SAT For Dummies. Ron Woldoff

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СКАЧАТЬ the SAT doesn’t matter anymore. But for now, you’re not trying to get all of them right — you’re trying to get most of them right.

It Isn’t You: Testing Under Adverse Conditions

      Your test isn’t actually given by the College Board. It’s given by a proctor qualified by the College Board, and this proctor is required to adhere to certain standards. If something odd happens during the test that you believe negatively affected your score, such as construction noises, no working air conditioning (say in Phoenix), or anything else that shouldn’t be the case, register a complaint with the College Board customer service right away for a chance to have those scores cancelled and for you to retake the exam, at no charge. Complaining to the testing center staff does no good: You must communicate directly with the College Board. You don’t have much time to register this complaint, so don’t delay.

       Schools tend to freeze the heck out of the testing rooms, so being chilly isn’t grounds for registering a complaint! It does mean that you should prepare by wearing layers that you can remove if needed. Note that you may not be allowed to wear a jacket or a cap, but a sweater is okay.

      SHOULD YOU TAKE THE PSAT/NMSQT?

      The PSAT used to be short for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, but now PSAT just means Pre-SAT. The NMSQT part still stands for something — National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Though it has a two-part name, the PSAT/NMSQT is just one test, but it performs both functions of preparing you for the SAT and screening you for a host of available scholarships. If you’re a super brain, the PSAT/NMSQT may move you into the ranks of semifinalists for a National Merit Scholarship, a prestigious (high-status) scholarship program, or give you entry to other special programs. You don’t have to do anything extra to apply for these scholarships and programs. Just take the test, and if you make the cut, the National Merit Scholarship Program and other organizations will contact you. Some students who do not score high enough to become semifinalists will receive a Letter of Commendation, which also looks good on your college applications. Even if you’re not sure that you’ll win a scholarship or receive a letter, you should still take the PSAT/NMSQT. It mirrors the SAT, and though the PSAT is slightly shorter, it gives you a feel for the SAT itself and your performance on a standardized exam.

Part 2

      Mastering the SAT Reading Test

IN THIS PART …

       Find out what to expect on the SAT Reading Test.

       Manage your time with tried-and-true techniques.

       Discover proven strategies for answering each question correctly.

       Sample plenty of practice questions.

Chapter 3

      Getting Acquainted with the SAT Reading Test

      IN THIS CHAPTER

       Knowing what to expect on the SAT Reading Test

       Finding tried-and-true ways to manage your time

       Using proven strategies to answer each question correctly

       Mastering the subject content of reading passages

      The SAT Reading isn’t like what you’re used to. These are college-level journal articles on literature, science, and social studies, and you’re asked to identify such mind-bending concepts as the purpose of a phrase or what’s implied by a paragraph. The SAT starts with this test, so you’re also doing this at eight on a Saturday morning.

       If the depth of your regular reading hovers around Instagram and Twitter, you’re going to struggle with the nuance and complexity of SAT reading. Ease yourself into this task by reading Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or any regular publication aimed at adults, at least once a week, starting now. Your best bet is to get a print edition that you can hold in your hands: Not only are there no online distractions, but you also get used to reading the SAT, which is on paper too. These steps will also ease your transition into college.

Understanding the Reading Section

      The SAT Reading Test consists of five short passages which you read and wrangle for 65 minutes. Here’s what to expect on this test:

       Four 1-part passages: You see four passages, each 500 to 750 words long, and each with 10 to 11 multiple-choice questions.

       One 2-part passage: You see one passage that is split in two parts, also with 10 or 11 multiple-choice questions. These two half-passages typically offer two points of view on the same topic.

       Content: You get one passage drawn from a work of literature, two passages from science, and one single plus one two-part passage from social studies.

       Purpose: Passages may present arguments or theories, relate a series of events, describe situations or places, or reveal characters and attitudes.

       Graphics: Some passages, typically science but sometimes social studies, are accompanied by charts, graphs, or diagrams similar to those that appear in textbooks.

Managing Your Time with Key Strategies

      As you cut through the SAT Reading, use these simple, tried-and-true strategies to get the most questions right before running out of time on this section.

      1 Work the literature passage last.The literature passage is always the first in the group, but work this passage last. The passage itself may be straightforward, but the questions tend to go deep into things like the motivations of characters and the symbolism of situations — things that take time to read and absorb. Work this time-heavy literature passage after the other, faster passages.

      2 Start with the blurb at the beginning of each passage.These few lines tell you from a high level what’s happening in the passage, whether it’s an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln or a study of migrating geese. This vital context provides simple underlying knowledge to help answer the questions. You will read the whole passage, but not right away.

      3 Start with the line-number questions.These are the questions that send you to a certain line or lines in the passage. Be sure to read a few lines above and below (within the paragraph), but these are the easiest to answer because you usually don’t need to understand the whole passage.Note: We’re not talking about questions where you select a line (via СКАЧАТЬ