1 Learning about the SAT (and ACT) Read each slide, take notes, and then press enter to proceed to the next comment or slide.

1

Learning about the SAT(and ACT)

Read each slide, take notes, and then press enter to proceed to the next comment or slide.

2

What is the SAT?

Measure of verbal and math reasoningmeans of comparing students from different regionsProvides 2 scores (verbal and math)Range is 200-800 on verbal and math.

3

The SAT is NOT:

• An intelligence test• a predictor of success in life• a predictor of success in college

4

What does the SAT look like?3 hours long - 7 sections1 math or verbal equating section (which doesn’t count)

• 3 verbal sections• 30 minutes• 30 minutes • 15 minutes

• 3 math sections• 30 minutes• 30 minutes• 15 minutes

5

SAT Verbal Questions

• Analogies - 19 questions• Sentence Completion- 19

questions• Critical Reading- 40 questions

6

Should I take the SAT (or ACT)? • Yes, if you plan to attend:

– 4 year colleges– Private Colleges– 2 year colleges

• Yes if you plan to pursue:– Scholarships

7

SAT versus ACT

• SAT• 50% Math• more Vocabulary• not all multiple

choice• scale to 1600• critical reading

• ACT• has science

section• includes trig• all multiple choice• tests grammar• scale to 36

8

ACT INFORMATIONENGLISH SENTENCE

STRUCTUREGRAMMAR-PARTS OFSPEECH

RHETORICALSKILLS-STYLE,ORGANIZAITON,STRATEGY

MATH 60 MINUTES6QUESTIONS

PRE-ALGEBRATHROUGH TRIG

5 POSSIBLEANSWERS

SCIENCE DATA ANALYSIS EXPERIMENTQUESTIONS

PRINCIPLEQUESTIONS

READING INFERENCE SPECIFICINFORMATIONFROM PASSAGE

35 MINUTE40 QUESTION

9

TEST TAKING ATTITUDES

• CRAMMING-can’t prepare the night before

• AVOIDANCE-deal with it, don’t ignore it

• ANXIETY- it’s ok to be anxious• SELF TALK- be positive

10

GENERAL NOTES

• BRING ID• PENCIL,WATCH, CALCULATOR• FOOD• CAN CANCEL SCORES• DARKEN ANSWERS, ERASE MARKS • NIGHT BEFORE- get rest

11

GENERAL SAT STRATEGIES-the following slides all address the SAT

• KNOW THE TEST DIRECTIONS• KNOW HOW TEST IS ARRANGED• DON’T GET HUNG UP ON ONE

PROBLEM• SLOW DOWN AND SKIP THE

DIFFICULT

12

guessing

• The SAT guessing penalty- it’s okay to guess if you can eliminate at least one answer

13

Process of elimination

• Look for the wrong answer-sometimes it helps to look for the answers you know are wrong and eliminate them first

• positive / negative- sometimes you can tell if the answer is going to be a positive or negative word

14

SAT questions are arranged by EASY, MEDIUM, DIFFICULT(not on reading comp) in the verbal section• EASY QUESTIONS- FIRST THIRD• MEDIUM QUESTIONS- MIDDLE THIRD• DIFFICULT QUESTIONS- LAST THIRD

15

ANALOGIES

• EASY, MEDIUM, HARD• MAKE A SENTENCE

16

ANALOGIES RELATIONSHIPS• TYPE OF- ONE WORD IS A TYPE OF

ANOTHER• DEGREE-SENTENCE WILL MEAN

“MEANS EXTREMELY” OR “MEANS VERY LITTLE”

• MEANS WITHOUT- ONE WORD MEANS THE LACK OF THE OTHER

• USED TO- ONE WORD DESCRIBES THE PURPOSE OF THE OTHER

17

ANALOGY STRATEGIES• PLUG IN ANSWERS• MAKE RELATIONSHIP MORE SPECIFIC• PARTS OF SPEECH ARE CONSISTENT• IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE MEANING OF A

STEM WORD- MAKE SENTENCES WITH THE ANSWERS FIRST

• DON’T KNOW ANYTHING- REMEMBER MEDIUM EASY HARD

• ON HARD QUESTIONS PICK THE WEIRD ONE

18

ANALOGIES SUMMARY

• MAKE A SENTENCE WITH STEM WORDS

• MAKE SENTENCES MORE SPECIFIC• CHECK EVERY ANSWER• REMEMBER Easy, medium, hard

19

SENTENCE COMPLETION

• REMEMBER Easy, Medium, Hard• COVER ANSWERS AND COME UP

WITH A WORD

20

SENTENCE COMPLETION

• TRIGGER WORDS– BUT, ALTHOUGH, HOWEVER, YET,

EVEN THOUGH– INDICATE THERE WILL BE

CONTRASTING OR CONTRADICTORY SENTENCES

– AND,BECAUSE- INDICATE MAINTAINING THE DIRECTION OF THE SENTENCE

21

2 BLANK SENTENCES

• DO ONE BLANK FIRST• LOOK FOR SAME CLUES• ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIP-

POS/POS-NEG/NEG-POS/NEG

22

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE-try it here• Ruskin’s vitriolic attack was the climax

of the ______ heaped on paintings that today seem amazingly ______.– a) criticism…unpopular– B. ridicule….inoffensive– C. praise……amateurish– D. indifference… scandalous– E. acclaim…..creditable– Answer in next slide

23

The answer was B.

First blank is a negative word, second blank is neither negative nor positive. Only B fits these two choices.

24

SENTENCE COMPLETION

• REMEMBER Easy, medium, hard• ONE BLANK AT A TIME• Remember positive/negative

25

CRITICAL READING

• DO NOT GO FROM EASY TO DIFFICULT• POLITICAL CORRECTNESS- usually one

politically correct example• READ INTRO AND LAST SENTENCE• FIRST QUESTIONS REFER TO

BEGINNING OF READING SECTION, second to next part. Questions are in order with the reading

26

CRITICAL READING

• NEED TO KNOW– AUTHORS POINT– AUTHORS TONE– PASSAGE LAYOUT

• REMEMBER no easy, medium, hard • COVER ANSWER AND FILL

27

CRITICAL READING

• TRANSLATE QUESTION

• ANSWER IN YOUR OWN WORDS• WHEN THEY ASK FOR THE

MEANING OF A WORD USE VOCABULARY IN CONTEST AND COVER ANSWERS

28

CRITICAL READING

• EXCEPT/LEAST/NOT QUESTIONS TAKE A LONG TIME-SAVE UNTIL LAST

• DON’T PICK EXTREME ANSWERS• NARRATIVES-EXCERPTS FROM

STORIES-USE TRIGGER WORDS• DUAL PASSAGES- DO ONE AT A TIME• SKIP READING IF YOU ARE STUCK

29

INTERNET SITES- SAT INFO

• WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.ORG• WWW.KAPLAN.COM• WWW.PETERSONS.COM• www.review.com/cracking-- free

practice SAT

30

Congratulations! This ends the SAT/ACT Slideshow

Now go back to the activity page and click on the SAT/ACT Activity.