A Guide to the New SAT
Hi! I'm a prefrosh who took the May International version of the SAT to get a copy for my sister, a freshman entering the college admissions process. I scored a 1520 out of 1600 (V: 750 M: 770). I only took one practice test before taking the actual exam. I also took the old SAT and received a 2230 (which I used for my own college admissions process). Here's what I thought about the test and how I got a score in the range of top tier colleges. This is an extremely rough copy so it may not be as logically organized as I'd want it to be.
General Info
In general, the SAT has gotten easier. Taking out the sentence completion section has eliminated potentially spending a few hundred hours memorizing words you might never use. The new reading section did not change much save the new evidence-based reading questions. The math section has become more concept-oriented rather than thinking-oriented. The CollegeBoard replaced its grammar section with the ACT's version, which emphasizes testing ability to write (editing, revising, and correcting grammar issues).
There is only one resource required to score well on the SAT: The 8 free tests on Khan Academy, and any leaked tests you can find online (Crack SAT, Chinese forums, Korean forums, etc...) Do them ALL.
Reading
You can think of the reading section in two ways: CollegeBoard replaced around ten questions with "look for evidence that answers the previous question" questions, so I basically get free points, or CollegeBoard doubled the amount of questions I get wrong on passages I absolutely have no clue about.
Really, it should be the former. Read the passage CAREFULLY first. Don't follow your reading with a pencil, or stop reading once you come across a question you can answer (some exceptions below). Following along with your pencil can distract you, and make your brain focus on moving the pencil across the words rather than processing what you're reading. If you stop reading suddenly to try to answer a question that you have to think about, you'll forget everything you read before. Simply put, focus on the words and read from the beginning to the end.
There is one small exception to the "don't stop reading" rule, and that is a definition question. "In context, (this word) in line 36 most nearly means..." Answer this type of question as soon as you encounter the word, then keep on reading.
As you read, you should be making mental notes of keywords that categorizes divisions of ideas within the passage. This will help give you a general idea of where the answer might be as you answer the questions after reading the passage.
First three paragraphs: Info on Ceres
Paragraphs four and five: Theories on how Ceres migrated inward
Last paragraph: Opposing theory that Ceres has been part of the asteroid belt, and that it did not migrate.
So when a question asks about differences in composition between Ceres and asteroids in the asteroid belt, you can go to the first three paragraphs because you know that's where information on Ceres is.
I have one last tip for you on the reading questions. If you are stuck on a question, and the following question asks you to find the evidence for that question, use the answer choices to pinpoint where the answers may be. Lines 16~18? Not there. Lines 19~21? Not there. Lines 25~28? AHA!
OPTIONAL
I personally don't do this because it subtracts from the time you have available, and I feel it's unnecessary as you regurgitate information you already have in your head, but you can write down notes on the side as you read. If you read carefully and quickly enough, you should be able to remember where answers to questions are in the passage
There are some special additions to the new Reading section of the SAT. You will find graphs and tables to interpret. Don't look at these until after you've read the passage. Questions relating to the graphs/tables will often ask you how this data might impact this person's viewpoint or how this data might support this statement, and so forth. Think through it logically. (example) If Ceres's ice-to-rock ratio from the table is quite similar to asteroids in the asteroid belt, you could conclude that the data supports McCord's theory (Ceres passage from above). Skip all of these questions and save them for the end.
Not an addition, but still quite intimidating is the dual passage. The dual passage is difficult in that you have to remember the two author's stances on the issue, and since the ordering of questions is Passage 1 questions -> Passage 2 questions -> Comparison, you will have to tweak the top to bottom method. I personally read the first passage, then answered all Passage 1 questions, and then read the second passage, and then answered all Passage 2 questions. IN BETWEEN, jot down some keywords that will help you remember the two authors' positions. If the two passages are arguments for and against recognizing the Confederacy in American history, list stuff like "kids need exposure," "confederacy still part history," or "important to understand civil war" (PURELY an example). Dividing up each passage into keyword sections is still relevant here.
Struggling With Reading?
If you cannot finish a passage top to bottom in a timely manner, I recommend going through these exercises: Timed Readings
Not only will it train you to read faster, it will help you remember facts after you're done reading. This is not limited to people struggling, and I highly encourage you to try them if you have enough time. It will give you a minute or two to go back and check your answers if need be.
If you cannot extract answers to the problems in a timely manner, BREATHE. Sometimes, you will forget to breathe with the mindset of getting all the answers right to get that score you desire. Stop, take a breath, drink some water, and refocus your mind.
If you're a sophomore/junior and you have a lot of time before the SAT, start reading NYT / Economist / New Yorker articles. Go into the opinion section, read an article, then summarize the author's argument. After that, ask yourself SAT-type questions. What does this word mean in this context? How does this guy's theory fit into the argument? How does the opposing theory disprove this guy's argument? What format is this piece of writing in?
