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WHAT IS THE SAT?

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a not-for-profit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service[1] which still administers the exam. The test is intended to assess a student's readiness for college. It was first introduced in 1901, and its name and scoring have changed several times.

The current SAT Reasoning Test, introduced in 2005, takes three hours and forty-five minutes, and costs $47 ($75 International), excluding late fees.[2] Possible scores range from 600 to 2400, combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing).

WHEN DO I TAKE THE SAT?

The SAT is offered seven times a year in the United States; in October, November, December, January, March (or April, alternating), May, and June. The test is typically offered on the first Saturday of the month for the November, December, May, and June administrations.

Candidates may either take the SAT Reasoning Test or up to three SAT Subject Tests on any given test date, except the first spring test date, when only the SAT Reasoning Test is offered. Candidates wishing to take the test may register online at the College Board's website, by mail, or by telephone, at least three weeks before the test date.

TEST DATES – SATURDAYS

Oct / Nov / Dec / Jan / April / May / June

MOST STUDENTS – May of Junior Year

Oct / Nov of Senior Year

RECOMMENDED - Nov / Dec of Junior Year

May / June of Junior Year

SAT – TEST DATES

SAT VS ACT COMPARISON CART

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1.Make up for a low GPA2.Win scholarships3.Get accepted to better colleges4.Go through college faster5.Get a job!

TOP FIVE REASONS

SAT Writing25 minutes – Essay

25 minutes - 35 questions (improving sentences and paragraphs, identifiying sentence errors)

10 minutes - 14 questions (improving sentences)

SAT TIME BREAKDOWN

SAT Critical Reading25 minutes - 24 questions (sentence completion, short and reading comprehension)25 minutes - 24 questions (sentence completion, short and reading comprehension)20 minutes - 19 questions (sentence completion, long reading comprehension)

SAT TIME BREAKDOWN

SAT Math25 minutes - 20 questions (multiple choice)25 minutes - 18 questions (multiple choice, grid-in)20 minutes - 16 questions (multiple choice)

SAT TIME BREAKDOWN

Average scores are calculated annually based on the most recent SAT scores of all students of a particular graduating class.

For the class of 2010, average scores are: Critical reading: 501Mathematics: 516Writing: 492

SAT – GENERAL SCORE INFORMATION

1. Review the “This is Your SAT” brochure2. Create an account on collegeboard.com3. Email your instructor and notify him of the date you plan to take the SAT

To register for the SAT – you need to create an account at www.collegeboard.com

ASSIGNMENT 1

Identify three colleges you are interested in attending. Research these colleges on the collegeboard.com website or other sites and identify their average SAT scores for the latest year published.

Email these scores to your instructor.

ASSIGNMENT 2

OVERALL TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

OVERALL TEST TACTICS:

Learn the section directions now. Use the time saved during the test to work on questions.

Answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book so you can quickly return to them later.

Guess...if you can eliminate at least one choice.

You can write in the test book: cross out wrong answers; do scratch work.

Take care when filling in the answer grid for the student-produced response questions.

Avoid stray marks on the answer sheet. A machine scores your test and can't distinguish between a correct answer and a careless doodle.

OVERALL TEST TAKING STRATEGIES CONTINUEDEasy questions usually precede hard ones.

Mark only one answer per question.

Skip any question if you haven't the faintest idea about the answer. You don't lose points.

Understand the scoring! You get a point for a right answer. You lose a fractional point for a wrong answer. There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for wrong answers in the math section's student-produced response questions.

Keep checking that you are placing your answer in the correct section and number on the answer sheet.

OVERALL TEST TAKING STRATEGIES TIME MANAGEMENTDon't spend too much time on any one question.

You should spend only seconds on the easiest questions, and hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes on even the hardest ones.

Remember that the SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. Keep track of the time you're allotted for each one and how much time remains.

Bring a watch to the test center. You can't be guaranteed that there'll be a working clock there.

OVERALL TEST TAKING STRATEGIESBE PREPARED!

