions. High school grades are also very important. In
fact, the combination of high school grades and SAT scores is the best predictor of your academic
success in college. (from: http://sat.collegeboard.org/about-tests/sat)
Course Description
This course is designed to give you a competitive edge in taking the SAT. You will learn key test-taking
strategies to address the verbal and quantitative sections of the exam. Our instructors will review
required content knowledge in math, reading, and writing, help you identify your strengths and
weaknesses, teach you how to pace and budget your time, and cover test-taking techniques that work.
You will receive 22 ½ hours of instruction which will culminate in a simulated full practice exam.
Practice Exams (pre- and post-course)
Taking an SAT practice test is a stress-free way to assess your strengths and weaknesses on the SAT. We
strongly encourage you to take the Official SAT Practice Tests before and after the course. We have
scheduled two test days which will be given to you the first and last day of the course. The results of
your practice tests will better inform your focus of study.
On the first and last day of the course, Saturday, September 21 and Saturday, October 26, you will take a
Pre and Post practice exam. These full practice exams will take approximately 5 hours to complete; this
includes scheduled breaks. Please plan on being in class from 8:00am – 1:00pm. If this time conflicts
with your schedule, please email mayelan@email.arizona.edu as soon as possible to make other
arrangements.
*Both practice exams are equally important and will evaluate your pre- and post-course
skills!*
Course Materials
 The Official SAT Study Guide, Second Edition, The College Board (provided on first day of class)
 Supplementary materials provided by instructors
 Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, calculator
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
 Organize thoughts for a timed essay
 Write coherent and effective sentences, paragraphs, and essays
 Increase vocabulary
 Use diverse vocabulary
 Apply proper English grammar and usage
 Demonstrate proficiency with SAT math topics and apply them effectively
 Understand how to apply specific math concepts and skills to solve real life problems.
 Identify test-taking strategies for approaching various kinds of questions (critical reading,
writing, & mathematics)
 Describe SAT exam structure
Course Outline
Day 1: Practice Test 8:00 am-approximately 1:00pm
Full Practice Test
Day2: Introduction, Course Format and the Critical Reading Section
Lesson 1:
Lesson 2:
Lesson 3:
Lesson 4:
Introducing the SAT (pages 3-8)
Approaching the SAT (pages 9-20)
About the Critical Reading Section (pages 29-30)
Sentence Completion (pages 31 – 48)
Topics include: important facts about the SAT; skills tested; approaches to answering questions; test
format; vocabulary building; word roots; prefixes and suffixes; connotations
Day 3: The Critical Reading Section, continued
Lesson 5: Passage-based Readings (pages 49-86)
Lesson 6: Vocabulary-in-context and Literal Comprehension (pages 52-53)
Lesson 7: Extended Reading Questions (pages 50 – 52)
Topics included: transitions; connotations; recognizing author’s purpose; language usage; tone; making
inferences
Day 4: The Writing Section
Lesson 8: About the Writing Section (pages 99 – 102)
Lesson 9: Identifying Sentence Errors (pages 153 – 168)
Lesson 10: Improving Sentences (pages 137 – 152)
Topics included: grammar and usage review; sentence structure
Day 5: The Writing Section, continued
Lesson 11: Improving Paragraphs (pages 169 – 188)
Lesson 12: The Essay (pages 103 – 136)
Topics included: grammar and usage review; writing clear, effective, and accurate sentences,
paragraphs, and essays
Day 6: Introduction, Numbers and Operations
Lesson 14: Number and Operations (pages 227-242)
Lesson 15: Algebra and Functions (pages 243-262)
Topics included: Mathematics reference Information and use of Calculators, Integers, Rational Numbers,
Sets and counting techniques, Sequences and series, elementary number theory and arithmetic word
problems.
Day 7: Algebra and Functions
Lesson 15: Algebra and Functions (pages 243-262) Continued…
Lesson 15: Algebra and Functions Practice Questions
Topics included: Algebraic expressions, Exponents, Algebraic word problems, linear equations and
inequalities, quadratic equations, rational and radical equations, equations of lines, absolute values, and
algebraic functions.
Day 8: Geometry, Measurements, Data Analysis, Probability and Statistics
Lesson 16: Geometry and Measurement (pages 263-289)
Lesson 17: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability (pages 291-302)
Topics included: Area and perimeter of polygons, Area and Circumference of a circle, volume, triangles,
parallel and perpendicular lines, coordinate geometry, slope, similarity, transformations, data
interpretation, descriptive statistics and probability.
Day 9: Mathematics Review, continued
Lesson 18: Multiple-Choice Questions (pages 303-342)
Lesson 19: Student-Produced Response Questions (pages 343-358)
Practice Test: Math Section
Testing Office Staff to discuss “test day” policies/procedures
Day 10: Practice Test 8:00 am-approximately 1:00pm
Full Practice Test
Course Evaluation