SAT For Dummies. Ron Woldoff

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

       No. 2 pencils: Don’t guess. Look for the No. 2 on the side of the pencil. Take at least three or four sharpened pencils, and be sure they have usable erasers. You can also bring one of those pink rubber erasers.

       A calculator: You don’t absolutely need a calculator to take the SAT, but it does help on some questions. A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is acceptable, but it cannot make noise and it cannot connect to the internet. There are other rules too, so if you’re not sure, check the College Board website (www.collegeboard.org) to see if yours is on the list of acceptable devices. Also, the day before the exam, check the batteries or plug it in.

       Some snacks: Bring some healthy snacks (trail mix, cheese, or other non-candy items) in your backpack. You can eat them during your rest breaks, and your water bottles can keep them cold.

       Water bottles: Bring a couple chilled water bottles to drink during your breaks. Don’t bring anything sugary like soda or juice, because you’ll crash and get even more thirsty. If you want to bring something with electrolytes, such as a smart water, make sure it’s a drink that you’ve tried before: If it gives you a headache, you don’t want to discover that on the day of the test.

       A wristwatch: You must, must, must wear a wristwatch to the exam. Wearing a watch is a huge and easy step for you to manage your time and take control of the testing situation. Dissolve a big part of your anxiety by knowing exactly when each section will end and how much time you have. The worst way to take the SAT is in constant fear of the proctor jarring you with, “Put your pencils down!” Your wristwatch can’t beep or be a smartwatch, so on this day, bring something cheap that tells the time and does nothing else.

      After you arrive at the test center, take out what you need and stow the rest of the stuff in a backpack under your seat.

       You’re not allowed to bring a phone, camera, laptop, or tablet to the testing room. Nor can you bring scrap paper, books, or other school supplies (including rulers, compasses, and highlighters) except for those pencils and your trusty calculator. Leave these other items behind. Also, no portable music devices. If your watch is a smartwatch, leave it home!

      Taking control of the tension

      You’ll probably feel nervous when you arrive at the test center. This is normal, and it’s okay. Try a couple of stretches and head shakes to chase away tension. During the exam, wriggle your feet and move your shoulders up and down whenever you feel yourself tightening up. If you roll your neck, be sure to close your eyes and not to face the other students so you don’t risk a charge of cheating. And take a few deep breaths to calm yourself.

       Use the tension to boost your score. Before you begin the exam, 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 СКАЧАТЬ