SAT Countdown: Just 4 Weeks Until the SAT
Is your pencil sharpened?
Believe it or not, the state-mandated April 5th SAT is just four weeks away. Time is short. But it's still enough time to improve your score. Here are some steps you can take to prepare:
• Focus on some important critical reading skills
• The good news is that you're already reading critically in the majority of your • coursework, but you may not always understand the key principles:
So, what is critical reading?
Critical reading means reading actively to grasp the main idea and most important details of a piece of writing. The SAT consists of five reading passages and four English passages across a number of genres, passages which you need to be able to read quickly and closely to summarize for the main idea and take note of most relevant details.
Annotation Strategies
Annotation is a critical thinking tool that can help you grasp a passage's meaning and details.
During the reading section, try annotating relevant aspects of your materials. Your strategy may include:
• Underlining main topic sentences in the beginning and conclusion
• Summarizing briefly paragraph by paragraph
• Paraphrasing the main idea and author's intent in your own words before going to the questions
• Underlining key details central to the meaning or structure of a sentence
Annotation can also help students excel on the math section. Students can strengthen their problem solving abilities by:
• Underlining key details in word problems
• Translating problems in careful step-by-step solutions
• Modeling all geometry problems with clear visualizations
Learn to create your own time management plan
Did you know the new SAT format gives students more time per question than the ACT - 44 percent more time in fact?
Every second counts, but students shouldn't take the extra time for granted. The time needs to be focused on intentional work that improves accuracy. Be sure to:
• Practice annotating in the reading section in a set amount of time
• Familiarize yourself with the math section to move at a fast enough pace in the easy to medium problems to allow you sufficient time for the hard problems
• Review sample writing questions, to understand the types of prompts you can expect, so you can plan your essay-writing time more effectively
Accuracy & Efficiency
The balance you need to find is a personal one - what pace do I go at to be as accurate as possible while being as efficient as possible? Finding that right balance is different for each student, but it's a balance you need to know before test day.
Find a tutor
Although it's true the SAT is just around the corner, it's not too late to find a tutor. Great tutors are mentors who can help you gain targeted curriculum knowledge, personalized test-taking strategies, and, most importantly, confidence before the test.
My organization provides all of our students with complimentary practice tests to help them identify areas for improvement. This offer holds true whether you come in a year before a test or just a few weeks. Once strengths and opportunities for growth are identified, tutors work with students on their individual pain points and identify areas that they can realistically improve during the time frame that remains.
Take a deep breath. The big test may only be a few weeks away, but it's not too late to brush up on important skills for the test. Join us in a few weeks for the final two-week countdown to the SAT. For any other questions, don't hesitate to contact Academic Approach here.
About Matthew Pietrafetta
Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of the test preparation company Academic Approach.