The SAT writing section is unique in that it is the only part of the test that is graded subjectively. It is a 25 minute section where you are presented with a prompt (could be a quote by someone famous) and an assignment (a question about the prompt or a guideline to follow for the essay). The instructions are simple – write an essay. There is no preferred format or technical direction to follow which gives the test taker flexibility in their writing. The important instructions are outlined at the beginning of the section: Develop a point of view on an issue presented in the excerpt Support your point of view using reasoning and ex... Read More About How To Succeed On The Essay Portion Of The SAT

The Reading section of the SAT consists of 67 questions that test your vocabulary, critical thinking skills, and focus. It is made up of two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section. Like all sections of the SAT, it is graded on a 200-800 point scale which goes into your total score. Questions on the Reading section fall into two categories: Passage-Based Reading and Sentence Completions. On every test, there will be 48 Passage-Based questions and 19 Sentence Completions. When you are working on a section of Sentence Completions, the questions will be listed in order of difficulty (with the simplest one first), while the Passage-Based que... Read More About What You Need To Know About The Reading Section Of The SAT

The math sections of the SAT breakdown in the following ways:• One 25-minute section with 20 multiple choice questions• One 25-minute section with 8 multiple choice, and 10 grid-in questions• One 20-minute section with 16 multiple choice questionsHere are 3 rules to follow to set yourself up before you do any actual studying.Rule 1: Time Management:The SAT math sections are structured with the test-taker in mind. They start off with easy problems that get progressively more difficult from question to question. You should not spend too much time on the early questions as you will want the extra minutes for the harder problems at ... Read More About Key Facts About The SAT Math Section

The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized exam that is used for college admissions. While some two-year programs do not require it, all four-year colleges and universities require that applicants take either the SAT or the ACT.  The SAT has three sections: Math, Verbal, and Writing, which was added in 2005. Each section is scored on a 200-800 point scale, and the total of these sections makes up the complete score (600-2400). The test is broken up into seven 25-minute sections, two 20-minute sections, and one 10-minute section with three 5-minute breaks, meaning that the full test clocks in at three hours and forty-five minutes.  Th... Read More About What You Should Know About The SAT

The average SAT scores for the high school class of 2011 fell across the nation, according to the College Board (the creator of the SAT) and an article in the New York Times. The average, national reading score fell to a record low of 497, a three-point decrease from 2010. The average writing score dropped two points to 489, and the average math score fell one point to 514. The College Board believes that a more diverse group of students caused this decrease, mainly students whose first language is not English. Nearly 27 percent of the roughly 1.65 million students who took the test came from a home where English is not the only/primary lang... Read More About Why SAT Scores Might Be Decreasing

The College Board, the creators of the SAT, introduced a junior version of the exam for eighth graders in 2010 called the ReadiStep, according to an article in the New York Times. The ReadiStep is a two-hour test and has questions written in the same style as the PSAT and the SAT. The test is scored 2-8 for each section, similar to the 20-80 score range on the PSAT and SAT. Nearly 250,000 students have already taken this test in the fall of 2010, most of whom are in Texas because the state education department offered to cover the test’s $8 charge for every student as part of a larger college-readiness program. The College Board ... Read More About Another Pre Pre SAT Test

The SAT has predominantly been the staple of standardized tests for students hoping to be accepted into the nation’s top colleges. However, in recent years the ACT is becoming more popular, according to an article by Bob Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, published in The Washington Post.             The SAT was created over 80 years ago, and 20 years ago 75% more students took the SAT than the ACT. The ACT was largely a regional test, more popular in the South, Midwest, Southwest and Mountain states.      ... Read More About The Rise Of The ACT

High school students annually stress over SAT and ACT test scores. Parents and other figures offer countless little tips to boost students’ performances. Eat a good breakfast, they say. Get a good night’s sleep, they prod.  Have a nice cup of coffee, they advise.             These are all simple, little tips that could boost a student’s thought process and generate higher scores. Furthermore, exercising the morning of your big ACT or SAT test could also help increase your score, according to an article in The US News & World Report.     &nbs... Read More About Exercise Before Tests

The next SAT test date is only a month away!  1. Practice, practice, practice.  Just like learning how to ride a bike, you get better at the SAT by practicing.  Staring at the questions won't get you far.  Dive in and do some practice questions.  You'll not only learn the format of the questions, you'll also learn how The College Board (makers of the SAT) likes to word questions. 2. Use The Official SAT Study Guide.  What better way to practice than by using actual SAT test questions?  This book is published by The College Board, and contains a whopping 10 full length practice tests.  In addition, the ... Read More About Five SAT Test Prep Tips