Hey guys,
so my friend will be taking a SAT test this December 6 and I would appreciate any tips/suggestions that would help him out on this test.
Thank you.

and as always, giveaway for you

9 years ago*

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just study from guide books :D i have a Princeton guide book which covers almost everything there is

9 years ago
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Thank you for your response :)

9 years ago
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It's been a while since I took the SAT, but this is my attempt to be helpful.

The SAT will be measuring your general knowledge and ability to understand and answer questions correctly. They are looking to see how broad your education is, so they will be throwing many different kinds of questions at you. "Cramming" will not really help you much as you already know what you know. There are a few things you can do to prepare, however.

1) Take every practice test you can get your hands on. This will give you a good idea of the kinds of questions you will be seeing on the test, and it will help you feel more comfortable while taking the test. ("I've seen questions like this, before.")

2) Brush up on your math skills. Some of the things you've learned in the past few years may be "rusty," and the review will make it fresh in your mind, again. You want to be "in good practice" when you get to the SAT.

3) Brush up on your analogies. Many students stumble when it comes to analogies. Find a teacher or mentor who is really good at them and have them tutor you until you feel confident.

4) Learn the basic test-taking strategies. Simple tactics such as "eliminate the wrong choices" can help you arrive at the correct answer when you don't have the background knowledge. These "test-taking skills" are the main focus of all SAT preparation courses/programs and can be useful. DO NOT, however, rely on them to help you do well on the test. They are simply a tool to help you get past the three or four questions for which you "almost" know the answer.

5) Eat well and get lots of rest before the test. Being hungry or tired will have a huge impact on your ability to sit these long exams. Take care of your brain and it will take care of you.

Those are the basic tips. Don't forget your water bottle (to be sipped during the exam), your extra pencils, and to empty your bladder before you begin. The best part of the SAT is when it's finally over. P

I hope I've said something useful. )

9 years ago
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Thank you for taking the time to give easy-to-do suggestions!
It surely helps a lot :)

9 years ago
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Well said. The only thing I would add is to practice some relaxation techniques well in advance. These can help you a lot over your life, but may be crucial the night prior to the test to calm anxieties and enable you to rest. They can also help during the exam (they helped me prep and take the LSAT).

One question though... what state still uses the SAT?

9 years ago
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I haven't been keeping up with it, but I think California still uses it.

9 years ago
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I'm sure these tips will come in handy for my college exams.
Thanks. :D

9 years ago
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This comment was deleted 5 years ago.

9 years ago
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I am an SAT Tutor/teacher. Here is the answer to your question: practice.

9 years ago
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Yep, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Thank you :)

9 years ago
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Gain a firm grasp of the test format beforehand. Study vocabulary. Review commonly encountered SAT math subjects. Make sure to confirm what questions ask you (except, but, etc). Skip questions that stump you for review later. Mark the answers on the booklet rather than the scantron then transcribe later. Eliminate and then guess the answers - don't leave anything blank if you have a good chance of getting it right. Treat the real test like a practice. I've also found that playing ambient music in your head while testing helps with focusing and relaxing, but it may not work for everyone.

9 years ago
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+1 for good tips

9 years ago
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On the writing section, length of your essays seems to be the most important thing. The people who grade the SATs have so many to go through, they don't have a lot of time to spend considering the points you make, etc. So answer the question asked, don't just write random stuff, but if you've got a lot of space left and you can't think of anything else to say, or if you're feeling unsure about one of the questions, just keep writing anyway. Make sure to ration your time, though!

9 years ago
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math is easy, just make sure you know your algebra and geometry, i got a 700 on math, english parts i have no clue i got 520's on both i guess you should just get books and practice the vocab and grammar things

9 years ago
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study and take practice tests. many books out there with sample tests. use them.

9 years ago
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I'd reply to every comment, but it would be just "Thank you" spam due to my lack of vocabulary :P
My friend and I really appreciate all your help!

I'm glad at these supportive responses though it's a gaming forum. You guys are awesome! <3

9 years ago
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Most of the good, great, and fantastic suggestions have been covered, so I will add something a bit different. If you do poorly on the SAT or do not want SAT and other test results to matter in your college admissions, I suggest going to an accredited community (two-year) college. Many colleges in the same state accept credits from community colleges and will ignore SAT test results if you have an associates degree or a transfer degree from a community college. Also, community colleges tend to cost much less than regular four-year colleges.

9 years ago
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About 60% of the test is made up of reading and writing material so it's definitely worth checking out the 500 SAT words you should know. Also, practice skimming. It should help. As for math, it was varied. Expect to see a little bit of everything.

9 years ago
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Also, I could be wrong but I think the SAT stopped penalizing wrong scores so if you don't know the answer to a question, just guess. It can only help you. (You should confirm this with a teacher/proctor beforehand though)

9 years ago
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According to my short research, the change will be applied from 2016.
They will still be penalizing incorrect answers in this year's test.

Thanks for the suggestion though :)

9 years ago
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Make sure you aren't high/drunk...that didn't work out well for me.

9 years ago
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Not given SAT :(

9 years ago
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Ultimately the test is an endurance test of sorts, do practice runs of the full test (you can probably find practice test online) just to get used to how long it is.

It’s probably a good Idea to also try to do some practice essays just to get used to getting something coherent down in 25 (or was it 35?) minutes when it comes to the essay, there's only one essay so however you do on it determines your grade for the written section. Assuming you're in an English class at the moment It might be a good Idea to look over some of the summaries (and maybe a couple of random quote or something) of some of the stories your read this year so then when it comes time to write an essay you can quickly relate the stories to the topic of the Essay you’re writing (both good for padding and generally a plus to relate outside works/topics according to couple of former essay graders I've talked to in the past.)

One strategy that Some people take is to focus on either math or English and try to get the highest possible score for it and then retake it focusing on the other section because most colleges take the best scores from three to all your attempts (I don't necessarily like this strategy but it is what it is.) While on the topic, I highly suggest taking the test at least a couple of times because colleges normally take the highest scores from each section across attempts.

9 years ago
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Thanks for all your suggestions :)
I hope he'll do well on his exam!

9 years ago
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Closed 9 years ago by SteamLover.