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Improving your score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT may be necessary if you want to be admitted to your favorite university. While studying is one aspect of improving your score, some improvement can also be made by learning the nature of the SAT, practicing the test, preparing your body and using smart test-taking skills.
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SAT Tips
- Take a practice test to get a baseline for your scores.
- Learn what is and is not allowed on the SAT.
- Not all test prep courses are created equal.
- Create a study plan to improve your weakest areas.
- Make sure you prepare your body as well as your mind.
- Learn test-taking strategies.
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Improving your score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT may be necessary if you want to be admitted to the college or university of your choice. Studying for the test is one aspect of improving your score, but improvement can also be made by learning the nature of the SAT, practicing the test, preparing your body and using smart test-taking skills.
-
SAT Tips
- Take a practice test to get a baseline for your scores.
- Learn what is and is not allowed, on the SAT.
- Not all test prep courses are created equal.
- Create a study plan to improve your weakest areas.
- Make sure you prepare your body as well as your mind.
- Learn test-taking strategies.
Introduction
The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT reasoning test, is something that many college-bound high school students dread. It was designed to measure how well a student would be able do at college since grading standards and course rigor varies, depending on which high school you attended and what teachers have been employed for your education.- In 2007, approximately 1.52 million students took the SAT.USA Today: Average SAT Scores Remained Flat in 2008 (August 26, 2008) Test scores for the SAT can range from 200 to 800.About.com: Are My SAT Scores Good Enough? Average score on the different tests was:
- Reading test: 504 for males and 500 for females.
- Math test: 533 for males and 500 for females
- Writing test: 488 for males and 501 for females.USA Today: Average SAT Scores Remained Flat in 2008 (August 26, 2008)
- These scores are much lower than what is required for the most prestigious schools, so it is not surprising that many people want to improve their SAT scores.About.com: Are My SAT Scores Good Enough?
- How much you can improve your SAT score depends on a lot of factors. Typically, the most a person can expect to raise their score is about 60 to 70 points. However, it is not impossible to raise your total score by 150 to 300 points. A good general conversion factor to keep in mind is that, to raise your overall score by 50 points, you will need correctly answer four additional questions.FamilyEducation.com: How Much Can You Raise Your SAT Score?
Step 1: Practice
- Practice really does make perfect. Although you shouldn't expect to get a perfect score on you SAT, practicing in advance will help you in several ways.
- It will help you know where you stand and where to focus your studying.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score
- Take an timed test on a Saturday morning before the test.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score
- This will help you get an idea of what the process is like and train your body for the real test.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score
- Timed tests will also help you learn how to manage your time effectively when taking the test for real.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
- After any test, review the answers you got wrong as well as questions you were not sure about.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score
Where to Find Practice Exams
- Although you will find practice exams in most SAT study guides, you can find practice exams for free online at some of the following sites:
- CollegeBoard: SAT Preparation Center
- Test Prep Review: SAT Test Practice Questions
- ProProfs.com: Free Online SAT Practice Tests
- 4Tests.com: Free Practice SAT Exam
- Kaplan: Free Online ACT Practice Test
Step 2: Understand the Nature of the SAT
- Understanding how the SAT test is designed will help you improve your scores. Some of these are small things, but can make a big difference.
- You can use a graphing, scientific or four-function calculator. Calculators are only allowed on the mathematics test. You may not use a calculator that is part of another device such as a computer, pocket organizer or cell phone or that has a QWERTY keypad or electronic writing pad.CollegeBoard: SAT Calculator Policy Also, make sure you know how to use your calculator before taking the test.The Gadget Panel: Can a Calculator Improve Your SAT Scores? Yep! TI Has the Studies to Prove It! (September 25, 2007)
- Make sure you fill in all circles darkly and completely.CollegeBoard: SAT Test Day This simple step, if done wrong, can cause you to get an answer wrong that you answered right. Answer sheets are scored by a computer, which won't be able to tell your intentions.
- Use a No. 2 pencil on the answer sheet. You cannot use mechanical pencils because they might not have the right lead and can punch through the answer sheet.CollegeBoard: SAT Test Day
- Erase all unwanted marks completely.CollegeBoard: SAT Test Day For best results, bring a good, soft eraser to use.CollegeBoard: Scoring Quality Control
- Leave an answer blank rather than taking a random guess. Because of how the SAT is scored, you lose more points for an incorrect answer than for leaving an answer blank.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
- SAT math questions increase in difficulty in each section on subject tests. You will be better off reviewing your earlier questions then spending too much time on the last ones.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
Step 3: Avoid Bad Test Prep Courses
- You will find a lot of literature online which suggests that taking test prep courses will help raise SAT scores. However, it is unsure exactly how much these courses really help students. The College Board, which puts out the SAT, used to state that prep courses had no impact on scores. This changed when they started selling prep services.Not Your Average Admissions Blog: Can You Improve Your SAT/ACT Score? (August 25, 2008) Here are a few things you should know before you shell out any money for a course:
- Test prep courses can cost several hundred dollars.PBS Frontline: Secrets of the Sat: Interviews: Jonathan Grayer
- According to research done by the College Board, test prep courses will only boost your score about 26 points.Duke University: Test Prep Courses: Helpful or Hype? (Summer 2005) This is much lower than the 100 plus points stated by the people who run test prep centers.PBS Frontline: Secrets of the Sat: Interviews: Jonathan Grayer
- Many test materials can be obtained for free online or at the public library.Duke University: Test Prep Courses: Helpful or Hype? (Summer 2005)
- In a test done by Consumer Reports WebWatch in 2005, a free website called Number2.com scored as well as the more expensive sites that offered test prep courses.Number2.com: Free Online Test Prep Consumer Reports WebWatch: College Test Prep Takes a Test - A Review of Ten Online SAT Test Preparation Services
- Many online test prep sites reviewed by WebWatch also contained mistakes and technical glitches.Consumer Reports WebWatch: College Test Prep Takes a Test - A Review of Ten Online SAT Test Preparation Services
Step 4: Create a Study Plan based on Your Needs
- One of the best ways to improve your SAT score is to set up your own study plan.
