Blogs on ACT/SAT

Did you know that the SAT was invented as a part of assessing the intelligence of recruits in the US Army? Over time, the SAT became a standardized test used by colleges to gauge a student’s understanding of the concepts previously learned. The SAT is a test taken by students in the US and globally. But many questions still confuse the test-taker like what is tested? And how is it scored? Read on to find answers to the questions.     What is the SAT? Who takes the SAT? What is tested? How is it scored Terms you should know      What is the SAT? SAT or the Scholastic Assessment Test is one of the two tests (the other being the ACT) that is used to test your readiness for college. The test is designed to evaluate your ability to apply the concepts previously learned in school, in a timed-testing environment. However, it does not test your intelligence but how well you do in a stressful situation.   The test is divided into three sections - Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. It is a 3-hour long test with breaks between sections. The colleges use the SAT as a predictive analytic tool to evaluate the student’s basic abilities that are needed to enter undergraduate programs. It is a pencil-paper test and not an online one. Some colleges also prefer the ACT over SAT so ask your desired colleges about the test they need you to take.       Who takes the SAT? Students seeking admission to colleges in the USA and Canada appear for the test. They are students usually from the 11th or 12th grades that are seeking admission to undergraduate programs.       What is tested? The SAT tests the student in three areas -   Evidence-based reading - The first section that is tested on the SAT is the Evidence-based reading. This section comprises 52 questions based on 5 passages that have to be answered within 65 minutes. The passages range from genres like literature, history, social studies, and science. For these passages, different types of questions are asked, which include; Main idea Detail questions Inferences Author’s purpose and technique Vocabulary Analogy Data reasoning Evidence Support   Remember, this section wants to test your ability to focus on the big picture as well as the small details in a timed environment. Therefore, It would be wise to first attempt to solve the passages of the subject that you have relatively more grasp over. Read the passages in a way that gives answers to the questions rather than going through the entire passage. Keep the main idea question for last as you will get an idea of what is the passage about until that time.     Writing and Language - The next section tested is the Writing and Language section. You get 35 minutes to answer 44 questions. You will be provided with 4 passages from genres of careers, humanities, social studies, and science, accompanied by 11 questions. In this section, you get a chance to point out grammatical mistakes like missing punctuation, wrong sentence building, and an incorrect choice of words and make the necessary corrections. Graphics for paragraphs on science are also provided so make sure you understand the meaning of them and answer the questions accordingly.   When attempting the questions: Always use grammar rules to guide the way. Eliminate the wrong answers first; it will help you narrow down your options. Read the questions and paragraphs carefully as they tend to be tricky sometimes.     Math - The math section includes 58 questions that are divided into two parts. The first part is the No Calculator section with 20 questions to be solved in 25 minutes. The use of a calculator is allowed in the second part. The second part contains 38 questions that take 55 minutes to solve. The math section is divided into four domains Heart of Algebra (ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning) Problem Solving and Data Analysis (linear equations, systems of linear equations, and functions) Passport to Advanced Math (linear equations, functions, and systems) Additional Topics in math (geometry, trigonometry, complex numbers, and radian measures)   Keep these things in mind while attempting the questions in the math section - Practice math questions from all the domains as much as possible. With the help of our newly launched SAT Math Practice Questions book, you will get the additional practice that you need. It contains 350 practice questions along with 1 full-length test. Memorize basic as well as important formulas Don’t miss out on the last step like converting inches to feet which can cost you your marks.       How is it scored? The SAT score is the summation of two sections - Evidence-based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Note that the Reading and Writing and Language section is clubbed together to form one section while calculating the test score.   For each section, you can score between 200 - 800 so for the overall test, you can score between 400 - 1600.   Sample conversion chart by collegeboard.org   The calculation of the test score is a bit tricky. First, a raw score (actual number of questions that you get right) is found. Then the test score (between 10 and 40) of the Reading and Writing and Language section is added. The sum is then multiplied by 10. That is your section score for EBRW. For the Math section, the corresponding score on the chart is the section score. The total score of the test is calculated by adding the two section scores.   Confusing, right? Let’s take an example where Sonia appears for the SAT and gets a raw score of 42 (she got 42 answers correct). According to the conversion chart, her test score for Reading is 34 and 38 for Writing and Language. Upon adding the two test scores, she gets a score of 72. Now, when she multiplies 72 by 10, she gets a section score of 720.   Similarly, her Math section score is 630 according to the conversion chart. To calculate the total score that she received on the test, she adds the two section scores (720+630) and hence gets a total score of 1350.       Terms you should know College Board - College Board is the organization that conducts the SAT. It is the manager of the test and provides great resources for understanding the application process and provides information about the test structure, scoring, and tips for writing the test. The scores of the test are released on College Board’s website and it can also send your test scores to your chosen colleges.   ACT - The ACT (American College Testing) is similar to the SAT and many colleges prefer students take the ACT. When the SAT was redesigned, its content became similar to the ACT. Consult your colleges of choice to know which test they prefer.   Superscore - Suppose, a student takes a test 2 times. On the first test, he scores less in the math section but more in the writing and language section, and on the second test, he gets a higher score in the math section. So, a superscore is the combination of the best section scores. Some colleges ask the students to submit the scores of all the tests that they have taken, to evaluate the superscore.     Find 5 full-length tests, 770 questions, and detailed answers and explanations in our newly released edition of  Practice Tests for the SAT. Lastly, manage your time efficiently and don’t be dejected if you don’t clear the test in one go as there’s always a second time.

