I need some SAT help...

Question

yes, I'm only in middle school, but i want a really good heads-up on the SAT (i took the ssat and scored 94th percentile) and i need some good test-taking tricks that helped people raise their score. tyvm!

(I can't order stuff online, if that's what some of you want me to do...)

Answer 1

Honestly, preparing for the SAT is all about repetition. You probably know a lot of the stuff on the test, but the tricky part comes in with doing it quickly and accurately without second-guessing yourself.

If you don't want to purchase practice books, you can still go to the library and borrow SAT prep books there (they have tons!)

From there, it's all about repeating section after section. It's tedious, but you'll start catching on to your mistakes and see patterns in what you're getting wrong, especially in math where all the dumb little things are often what get you, not the really really hard stuff.

If you don't understand something, you can always go to your teachers in school for help. Some of the math might take time to get used to because you're still in Middle School (I'm not looking down on you, I'm just saying this as a fact that most middle schoolers have difficulty doing rapid math accurately. If you don't, all the better! :D), but that will definitely get better with: 1) practice, and 2) time.

Also, the critical reading can often be dense, so don't be discouraged if something doesn't make sense. Go back and review the really dense passages. And... as you get closer to High School and the actual time when you're going to take the test, you can always consult a writing teacher (or find a tutor, if possible) to help you with writing the essay if you're not feeling confident in it.

As for little tricks and things... For math, PLUG NUMBERS IN where possible! Especially when there are variables (for those problems that are like 2x + 3y = something), plug in numbers to try it out. Or, plug in the numbers given in the answers. Sometimes that's faster. And for Critical Reading... Just make sure the answer you choose is in the passage - don't subconsciously put your own thoughts and feelings in.

Sorry this was long, but I hope it helped? Good luck with everything (I'm sure you'll be fine!) :D

Answer 2

Check out http://www.collegeboard.com/ they have a free test you can practice on.

Answer 3

Number2.com has free SAT test prep with explanations for all the sections and a vocab builder.

Answer 4

If you do well on standardized tests generally, and from your SSAT test it sound like you do, I would urge you to focus on relaxing with minimal preparation.  It's kids who overprepare and work themselves into an ulcer that choke on test day.  

Get a prep book from the library (make sure it's current, since the test evolves constantly), xerox yourself some practice exercizes, and work on those to familiarize yourself with the test.  Take it once with no time limit, and look up EVERY answer's explanation.  Make notes on what you got wrong, look for patterns.  Then, take the test timed, twice, to give yourself an idea of how it feels to focus for that length of time.  Again, look at the explanation for every answer, right and wrong, and analyze your strengths and weaknesses.

The test is not one of intelligence, or even achievement, but stamina.  And it's brutal. But it's brutal on your patience, not your brain.  If on test day you don't get cowed by the sheer number of hours and questions, you've pretty much won half the battle.

Study vocab, but don't knock yourself out with it.  Good English teachers should be giving you SAT-level vocab with readings and writing assignments, so you don't need to focus too much on it yourself.  Read challenging books in your spare time, with a dictionary and a vocab journal.

Smart people should not sweat this test.  Don't go in cocky -- that's a recipe for choking in itself.  But don't worry too much about it.  Look at it like a crossword puzzle, or Sudoku ... an 8 hour crossword puzzle.