Last Minute Reminders for the SAT this Saturday
March 12th, 2009- Remember that each of the correct answers is worth 10 points
- Remember that the questions increase in difficulty by thirds within each section
SENTENCE COMPLETION
- Be sure and look for the clue words (words that show an action or have an importance) in the sentence that will point you to the correct answer
- Remember to be alert for words of contrast such as but, although, in spite of, etc. ? these words change the direction or flow of the sentences
READING COMPREHENSION
- Remember to read questions first
- In the case of the comparative reading passages, remember that the first third of the questions are descriptive questions about passage number one, the second third of the questions are descriptive questions about passage number two, and the last third are comparative questions. So read the first third of the questions over then read passage number one, then read the rest the questions over and read passage number two and answer the rest of the questions.
- Remember that frequently they ask you questions that about what both authors of the compared passages would agree on. In this case look for answers that anyone would agree to…sort of a “duh” answer.
- If you can narrow the answers to main idea questions down to two, frequently you can distinguish which is the better answer by reading the first of the passage over and the last of the passage over. This usually indicates the main idea of the passage.
- Be aware of the fact there will usually be at least one minority passage and that negative answers can be ruled out in the case of this passage.
MATH
- Remember with percentage problems that it frequently helps to do your addition and subtraction on the percentage side.
- Remember with word problems that you must get the numbers out of the words as you read the problem.
- Remember that in the case of simultaneous equations which or stacked up or side by side you must focus on the targets, i.e. what you’re looking for and then the decide how to manipulate the equations to get to that goal.
- In the case of word problems that have simultaneous equations embedded in them, remember to determine who or what you’re looking for, put everything in those terms, and solve.In the case of made up functions, remember to focus on the new instructions - orders that you’re given and follow them, substituting the values for the variables.
- When you see triangles, remember that if they’re asking you questions about triangles, they usually can be attacked this way: 1 - if the triangle contains a 90 degree angle look and see if you can get the answer best by solving for area or use the Pythagorean theorem to solve the question 2 - if they’re asking questions that have to do with angles, they are usually centered around the fact there are 180 degrees in a triangle 3 - if they don’t give you any angles, they are usually asking if you remember that the sum of any two sides of the triangle must exceed the third side.
- Remember that questions about circles nearly always have something to do with the radius or the diameter.
- In the case of volume questions, remember that volume is usually simply area times height.
- If questions have to do with coordinate points on a graph, remember to plot them carefully to determine the distance between the points.
- Remember that with a change in average problem you must work with the totals that the averages generate.
- Remember that the mode is the most frequent or common score or value.
- Remember that the median is the midpoint, i.e. half of the values or scores are above it and half of the values or scores are below it.
- Remember to look for the special sequences that he SAT asks for: 1 Special sequences where they ask questions about the ones or the units values of numbers that are being raised to different powers. Remember that the sequence repeats. 2 Sequences where they give you an odd number of consecutive integers and ask questions around the fact that the sum or the product of those integers is zero.
- Remember in the quantitative comparison section, if they give you very little or no boundaries on the variables involved “D” is the answer you have to talk yourself out of, i.e. your first consideration.
- Remember a digit is a counting number (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9).
- Remember an integer is a positive and negative whole number and ZERO.