Thinking like a writer will also help with answering the questions. I recommend reading Stephen King's On Writing and Thomas Foster's Read Like a Professor.
Writing
There is one requirement to successfully completing the Writing section. You will need to have learned how to write (not the five paragraph essay). If you are still writing the five paragraph essay, you have not learned how to write properly. It will be a detriment to your ability to perform well on this section. Sometimes, the author will not make it clear that the paragraph is a conclusion. Sometimes, the author doesn't want to put the thesis at the end of the first paragraph. Go take English Composition I by Duke if this applies to you.
I lied. The second requirement is learning how to grammar. I recommend getting Erica Meltzer's Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar. The third edition only adds some problems related to solving questions that ask about the writing passages as a whole, and the second edition is cheaper. Learn:
-
Verb tenses
-
Semi-colons
-
All the grammar errors you can ever make (subject-verb disagreement, fragment, its vs it's, run-on, vague pronouns, misplaced modifier, etc...)
-
The "perfect" tense (Past Perfect, Present Perfect, Future Perfect) !!!!!!!!!
-
Use of the dash -- and the parentheses ()
-
Common Idioms (Not only, but also; both.. and; Require that... be; As... as; Prefer... to..)
and you should be set for most of the problems!
Unlike the reading section, you SHOULD stop as you read the writing passages. The reason why I do this is because the grammar questions should take at most ten to twenty seconds to solve. It tests grammar, and you've memorized most of the rules by now (I hope). After learning the error names, you should immediately identify it by the error type, and look for answer choices that fixes the error.
The most difficult problems will be "Should I add this paragraph before this one?" or something like "Should I leave this sentence out or replace it with one of these?" All of these problems will test your ability to write (hence the reason why I told you to go learn how to write). If you cannot say with complete confidence that this particular sentence doesn't belong here, you can't solve these questions. If you struggle to do so, go learn how to write!
Also, these problems can get tricky. I myself got one of these wrong on my real sitting. Don't feel bad if you're cornered between two answer choices; you've got all the other ones you got right.
Struggling With Writing?
After all that learning, if you still have trouble getting through this section, go on Crack ACT and print every single English section the website has, and just do them all.
Math
I have straightforward tips for you on this section (after you've reviewed Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus).
- Don't read the word problem when you're on a word problem question.
Instead, skim through it, write down the numbers, and read the last sentence, which contains what you need to calculate. There is no reason for you to know what Tammy does on Saturday evenings just to find how much her candy costs.
- Read every other problem carefully.
The shorter the problem, the harder it gets. It might not seem hard, but it will trick you. A lot of people missed some questions on the Math section of the test I took because they did not read carefully. On this one problem, people wrote down the write equations and solved perfectly, but disregarded the less than part of the problem. They wrote down what x actually equaled and missed the perfect score.
- There will be one statistics question thrown on the test.
It is not a statistics question. It is a thinking question. You will not need to know statistics terms to get through it. The one I had asked what would happen if Lynda polled one hundred moms with children about improvements to a playground their children played at every day. I rest my case.
- Pay attention to your pluses and minuses.
This will be your ruin if you don't be careful. This is almost always the cause of "I thought I did so well on Math!!!! Why did I get a 620!!!!!"
- Always go back and solve again.
You never know. I corrected three problems on my second attempt of the no-calculator section. Please do go back and solve all of them again with a fresh mind.
Struggling With Math?
You don't know the content very well. I recommend pinpointing each concept you get wrong, and then googling it. Do NOT use Khan Academy. Nothing against Sal, but he says the same thing as he writes way too much. And he complicates things way too much.
Write down every problem you got wrong in a notebook, and revisit every single one later.
The Essay
I didn't take this section because I already got into college (HA!), but I did see the prompt. If you went through the English Comp. course linked above and read Stephen King's book, you should be fine. You can practice for the essay by picking a random opinion article (which you also should have read) and writing about how the author forms his argument.
Struggling With the Essay?
You did not read this guide. If you are a robot, please stop crawling on this page.
General Tips for Test Day
Eat breakfast. Stay hydrated. Read something before you go to the test center. Solve a math problem before you go to the test center. DO NOT look at any grammar rules or any math concepts. If you don't know by now, you will not know at the test center. Bring a watch, bring your ticket, bring your calculator, bring pencils, bring an eraser, and bring your photo ID. DO NOT bring your phone. Tell your parents you'll be done by 12:30 if you aren't taking the essay, and 1:15 if you are. DO NOT bring a book.
General Tips After the Test
DO NOT think about the test. Resist the urge to go on /r/SAT and share answers. Most of the answers that people there share will be wrong, regardless of what they got on their previous SAT. Trust that you did well, and check your score when it's released. If you get above a 1500, do NOT retake. It is an excellent score. The difference between a 1520 and a 1540 is one or two questions. The difference between a 1540 and a 1560 is one or two questions. It will not make or break your application.
Any questions? comments? Do share.