SAT For Dummies. Ron Woldoff

visualize a time when you were nervous and had a good outcome — say, before riding a roller coaster or just prior to your entrance onstage. Use the tension to bring energy and focus.

      Starting off

      The test proctor distributes the booklets with a vindictive thump. Then said proctor instructs you to fill in the top of the answer sheet with your name, date of birth, Social Security number, registration number, and so forth. Your admission ticket has the necessary information. You also have to copy some numbers from your test booklet onto the answer sheet. Be prepared to spend some time filling out these forms before launching your SAT.

Don’t open the test booklet early. Wait for the proctor to instruct you to open it! The proctor can send you home, scoreless and SAT-less, for starting early, working after time is called, or looking at the wrong section. A false start in this game is more than a 5-yard penalty — it’s the end of the game.

      The proctor announces each test and tells you when to start and stop. The proctor probably uses the wall clock or a wristwatch to time you. When the proctor tells you to start a test, write down the test’s start and stop times before you dive into the questions. Each test gives the duration at the top of the first page. For example, the Reading Test is 65 minutes, so if you start that test at 8:30, write down, “8:30–9:35.” This takes about two seconds, and it’s so worth it to know where you are during the test.

      Focusing during the test

      Keep your eyes on your own paper, except for quick glimpses at your watch, so you can concentrate on the task at hand. If you glance around the room, you may see someone who has already finished. Then you’ll panic: Why is he done, and I’m only on Question 2? You don’t need this kind of idea rattling around in your head. Besides, that student may have skipped to the end. Also, wandering eyes open you to a charge of cheating.

       You aren’t given extra scrap paper, but you are allowed to write all over the test booklet. Your booklet is your scratch paper, so mark it up! This is where you eliminate wrong answers (more on this in Chapter 3) and make notes. If you have two possible answers, circle the ones you’re considering, take a guess on the answer sheet, circle the question, and move on. Come back to the question at the end of the section if you have time — but you hardly ever have time, so it’s a good thing you took that guess.

       In the Reading Test, where you skip around, the strategy is different and detailed in Chapter 3. However, in the Writing and Language Test and Math Tests, where you go straight through the questions, don’t leave an answer blank! Guess an answer, circle the question, and move on. If you get stuck on a question, you lose valuable time and may miss out on five questions at the end! Definitely not worth it, even if you get that one question right. If you leave an answer blank, you could lose track of which answer in the bubble sheet goes to which answer in the exam. I’ve seen it happen way too much. Also, because a wrong answer counts the same as an unanswered one, you may as well throw a mental dart and guess for a chance of getting it right. Since you’ve circled the question, you can go back to it later — but if time runs out, at least you’ve taken the guess!

      Pacing yourself

      As you progress through the Math Tests, the questions sharply rise from easy to hard. (The Reading and Writing and Language Tests … not so much.) As you cut through the math, you may find yourself feeling more and more challenged. When you approach the end, don’t worry so much about skipping questions. You get the same points for each right answer to an “easy” question as you do for a “hard” question. If you’re stuck on an early question, take a guess, mark the question, and come back to it later. This way, you’re sure to reach all the later questions that you’re able to answer. Also, during the last minute of each section, bubble in an answer to every remaining question, perhaps choosing one letter and sticking with it for every blank. With no penalty for guessing, you may as well take a shot!

       No one gets a perfect score, so don’t expect to. All you need to do is score better than many of the other students, and with these strategies and practice, you will! Once you’re in college and/or have a scholarship, the SAT doesn’t matter anymore. But for now, you’re not trying to get all of them right — you’re trying to get most of them right.

It Isn’t You: Testing Under Adverse Conditions

      Your test isn’t actually given by the College Board. It’s given by a proctor qualified by the College Board, and this proctor is required to adhere to certain standards. If something odd happens during the test that you believe negatively affected your score, such as construction noises, no working air conditioning (say in Phoenix), or anything else that shouldn’t be the case, register a complaint with the College Board customer service right away for a chance to have those scores cancelled and for you to retake the exam, at no charge. Complaining to the testing center staff does no good: You must communicate directly with the College Board. You don’t have much time to register this complaint, so don’t delay.

       Schools tend to freeze the heck out of the testing rooms, so being chilly isn’t grounds for registering a complaint! It does mean that you should prepare by wearing layers that you can remove if needed. Note that you may not be allowed to wear a jacket or a cap, but a sweater is okay.

      SHOULD YOU TAKE THE PSAT/NMSQT?

      The PSAT used to be short for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, but now PSAT just means Pre-SAT. The NMSQT part still stands for something — National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Though it has a two-part name, the PSAT/NMSQT is just one test, but it performs both functions of preparing you for the SAT and screening you for a host of available scholarships. If you’re a super brain, the PSAT/NMSQT may move you into the ranks of semifinalists for a National Merit Scholarship, a prestigious (high-status) scholarship program, or give you entry to other special programs. You don’t have to do anything extra to apply for these scholarships and programs. Just take the test, and if you make the cut, the National Merit Scholarship Program and other organizations will contact you. Some students who do not score high enough to become semifinalists will receive a Letter of Commendation, which also looks good on your college applications. Even if you’re not sure that you’ll win a scholarship or receive a letter, you should still take the PSAT/NMSQT. It mirrors the SAT, and though the PSAT is slightly shorter, it gives you a feel for the SAT itself and your performance on a standardized exam.

Part 2

      Mastering the SAT Reading Test

IN THIS PART …

       Find out what to expect on the SAT Reading Test.

       Manage your time with tried-and-true techniques.

       Discover proven strategies for answering each question correctly.

       Sample plenty of practice questions.

Chapter 3

      Getting Acquainted with the SAT Reading Test

      IN