Don't change an answer unless you're sure you made an error.

Read the words in the question carefully. Be sure to answer the question asked and not the question you recall from a practice test.

Know the Question Types to Expect on the SAT I: * 19 sentence completion * 40 reading comprehension * 35 math multiple-choices * 10 student-produced responses

SAT ANSWER SHEET

ASSIGNMENT 3

Refer to the sample SAT answer sheet from Rcampus and take Quiz 1 regarding the answer sheet

ASSIGNMENT 4

During this course you will select 1 novel and 2 movies created from novels to read/watch. Literature analysis forms will be due in week 3, 6 and 8. Review the list on the Rcampus course website and choose the novel and 2 movies you intend to watch. Email these selections to your instructor.

WHEN TO GUESSCorrect = 1 pt

Omitted = 0 pt Wrong = Negative Pts

Guess when you can positively eliminate 1 answer

Exception: -- Math Quantitative Comparison -- Grid-In-- GUESS: No penalty for wrong answers

SAT – GUESSING STRATEGIES

10 questions / 5 answer choices ( - ¼ for wrong answers)

JOHN

6 right + 6

4 wrong - 1

Score + 5

SARAH

6 right + 6

4 omitted 0

Score + 6

SAT – GUESSING SAMPLE

Questions in each section begin with the easiest and get harder (except critical reading)

• Know where the easy questions are, and do them first.

• Know where the hard questions are, and consider omitting them. If a hard question looks easy, your answer is probably wrong.

• Generally, students who answer 50% of the questions right will have an average SAT score,

1000

SAT – PACING STRATEGIES

Know the answer sheet(especially the “grid-in” section)

SAT – ANSWER SHEET STRATEGIES

Memorize thetest directions

SAT – TEST DIRECTIONS STRATEGIES

• Make up a sentence that shows the relationship between the two words:

CRUMB:BREAD:: (A) ounce : unit(B) splinter : wood(C) water : bucket(D) twine : rope(E) cream : butter

SAT – ANALOGY STRATEGIES

• Make up a sentence that shows the relationship between the two words:

CRUMB:BREAD:: (A) ounce : unit(B) splinter : wood(C) water : bucket(D) twine : rope(E) cream : butter

“A crumb is a small piece of bread”

Correct answer: B – A splinter is a small piece of wood.

SAT – ANALOGY STRATEGIES

• Read all answer choices

• Be careful that your sentence isn’t too general

“A crack is a sound made by a whip.”

CRACK:WHIP::

(A) music : guitar(B) murmur : crowd(C handle : spoon(D) slam : door(D) trickle : water

New sentence:

“A crack is a sudden, sharp noise made by a whip.”

SAT – ANALOGY STRATEGIES

• Always compare the relationship between the pair capitalized words with the relationship between the two words in the answer choices.

CLAY : POTTER(A) stone : sculptor(B) machines : mechanic(C hems : tailor(D) bricks : architect(E) chalk : teacher

• Think about the precise meaning of the words.

• Remember, words can have more than one meaning.

• Consider each of the five answer choices.

• QUESTIONS GET HARDER / DO NOT GUESS

SAT – ANALOGY STRATEGIES

At a recent press conference, the usually reserved biochemist was unexpectedly _____ in addressing the ethical questions posed by her work.(A) correct(B) forthright(C) inarticulate(D) retentive(E) cautious

Because King Phillip’s desire to make Spain the dominant power in sixteenth-century Europe ran counter to Queen Elizabeth’s insistence on autonomy for England, _____ was _____.(F) reconciliation .. assured(G) warfare .. avoidable(H) ruination .. impossible(I) conflict .. inevitable(J) compromise .. simple

SAT – SENTENCE COMPLETION STRATEGIES

Read the sentence carefully

Pay attention to the precise meaningful of words

Look for the logic of the sentence

Be careful of words that change the logic of the sentence:although / but / however / usually / if / but

