Sat Test

I’ve talked about the SAT in my previous post and mentioned how important it is to take this test if you’re planning on attending college. When you start applying to colleges, part of the admission process requires that you have your SAT score sent to them for evaluation. If you haven’t take the SAT, the chances of you completing your admission papers is zero.

To register for the SAT go to www.collegeboard.com where you will be able to register and pay for the exam.

The SAT is made up of several parts; critical reading, reasoning, math, essay questions and subject tests.

The SAT Reasoning Test This is where you’ll be tested on how well you use your critical thinking skills to analyze and work out problems. These are skills you’ve learned during your high school career and they point to how well you’ll do academically in college.

The Critical Reading Section This section was previously called the verbal test. In this portion of the SAT you will see short reading passages and long reading passages. You’ll be asked questions about these sections. Sentence completion questions will also be on the exam.

The Short Essay This portion of the SAT contains multiple choice questions and writing an essay. You’ll be tested on your ability to organize and express your ideas clearly, develop and support the main idea and use appropriate word choice and sentence structure.

Here’s a sample of an SAT question taken from the College Board;

Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

If you want more sample question on the exam, go to the website and you’ll find a great deal of SAT prep questions to help you.

The Math Section This portion of the SAT contains 44 multiple choice questions and 10 student produced response questions. In this section you’ll grid-in your answers. Make sure you check on what the policy is for using calculators on this segment of the exam.

You can get ready for the real SAT test by taking a practice SAT exam at the College Board. You’ll be able to reinforce your test taking skills, become more familiar with the format of the real SAT and when you get your test results back it will help you see where there may be gaps in your SAT knowledge. You’ll be able to focus valuable study time in areas of most need.

As I said in a previous blog, preparation is the key to success. If you are prepared, you shouldn’t have any fear. Study and hard work will bring you confidence.

If you have more questions about the SAT is a good idea to talk to your high school counselor and make your concerns known.

Getting a good grade on any test is a matter of knowing the material and making sure that you study. Familiarize yourself as best you can with the subject matter of the SAT exam. Try to work SAT vocabulary into your speech. That may sound silly, and in some ways it is. You can make a sort of a game of it with your friends as you all prepare to take the SAT. Form a study group and use your new words on each other. The more you use what you know, the better it will stick in your memory. Study and prepare and you’ll do great!

Have you ever had a dream at night where you’ve gone to school and there’s a test you haven’t studied for? Panic sets in, your heart races, you break out in a sweat and the realization comes that you haven’t even attended this particular class. It’s a horrible feeling that overwhelms you and it’s not really a dream. It’s a nightmare.

Imagine walking into the SAT and not having prepared to take it. This is an exam that impacts your entire future, so it’s reasonable to assume that you may have some anxious moments and perhaps even dreams about it. Being a little bit anxious is normal in a testing situation, but all out panic is counterproductive.

Preparation is the key to losing those nervous feelings and remaining calm and confident as you walk in to take the test.

So what’s the best way to prepare to take the SAT? The answer to that question will vary from person to person. No two people have the exact same way of learning and first you’ll need to decide how to best proceed.

Log on to The College Board at www.collegeboard.com to register for the SAT. There are several dates you can sign up for, but make sure you give yourself time to study and prepare. While you’re there at the website to register and pay your money for the exam, take some a few minutes to look around and familiarize yourself with what is offered there.

An excellent way to prepare is to sign up for the College Board’s question of the day to be taken on the website or have it emailed to you. These are actual SAT questions, not the ones you’ll be asked, but close. Once you’ve answered the question, you immediately receive your answer as to whether or not you got it right. If you got it wrong, The College Board provides you with an explanation for the correct answer so you can learn from your mistakes. Instant feedback!

You also have the opportunity to sign up for online SAT prep courses, or purchase SAT books to help you study. The College Board website is a veritable cornucopia of knowledge and aids for the SAT. (Did you notice how I used two SAT vocabulary words in that last sentence?)

The SAT is made up of reasoning, critical reading, math, and SAT subject tests. I’ll explain more about each section of the SAT in my next blog post.