How to Score High on the SAT or PSAT
The SAT is a test that you take at the end of high school that determines what university you get into. Some university require the SAT and some require a similar test called the ACT. There is no way to guarantee a great score on the SAT, but these tips can help.
[edit] Steps
- Give yourself a good block of time each day to prepare for it by doing practice problems, starting at least a month in advance. Also do SAT Tips of the Day.
- Read constantly. You should always be reading a piece of non-fiction or fiction literature. This will help your vocabulary and general knowledge.
- Read the paper, stay informed, look for interesting news topics and read editorials. Being informed about common events will give you more material to work with on the essay portion, if you are taking the new SAT. Especially read The New York Times. It has many vocabulary words.
- Buy an SAT book. SAT classes are also worth it now that the new SAT has come out. Although classes are expensive, they give you much to think about and have a significant impact on your score.
- Look into SAT preparation programs for your calculator. They are a little known resource that can provide a quick score boost. Some programs can be used during the math section of the test (one example featured by The New York Times can be found at http://www.HigherSAT.com) and others can be used in place of verbal flashcards.
- Practice one section every night. Every week, set aside some time to take a full-length practice test. Start by practicing untimed, and then, once you get the hang of the stratagies required to ace the exam, start timing it.
- A few days before the test, slow your review down. Don't do any work the two days before the test, just read and relax.
- The night before the test gather all the things you will need for the next day and work out how you are going to get to the testing center. Relax, watch some TV, get a healthy dose of Def Lep, see a movie and have herbal tea. Make sure to have directions as getting lost on the way to the testing center will cause your mind to lose focus and stress you out.
- Get a full night's sleep.
- Eat a light breakfast(eggs work really well) the day of the test and bring a small snack or water bottle to the test with you. Almonds are also great.
[edit] Tips
- Take the test two times or more, even if you scored well the first. Colleges only count your highest score and you almost always score higher every time you take it because you are familiar with it and are not as nervous.
- Take the SAT for the first time in 10th or 11th grade so that you are familiar with it when you take it during your senior year.
- Consider taking the ACT as well as the SAT. Many students find that they score much better on one test as opposed to the other. The trap almost every person falls into, however, is thinking that the ACT is easier. In fact, most who take both consider it the harder of the two. This is because the ACT may not have writing, but it has an extended science section, which most people have never prepared for in their lives. In addition, there are just three main sections to the ACT, while in the SATs, there are 9.
- When you do the Critical Reading sections, read the questions first
- Familiarize yourself with the type of grammatical errors SAT wants you to be aware of (eg. parallelism, subject-verb agreement, etc.)
- Practice writing the 25-minute essay and have it graded by a teacher.
- If you do not have much time and feel that your vocabulary is not good enough, consider memorising SAT vocabulary using flash cards.
- Take it from someone who has gotten a perfect score on the New SAT's. The SAT's are just a system, they ask the same questions over and over just with different words, be able to identify the ten or fifteen different types there are.
- The most important piece of advice that can be given is to recognize that once you get into a philisophical discussion with yourself regarding the question, you've gone way too far. Go back and re-read the question and answer it using only the information that has been presented to you.
[edit] Warnings
- Do not freak out during the test.
- Do not wait until the last month or so to start preparing for the SAT, PSAT, or ACT.
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