As the first person in my family to go to college, I was feeling the pressure to get respectable ACT and SAT scores to get into a good school. I felt stressed about it because math was not my strong suit, and taking tests under the pressure of time made me nervous.   However, I had prepared my entire high school career to look appealing for potential colleges. I was a member of the SCA, played softball, was in all honor classes, had a high GPA, held a part-time job, and volunteered. What if I bomb my college entrance exams? What if I get passed over because of it? These are the kind of things running through my head before preparing for and taking the ACT and SAT.   Many colleges and universities are no longer requiring the essay of the ACT or SAT. So why should students complete them?     1) It Prepares Students to Apply to Any College   Even though there is a trend on colleges no longer requiring the essay portion of these tests, there are some that still do. Some colleges want to acquire as much information about a student as possible before making a decision. Others simply want to demonstrate how important they think writing skills are. Prestigious Duke University advertises that the essay is optional but recommended. Christoph Guttentag, dean undergraduate admissions states, “We will continue to value writing as particularly meaningful as we develop a sense of students as potential members of the Duke community. And we will still pay careful attention to essay scores and what they represent for those students who submit them.”   If students decide to apply to a school they had not previously considered and it requires the essay, they would have to take the complete exam all over again. Having the test and essay already completed will leave them with many more options. Students can apply to colleges whether they require it or not.   Given I had no guidance from family, I did not know what my potential schools required. I decided to take the tests and complete the essays as well. In my case, it was a good thing I did, because schools I applied to, indeed required them.   Some colleges may not require the essay but may recommend them. When students compete with thousands of other potential students, it’s best to make themselves stand out any way that they can.     2) It Can Help If Your Score for the Rest of the Test is Lower   If your potential college makes the essay of the ACT or SAT necessary, it can help you if you have a lower math score. It is one more thing that colleges can look at to see you as a complete student. This is exactly what it did for me. I scored ok on the math portion and better then ok on my essay.   The newest versions of the ACT and SAT essay have potential students evaluate, analyze, and give more thought to their writing piece. It gives colleges more to think about than grammar and style. Having an amazing essay score can only help students.     3) It Prepares You for College Writing   Completing the essay of the ACT or SAT gives colleges an example of your timed writing skills. In college courses, having a prompt with a certain amount of time to write is standard practice. The analytical thinking required to complete the essay is also the kind of thinking students will have to exercise in college. Having the essay portion of the test completed will show admissions what you are capable of in that atmosphere.   College entrance exam essays do not have to be stressful. Using books that guide on approaching the writing task, analyzing the issues presented, and managing time effectively can give you all the tools you need to succeed with writing your essay. If you prepare with these books, you’ll know how to score well and have the practice you need to write your essay with ease. This will boost chances of getting into a reputable college or university that you are interested in. I prepared for the essay of my exams, and they are indeed where I flourished. I got into my number one pick for college.     Ace your ACT & SAT with our books: Winning Strategies for ACT Essay Writing: With 15 Sample Prompts SAT Essay Writing Guide with Sample Prompts

Ability to add large numbers quickly in your head is a neat trick – helpful when you are grocery shopping or trying to figure out how many runs your favorite player has made in a series.Adding 397 to 918 in your head may sound tricky.It is easier to handle numbers when they are rounded off.So 397 becomes 400 and 918 becomes 920.It is now easier to add 400 to 920. The total is 1320.To arrive at the original equation, we have to figure out how much we added to our original numbers.400 – 397 = 3 and 920 – 918 = 2. So we have added a total of 5 to our original numbers.So we subtract  5 from 1320.1320 – 5 = 1315.So 397 + 918 = 1315.Get lots of Math practice problems for standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, GRE and GMAT in the Test Prep Series books of Vibrant Publishers.