Quick Tips for Success UNDERSTANDING THE SAT

TEST RULES No scratch paper allowed You MUST write on the test Scientific or graphing calculators are permitted Cannot spend more time in a section than allowed Can move around within each section between question types

ORDER OF DIFFICULTY Sentence completion, identifying sentence errors, improving sentences, math mutliple-choice, and math grid-ins go from EASY TO DIFFICULT Concentrate on the first 12 questions and getting those first 12 correct Passage-based questions, critical reading and improving paragraphs do not have an order of difficulty to them

SAT SCORING SYSTEM +1 for all correct answers 0 points for unanswered questions 0 points for incorrect grid-in math questions point for every multiple choice question missed

WHAT SCORE SHOULD I SHOOT FOR? Most colleges look for students to break 1000 out of 1600 possible points with the critical reading section and the math section. To reach a score of 500 in math, you only have to answer 26 out of 54 questions correctly To reach a score of 500 in critical reading, you only have to answer 29 out of 67 questions correctly

SET-UP OF THE TEST Critical Reading# of questions Sentence Completion19 Passage-Based Reading48 Total Questions67 Time Allotted: 70 minutes (two 25 minute sections and one 20-minute section Math# of questions Multiple-choice44 Student-produced response (grid-in)10 Total Questions54

YOU START THE TEST WITH THE ESSAY… Writing# of questions Identifying Sentence Errors18 Improving Sentences25 Improving Paragraphs6 Written Essay1 essay Total questions49+1 esssay

GUESSING ON THE SAT If you have no clue how to answer the question, then definitely skip it. If you can eliminate only one or two wrong answers, think twice before guessing If you can eliminate three wrong answers, then definitely guess.

STRATEGIES Think with your pencil Work the entire time—do not get frustrated and give up. NO RANDOM GUESSING