1. Preparing Your Child for the SAT

2. Priority #1 - Timing All juniors who are college-bound or considering college should take the SAT as a junior  January Test For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 1 of their junior year  June Test For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 2 of their junior year Most students take the test at least twice  June of Junior Year Mainly for students who are weak in English and have junior English Semester 2  October of Senior Year Students should complete SAT study plan during summer between junior and senior years to best prepare for this retesting date

3. Retaking the SAT Seniors taking the test a second time  55% Improved their scores  35% Had lower scores  10% Had no change in score On average, juniors repeating the SAT as seniors improved their combined critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores by approximately 40 points

4. Priority #2 - Preparation The best preparation for the SAT is a rigorous high school schedule comprised of Honors and AP courses

5. The Path to College/Career Readiness

7. Priority #3 – Use the PSAT Take the PSAT in Grades 9, 10 and 11 Why the PSAT?  Best preparation for the SAT Uses similar questions and same directions  Qualify for scholarships  Compare scores with other college-bound students across the country  Forecast SAT scores  Get personalized feedback on skill strengths and weaknesses  Identify your child’s potential for AP courses in high school

9. Priority #4 – Test Prep Sessions Test Preparation Sessions @ NCHS Sessions Occur During SET  2 Test Confidence Sessions  4 English Sessions  4 Math Sessions SAT Blast  Occurs day prior to the SAT  Students take two 80 minute sessions 80 minutes on English 80 minutes on Math

10. Priority #5 – Preparation at Home Use online resources to prepare a study plan sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-skills-insight Complete practice tests including at least one full-length practice test  Can be found online  Can be purchased in SAT study guides  Take mock SAT in March @ NCHS Carefully evaluate test taking strategies to figure out what works best  www.sparknotes.com/testprep www.sparknotes.com/testprep

11. Other Suggested Ways to Prepare Take SAT Prep class at NCHS  This year there was only one section Quarter 1  Considering offering two ½ credit options SAT Prep – English SAP Prep – Mathematics  All courses run based upon student request College Board offers an online prep course  Cost $69.95 CCPS is exploring companies who are interested in offering SAT Prep services such as Kaplan, etc.  Unclear at this time if this will be available and if there will be a cost to the student

12. Proven Keys to Success Practice makes perfect! READ, READ, READ!  Turn off the electronics (unless it’s an eReader) and pick up a book. Students consistently tell us the most challenging part is the vocabulary  Get top 100 SAT words  Consider purchasing a SAT words book Suggestion: Hot Words for the SAT published by Barron’s at cost of $9.99

13. The SAT Things You Might Not Know

14. MythReality The SAT is a logic test.The SAT does not test logic abilities or IQ. It tests a students skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Tips and shortcuts can help you ace the SAT. The SAT isn’t designed to trick test takers. It measures what they already know and how they can apply that knowledge. Short-term prep is the best way for a test taker to boost his/her score. Quick prep courses can’t replace years of solid schoolwork. Students who take rigorous, challenging courses in high school will be the best prepared for the test.

15. What does the test look like? SectionContentNumber of Questions Critical Reading 70 minutes Two 25-minute sections One 20-minute section Extended Reasoning Literal Comprehension Vocabulary in Context Sentence Completions Total 36-40 4-6 19 67 Mathematics 70 minutes Two 25-minute sections One 20-minute section Number & Operations Algebra & Functions Geometry & Measurement Data Analysis, Statistics & Probability Total 11-14 19-22 14-16 5-8 54 Writing 60 minutes One 25-minute essay One 25-minute multiple choice One 10-minute multiple choice Essay Improving Sentences Identifying Sentence Errors Improving Paragraphs Total 1 25 18 6 50

16. How difficult is the SAT? On average, students answer 50 or 60 percent of questions correctly 80 percent finish nearly the entire test Almost all students complete at least 75 percent of the questions

17. Timing is Everything! Test is 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time, plus three 5-minute breaks, for a total of 4 hours to complete the entire test. Can’t spend too much time on any one question.  Spend seconds on the easiest questions  Hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes even on the hardest questions The SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests.  Students must keep track of the time allotted for each one and how much time remains. Test takers should wear a watch to the testing center.

18. Understanding the Scoring! Test takers get a point for a right answer. Test takers lose one-quarter point for a wrong answer. There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for wrong answers in the math section’s student- produced response questions. Each of the 3 sections is on a 200 to 800 point scale.

19. Sample Test Items What are the kids facing when they take the SAT?

20. Answers to Sample Items & Level of Difficulty Item #AnswerLevel of Difficulty 1A1 2B3 3A5 4D4 5C5 6D1 7B3 8B4 9D1 10A2 11C4 12D5