How do I prepare for the SAT? |
There are many resources avilible to prepare you for the SAT. You can take the PSAT as a practice exam, buy a practice book, or take a preparation course. In order to succeed at anything you need a great deal of planning and preparation, so you should begin studying for the exam months or weeks before you will take the SAT. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
1) Understand the structure of the exam. Read above about the format.
2) Learn what is being tested. After you understand the format, jump into each of the three topics. Try to rank them in the order of your strengths.
3) Manage your time wisely. Model your study strategy around your strengths and weaknesses. Put more time into math if it is the most difficult topic for you.
4) Look into several SAT preparation options, and choose some that make studying easy but still challenge you.
5)
Take as many practice exams as possible. This will give you a feel for what to expect, and you will be less nervous during the real SAT.
6) Ask your teachers questions about the SAT. Also, set up an appointment with your guidance councilor to plan out an SAT strategy, as well as your college application process.
7) Sleep 8 hours and eat a healthy breakfast before the test. You will want as few distractions as possible. Also, this is largely a test of you reasoning abilities and it is very difficult to juggle concepts while you are sleep-deprived or hungry.
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What is the format of the SAT? |
The SAT Reasoning Test™ includes a Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing section. The test begins with a 25 minute essay question, followed by six 25 minute multiple choice questions or two 20 minute sections (mixed in any order) , and the final section will always be
a 10 minute multiple choice
section.
- Critical Reading - Reading comprehension, sentence completions, and paragraph-length critical reading. Composed of two 25 minute sections, and one 20 minute section (70 min). Practice Questions
- Mathematics - Number and operations; algebra and functions; geometry; statistics, probability, and data analysis. Composed of two 25 minute sections, and one 20 minute section (70 min). Practice Questions
- Writing - Grammar, usage, and word choice. One 35 minute section of multiple choice questions and one 25 minute student-written essay (60 min).
Practice Questions
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Each of the Three sections (Writing, Critical Reading, and Math) are given a score between 200 and 800. So, the final score will fall somewhere between 600 and 2400. The multiple choice sections are graded by computer, and the written sections are graded by trained high school and college teachers.
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What is the Highest possible score for the SAT? |
The best possible score on the SAT is a 2400, a score achieved by just hundreds of the more than a million students who take the SAT each year.
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What is considered a good score for the SAT? |
The average SAT score is about 1540.
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What score do I need to get into the college I want? |
There are several factors that universities consider when reviewing your application. Your High School Record (class difficulties and grades), your activities/accomplishments, and essays are all important. Below is a rough average of what scores correspond to different universities
Harvard - 2200
Williams - 2125
University of Virginia - 2000
UCLA - 1900
Iowa State - 1825
Ohio State - 1800
DePaul - 1750
Arizona - 1700
University of Indiana - 1650
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What happens if I don't get a good score? |
You can take the SAT as many times as you wish, but it costs around $40 per. The most recent score will be on your score report, along with the past six.
If your score is not as high as you would like, you have several options:
1) Take the SAT over-and-over, until you get the score you need to get into your desired college.
2) Settle with your score, and choose your college application process around it.
3) Transfer into your favorite university from a community college. When you graduate, everyone gets the same diploma whether they transferred or not.
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How do I register for the SAT? |
You will surely be visited in your classrooms, and see flyers around school. But if you don't, this link will guide you.
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