- Although you should review each subject area, spend most of your time studying and practicing your weakest area.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
- You can find free test materials online or at the public library.Duke University: Test Prep Courses: Helpful or Hype? (Summer 2005)
- Obtain at least two test prep books. Test questions found in guides made by the test manufacturers, in this case the College Board, are usually be better than questions in other guides. However, other guides will give you better study and test-taking techniques.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
- Use flash cards to study vocabulary.StudyBeans: 10 Steps to Earning a High SAT Score This will help you on both the essay and reading portions of the test.
- Mix up your study plan using different methods such as computer programs, books, etc.StudyBeans: 10 Steps to Earning a High SAT Score
Free Online Study Resources
- You can find some free online resources to help you study for the exam. These include:
- FreeSAT1Prep.com: Free SAT Prep
- Number2.com Free Online Test Prep
- Yahoo! Education: SAT Test Prep
Test Prep Books
- With all the different test prep books for the SAT, you may be wondering which ones to get. Here are a few sites that offer insight on the different books:
- AdmissionsConsultant: SAT Reasoning Test Preparation Books
- About.com: Top 4 SAT Prep Books
Step 5: Prepare Your Body for the Test
- Most people focus on preparing the mind and forget to prepare their body. Luckily, this step does not take a lot of advance preparation. You will, however, need to start about 24 hours before the test.
- Get a good night's sleep.CollegeBoard: SAT Test Day
- Eat a good balanced breakfast. Eating too much or too little can interfere with your ability focus. WebMD suggest a breakfast of "100 percent fruit juice, a whole grain bagel with salmon, and a cup of coffee" is the best to help concentration.WebMD: Brain Foods Pictures Slideshow: What to Eat for Better Concentration
- Dress in layers.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score That way, you can add or remove clothing if you get hot or cold.
- Wake up in plenty of time to get to the test center. Running late will only increase your stress levels.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score
- Have everything ready to go the night before.BookRags: How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score This includes gathering together your pencils, calculator (with extra batteries), a snack, your photo ID, SAT admission ticket, directions to the testing site and anything else you may need.CollegeBoard: SAT Test Day
- Relax.Not Your Average Admissions Blog: Can You Improve Your SAT/ACT Score? (August 25, 2008) Being a little worried is fine because it will help keep you alert and task-oriented, but too much can cause mental blocks, panic, muscle tension, headaches, memory loss and other ailments.Muskingum College: Test Anxiety #*-Check out Mahalo's pages on Relaxation Techniques and How to Cope with Stress for more information.
Step 6: Use Smart Test-Taking Strategies
- When taking the ACT, it is wise to make use of good test-taking strategies such as:
- Write in the test book!
- Mark questions you are unsure about and go back.Eric Clearinghouse: Making the A: How To Study for Tests (October 1995)
- Read actively by margin notes and marking up reading passages.SparkNotes: Reading Passages: The 11 Most Common Mistakes
- Cross out answers you know are wrong.CollegeBoard: Test-Taking Approaches
- Cross out irrelevant information.CertCities.com: Certification Exam Skills 101: Test Taking Tricks & Tips
- Underline key words.CertCities.com: Certification Exam Skills 101: Test Taking Tricks & Tips
- Make diagrams.CertCities.com: Certification Exam Skills 101: Test Taking Tricks & Tips
- Frequently check that you are marking your answers in the right spot on your answer sheet.Eric Clearinghouse: Making the A: How To Study for Tests (October 1995)
- Read the question carefully. Scanning instead of reading can cause you to misinterpret the question and select the wrong answer.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips Make sure you know exactly what the question is asking before you mark your answer.
- Eliminate any answers that are deliberately wrong.AdmissionConsultants: SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Test Preparation Tips
- Try to come up the answer before looking at the ones provided.Eric Clearinghouse: Making the A: How To Study for Tests (October 1995) This will prevent you from becoming confused.
- Be careful before choosing "all of the above" or "none of the above."
How to Make an Educated Guess
- Remember, you are penalized for incorrect answers on the SAT, so making an educated guess is not your best option. However, if you can eliminate one answer choice, you should go ahead and make an educated guess.SparkNotes: Reading Passages: The 11 Most Common Mistakes Here are some tips on how to make an educated guess.
- Look for two answers that are similar except for one or two words.Eric Clearinghouse: Making the A: How To Study for Tests (October 1995)
- Look for answers that are opposites.Muskingum College: Test Taking: Multiple Choice
- Eliminate answers that do not grammatically complete the sentence.Eric Clearinghouse: Making the A: How To Study for Tests (October 1995)
- Eliminate answers that include a number that is too high or low or a date that is too early or late.Muskingum College: Test Taking: Multiple Choice
Conclusion
- While getting a low score on the SAT might seem like the end of the world, you should not give up on your college dreams. A wide range of factors could have interfered with your ability to your best on the test. As the saying goes, "If at first you fail, try, try again."
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