Two blanks – be sure each word is correct

Two blanks – try answering one blank at a time

Consider all answer choices

After choosing an answer, check it by reading the entire answer to yourself

QUESTIONS GET HARDER / DO NOT GUESS

SAT – SENTENCE COMPLETION STRATEGIES

Passages are from 400 – 850 words

College-level reading

Some selections include a pair of passages

Types of questions: Meaning of a word in context Demonstrate understanding of significant information Identify cause and effect Relate parts of the passage to each other or the whole Make inferences Recognize implications Follow the logic of an argument Recognize the consistency or inconsistency of an

argument Compare or contrast two related passages

SAT – CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES

Read each passage thoughtfully

Don’t spend too much time taking notes as you read

Consider reading the questions before the passage

Answer questions based on the passage (not on your knowledge of the subject)

Read all answer choices:

Answer choices may include true statements that don’t answer the question

Some answers may only be partially correct

QUESTIONS NOT SEQUENCED BY DIFFICULTY

DO NOT QUESS

SAT – CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES

Content Arithmetic Algebra Geometry (no proofs)

Formulas are provided

Bring a calculator (and a backup)

QUESTIONS GET HARDER

GUESSING: Multiple Choice – NO

Quantitative Comparison – YES

“Grid-In” - YES

SAT – MATH, GENERAL STRATEGIES

Read all answer choices

The correct answer may be written in a variety of formats:

½ or 0.5 or 3/6

If a diagram is given, use it

Information may be given which is not required to answer the question.

SAT – MATH, MULTIPLE CHOICE STRATEGIES

Memorize the answer choices

Understand the layout

Variables could stand for negative numbers, zero, fractions, etc.

HARDER AS YOU GO

GUESS – NO PENALTY

Column A Column B

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The number of positive

divisors of 21

The number of positive

divisors of 12

0 < a < b < 1

a3 b3

A if the quantity in Column A is greater

B if the quantity in Column B is great

C if the two quantities are the same

D if the relationship cannot be determined

SAT – MATH, QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON STRATEGIES

No negative answers

No answers greater than 9,999

Write your answer in the boxes above the grid

Always begin at the same point – left or right

Must grid percents as decimals or fractions

25% becomes .25 or ¼

No mixed numbers. 2 ½ becomes 5/2 or 2.5

Do not use a leading zero. 0.44 is less accurate than 0.444

Fractions do not have to be reduced unless they don’t fit on the grid

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SAT – MATH, “GRID-IN” STRATEGIES

The Night Before Get a good night sleep

Lay out your identification, test admission ticket, pencils, and calculator

The Morning Of Don’t be rushed

Have a good breakfast

Leave plenty of time to get to the test center and find your test room

SAT – BEFORE THE TEST

Taken by: College Bound Juniors & Sophomores preparing for the NMSC

PSAT Test DatesYear Tuesday Saturday2002 Oct 15 Oct 19

Cost = $9.00 The state will pay for either the PSAT or PLAN for every junior

Same as SAT without equating section

PSAT results interpretation projected SAT scores guessing and pacing strategies difficulty with one type of question concept of college “match”

PSAT – GENERAL INFORMATION

ACTBASICS

FORMATfour sections / 3 hours

ENGLISH75 questions / 45 minutes

MATH60 questions / 60 minutes

READING40 questions / 35 minutes

SCIENCE REASONING40 questions / 35 minutes

ACT NOTES

• Accepted by all Indiana colleges

• No negative points for wrong answers,

students should guess

• Scores range from 1 – 36Average score – 21 (1998)

• Middle 50% of Freshmen- Indiana State 17 - 23- Indiana Univ 21 - 27- DePauw Univ 25 - 29

TEST DATES: Oct, Dec, Feb, Apr, June

ACT - FORMAT

Given to: All 10th graders

Guidance Use: Career Interest Assessment

Student Needs Assessment

Scores: Not adjusted for guessing

Test Dates: Anytime during a two-month window as convenient for the school

Instructional Use: Interpretive reports link results with curricular content

Cost: $ 8.00

PLAN (PRE-ACT)