Countdown to Oct 2010 SAT I (updated)

Six Months Before the Test

• Buy and use The Official SAT Study Guide: Second Edition (and other test prep materials).
• Check out CollegeBoard's Practice page.

Week (0r Two) Before the Test

• Gather all your completed SAT Practice Tests into ONE pile.


• Arrange the tests from oldest to the most recent test taken (so you can track your progress)


• Review a completed test every evening before the Night Before the SAT Test (20-45 min).


• Look-up any difficult vocabulary.


• Note the trigger words in the Sentence completion Questions.


• Note how you used POE (Process of Elimination) to get the right answers in the short, long, dual passage sections.


• Analyze your wrong answers, and adjust your POE (ex. did you consistently choose the 2nd best choice on inference or EXCEPT questions).


• Review the FIST OF NO ERROR for the Writing section and mentally check off the selections (S/V, Tense, Prononous, Adj/Adv, Diction, Misplaced Metaphors, Parallelism, Conjunctions) as you review the wrong answers.


• Compare the errors made in the Paragraph Improvement section and your own essay: Transtions? Sentences out of sequence? Too much/too little concrete detail? Delete extraneous info? etc, etc, etc...


• Re-read NYTimes The Choice Blog: For Those Withholding SAT Scores, Advice on Completing the Common Application By Jacques Steinberg

The Night Before the Test

• Don't cram for the SAT!


• Follow you normal Friday Night Homework routine.


• Go to bed early.

Day of the Test:

• Wake up fifteen minutes early to focus your thoughts.


• Eat breakfast (skip the quad latte and Red Bulll--you'll crash during the test).


• Bring Student ID


• Bring pencils, calculators, ear plugs, water, energy bar, etc.


• Arrive early--use the spare time to encourage yourself and your friends to do your best.

During the Test

• Stand up and stretch!


• Drink water.

Ready for the Test!

Essay:

• Read the Prompt


• Read the Quote


• Read the Prompt again.


• Think for 1 minute (don't write).


• Brainstorm. Focus, focus, focus your complementary examples and connect these specific examples to BIG CONCEPTS. Organize. (2 minutes)


• Write (20 min)


• Intro Paragraph:


• Thesis plus preview of your examples (Think DEVIL'S ADVOCATE--knock out objection to your thesis in your intro).


• 3 body paragraphs. Topic sentence plus 4-7 sentences of concrete detail.


• 2 body paragraphs is acceptable, but not advisable--write as much as you can to demonstrate the mastery of your tipic.


• Transition between paragraphs.


• Conclusion.


• LAST 2 MINUTES: Fix errors and upgrade vocabulary--(replace to be/to have with stronger verbs).

Writing Section (multiple choice)

• The Fist of No Error (see above and sidebar)
• Improving Sentences
• Improving Paragraphs
• Identifying Sentence Errors

Critical Reading

• Vocabulary: flash cards, word lists (Latin/Greek roots/prefixes/suffixes), word games--good! But the best way to acquire vocabulary is to READ.

• Use POE (process of elimination)


• Avoid answers that are too extreme (narrow, general, always/never, etc)

Sentence Completion--1 Blank

• Cover the answers.


• Read the sentence.


• Note trigger words (ex: conjunctions, prefixes, modifiers, negation) which change the meaning of the sentence.


• Read the sentence again, substituting your own word in the blank.


• Match your choice with the supplied answer choices.


• Not sure of the meaning? Look at the root--is similar the root similar to the root of a word that you know?


• Use POE to target the correct answer.


• Yes, the word you don't know can be the correct choice.

Sentence Completion--2 Blanks

• Cover the answers.


• Read the sentence.


• Note trigger words (ex: conjunctions, prefixes, modifiers, negation) which change the meaning of the sentence.


• Read the sentence again, substituting your own word in the blank.


• Uncover the first column of words. Match them with your choice in the first blank (two answers should be retained, the other three should be dismissed).


• Not sure of the meaning? Look at the root--is similar the root similar to the root of a word that you know?


• Uncover the second column of words. Match them with your choice in the second blank (the target choices in the 1st blank are usually synonyms of each other; and the second blank is usually opposite of each other; OR the target choices in the 1st blank are antonyms of each other and the second blank is are synonyms).


• Remember: there is only one correct answer!).

Short Parassage

• Read the questions first.


• The short passage questions are usually about the tone, main idea, or inference.


• There is usually one dual short passage set per SAT test.


• Each of the four questions compare/contrast both passages.


• Draw a quick Venn Diagram to organize the info.


• The dual passages may not contradict each other (i.e. +/-), but one passage may be general, and the other passage may be more specific. Remember WHAT the topic is about, and the AUDIENCE.

Long Passage

• Read the blurb (who? what? where? when?)


• Skim & underline for information (Proper Nouns, Unusual Punctuation, Lists)


• Mark-up the passage as per the Questions (Beware of stealth EXCEPT and Inference Questions)


• Read the passage critically (why? how?)


• Answer the questions via POE

Dual Passages


Dual Passage--Intro

• Draw a Venn Diagram


• Read the blurb (who? what? where? when? audience? type of text?)


• Fill out the Venn Diagram--note "dual questions" in the union.

Dual Passage--Passage 1

• Skim & underline the First Passage for information (Proper Nouns, Unusual Punctuation, Lists)


• Mark-up the passage as per the First Passage Questions (Beware of stealth EXCEPT and Inference Questions)


• Read the passage critically (why? how?)


• Answer First Passage questions ONLY via POE


• Skip all Second Passage and Dual Passage Questions

Dual Passage--Passage 2

• Skim & underline the Second Passage for information (Proper Nouns, Unusual Punctuation, Lists)


• Mark-up the passage as per the Second Passage Questions (Beware of stealth EXCEPT and Inference Questions)Read the passage critically (why? how?)


• Answer Passage 2 questions ONLY via POE


• Skip all Dual Passage Questions

Dual Passage--Dual Passage Questions

• Update Venn Diagram (tone +/-) (note if there is a switch in tone/argument)


• Answer Dual Passage questions via POE


• Finish!

After the Test

• Don't just go home--celebrate with a special lunch or snack.


• Go on to your next task!
  

GOOD LUCK!