Since the SAT test score has become synonymous with the Undergraduate admissions in US and Canada, the fuss about scoring well in this examination has gradually increased.
Most of the reputed colleges consider SAT’s scorecard as a major factor for the approval of admission applications.
You can’t treat all standardized tests the same way. What separates this test from others is the fact that it evaluates students on the basis of their reasoning skills rather than their academic performances so far.
Let’s discuss in detail how this test works and how can you totally nail it.
This exam tests you on three major backgrounds which are written, verbal and mathematical skills.
Apart from this, students can take a subject test for pursuing honors in any particular field. These additional subjects include History, Literature, Science, Mathematics and Foreign Languages.
The test consists of three sections, namely, Maths, Reading, and Writing. An additional 50-minute essay section is completely optional and doesn’t harm your scorecard in any manner.
Here, we’ve got you covered a general SAT test pattern for better understanding.
- Math (80 minutes) – 54 questions
- Reading (65 minutes) – 67 questions
- Writing and Language (35 minutes) – 49 questions
- Essay (50 minutes) – 1 question, (Optional) Not scored.
SAT scores range from 200 – 800 for every section. 1000 is considered as an average score, while anything above 1200 is a good SAT score.
Maximum a person can score is a perfect 1600.
We understand how difficult it can be to ace a standardized test like SAT.
Therefore, here we’ve compiled a list of few techniques to help you get in form before you get yourself on this giant test wheel.
Read on SAT score boosters for THE DAY!
- TAKE QUALITY PRACTICE TESTS
There is nothing which can actually prepare you for a test than the test itself! Test-taking ‘endurance’ is a real thing, and you wouldn’t really appreciate your ‘THE DAY’ to be your first time.
Get yourself enrolled in weekly full-length, time-bounded sample tests, evaluate your progress and know where you stand regularly.
- DIG DEEP INTO TEST STRUCTURE
It’s wise to know what you’re getting into. Know about the test pattern, time and questions limit, and also their order of difficulty.
Not every question in the booklet deserves the same amount of time. Be prepared for what to expect. (Read Number 8)
- KEEP READING
Develop a habit of reading unfamiliar and boring topics as well. Read well, and try to judge the author’s argument.
Look up for the new words. These hacks will get you to number 4 and 5.
- STRENGTHEN YOUR VOCABULARY
Not every word in the dictionary is used for the test. SAT has a pattern of words which are used frequently, and you need to understand and prepare yourself for the same.
- ESSAY’S HACK: FACTS OVER YOUR OWN OPINION
It might be optional, but you would certainly wish to take it to stand out in the crowd.
Planning, writing and proofreading, all in 50 minutes is a huge task; therefore you need to be smart enough to know that prompt will certainly touch the issues like justice, honesty, success, and failure or importance of learning from mistakes and value of knowledge.
Here, you aren’t allowed to share your own opinions. The major requirement is to understand the argument and critique it with appropriate facts from the history, literature, current affairs or personal experience.
Test runs will help you brainstorm the exact outlines, ideas, familiarize you with subject vocabulary and get to decide your time breakdown.
- CALCULATOR WORKS MAGIC
Consider it your best friend the whole period of preparation and test. It saves your time and prevents unnecessary errors.
Get more in touch with calculator tricks and to solve heavy equations in one go. Anything you practice today will increase your chances to survive that score!
- FEED YOURSELF RULES AND FORMULAS LIKE YOUR DINNER
Master yourself in basic mathematics formulas to save your time looking for some in the provided booklet. Enough said.
- THE TRICK OF MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Multiple choices don’t make it any easy but give you leverage in certain areas. For instance, you can hit and trial the options for maths equation.
Also, you can eliminate the options from grammatical portion based on the errors.
The difficulty level is in the order of increasing for every section. Therefore, the obvious answers for the initial questions are more likely to be correct, while the exact opposite case is with the last few questions.
We recommend, hit the easy questions first and save the time for later.
- DON’T SECOND GUESS
Second guessing usually puts you in critical condition. Trust your Instincts. The first answer you chose is most likely to the correct.
Do not change it unless you have found evidence that it was incorrect.
- START EARLY!
Although SAT isn’t some intelligence test, however, strategies and concepts take time to develop.
Start preparing months before the examination to save your stress for some other day.
