So I'm currently studying for the SATs this March. I've just taken a practice test, and well... my response to my score was crumpling up my answer sheet and throwing it down, stomping on it a few times... :mad::o
Do you ever get the feeling that you are sure you've gotten all of the questions on the Math section right, only to find out that you've royally screwed up? My dad is pretty much emphasizing getting an 800, and on my most recent practice test, I got a 710 (okay, so it's royally screwing up in my perspective)...
Critical reading is a more traumatic matter. I just got a 620. Yeah. Like it's anywhere near showing improvement towards my goal of at least 700 or 720... And these days, my score on the CR section is usually in the 670 - 690 range... For those of you who can get high scores on the CR section easily, how do you do it? And specifically, what's the best way to tackle the section with the two separate, long-reading passages (not the coupled ones, nor the long one that questions #13 to 24 are affiliated with)? I find myself being overwhelmed by the passages if I try to read and get the gist of the passages or try to tackle them by reading the questions and then going to specific parts of the passage. I mean, with the time limit and all, it can freak me out. In the end, I ended up "cheating" by screwing the time limit with that critical reading section, and look what I still got.
My dad is going to freak when he sees the email with my practice test scores... :(
I think your parents are jerks if they force you to get to a certain score on your test, honestly.
For math and reading, i got a 1210. While that may make it sound like I'm no genius, anyone will tell you that I am a pretty damn well learned person.
Don't put so much stock in the SATs, I freaking think they're stupid. And that obsessing over them is stupid. I frequently got in fights with the "OMG I AM 10 POINTS FROM PERFECT, THAT MEANS I'M SO SMART" types. The SATs don't do much to tell you have smart you are, or tell schools that. If you have an exemplary GPA (as I did), and know what you're all about, and not planning to go to (in my opinion stupid for undergrads) Ivy League schools, you're fine.
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littleStudent;72868 wrote:Critical reading is a more traumatic matter. I just got a 620. Yeah. Like it's anywhere near showing improvement towards my goal of at least 700 or 720... And these days, my score on the CR section is usually in the 670 - 690 range... For those of you who can get high scores on the CR section easily, how do you do it? And specifically, what's the best way to tackle the section with the two separate, long-reading passages (not the coupled ones, nor the long one that questions #13 to 24 are affiliated with)? I find myself being overwhelmed by the passages if I try to read and get the gist of the passages or try to tackle them by reading the questions and then going to specific parts of the passage. I mean, with the time limit and all, it can freak me out. In the end, I ended up "cheating" by screwing the time limit with that critical reading section, and look what I still got.
Well, let's see if I can help you. Not to brag, but I did really well in the CR sections of the ACT and SAT...
What helped ME the most was mouthing the words as I read. I know, it sounds silly, but it's a trick my AP Language teacher taught me for the AP exam. By mouthing the words, it slows down your reading, and causes you to absorb it better. Also, explicate, explicate, explicate! That means, write all over your paper. Underline, write out responses to sentences and paragraphs, circle things, fo whatever it takes for you to remember things quickly. What's probably taking up most of your time on this section is probably having to go back to the passage and trying to find the correct answer, right? So by reading more slowly and carefully at first, and marking up the text so you remember parts better, you should be able to improve your score. Practice doing this a couple of times first without timing yourself, so you can get used to it, then time yourself, and see if you've gotten better and faster.
Oh, and don't put too much stock into the SATs. They're just one more set of tests that colleges try to use to categorize people. They tend to pay attention to overall grades and classes taken (especially APs and their tests). I'm sure you'll be fine--and if your dad doesn't realize this, he needs to take a major chill pill.
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sorry to hear about the parental pressure...=/ tough situation.
my cr/writing scores surprisingly pretty good. what worked for me: realizing that ALL the answers to the questions are right there in the passage. they'll try to get you to assume things from the passage, and that's what makes some of the other choices reasonable. but remember that if it doesn't say it, it's not the answer. the SAT is a reasoning test, so try to attack it logically. i'd look at the questions first and then see if it's even necessary to read the whole thing. if it is, then reread parts that you don't get, so you don't misinterpret them.
it used to be that my math scores were remarkably higher than CR/W, but it switched around on me... -_- *throws TI-83 at wall*
if you've taken the PSAT, use the online score report to try to understand how collegeboard wants you to answer, and how they arrive at the answers.
good luck!
Yeah.. half the SAT isn't testing your knowledge, it's testing your test-taking skills. Just do what you did on the standardized tests in like the 4th grade, where you eliminated the dumbass answers and you'll be fine. You may not get every question, but you'll do decent.
As for your parents, just talk with them. I got a 710 on the math section, and I only missed 3 problems. So it's not like I slacked off and only got a 710, it's really hard to get. That may not work with your parents, but hopefully one parent might understand?