I’d like to briefly share my thoughts with you on guessing in the critical reading section. The critical reading section has two different parts: The first part is sentence completion; there are blanks in the sentence and you need to fill it in with the answer choice. Each answer choice will have a word or a couple of words if there are two blanks; you need to understand the context of the sentence. You then need to pick the words that fill in the sentence properly from the SAT vocabulary list.
- 3:06m - 
- 3:21m - Guessing In the Critical Reading Section (transcript)
I’d like to briefly share my thoughts with you on guessing in the critical reading section. The critical reading section has two different parts: The first part is sentence completion; there are blanks in the sentence and you need to fill it in with the answer choice. Each answer choice will have a word, or a couple of words if there are two blanks; you need to understand the context of the sentence. You then need to pick the words that fill in the sentence properly.
If you have a really strong vocabulary, chances are you are going to breeze through the section. Even if you have a strong vocabulary you may get to a question where there are a bunch of words that you’ve never seen before. Do not panic if you are in that situation; there is a way to back your way into the answer. First of all understand the context of the sentence then look at your answer choices. If there are some answer choices that you know the definitions of and you know what the words mean; they don’t work in the sentence. Obviously eliminate those as answers and guess from what is left. If you can eliminate one or more answers that are definitely wrong just guess and move on.
I have met a lot of kids over the years that would skip the reading and go right to the questions and this was their technique. They would be very careful about reading the question; the questions on a lot of those problems are very tricky. Read the question a couple of times to really understand what the problem is about and then when you go through the answer choices a few of the answers are going to eliminate themselves. They are not going to be truly related to the question. Be very careful and understand the question because you are not going to get the answer right if you do not understand. Spend some time understanding the question; look through the answer choices and I guarantee some of them will eliminate themselves. If you are stuck between a tough call, go back to the text and read it to see if you can narrow it down. You are going to get stuck on a couple of problems between two that seem to work. When you find yourself in that situation do not be surprised. There a lot of questions that have two answers that work on a certain level and the College Board will consider one answer better than the other.
No matter which way you decide; you are going to be in good company. It is going to be a tough decision for a lot of other smart kids that are taking the test. Some will choose one answer and the other half will choose the other answer. Remember that there is wiggle room in the critical reading section. What that means is you do not need to get every single one right in order to get an 800 or a really good score. Remember there will be tough decisions. If you can eliminate a couple of answers choices that you know do not work; guess and move on and hopefully that will help you maximize your score.
Karl Schellscheidt
ePrep, Inc.
http://blog.eprep.com
January 12th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I have a little trouble with passage. The passage is from 1 to 17 questions.
I answer 5 or 4 questions on passage. This is very bad to me because that can decrease my score on Critical Reading. In fact, I have no idea what to do?
January 15th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
James,
It sounds like you are frustrated. I can imagine. The critical reading section was the most difficult for me too.
You should probably watch my video on tips for international students. In the video I talk about how international students should be spending their study time. You may want to concentrate your efforts on earning a high score on the TOEFL rather than the SAT critical reading section.
If the TOEFL is not an option, you will simply have to continue reading and building your vocabulary. It will get better if you keep working. (My four videos on vocabulary building may help as well.)
Send an update when you get a chance.
Regards,
Karl
April 28th, 2007 at 5:47 am
Hey Karl,
In your video you say that one doesn’t have to get all the questions correct on the CR to score an 800. What exactly do you mean by that?
And since I test my self alot, should I expect a score that’s a little higher than what I get from testing myself when I take the actual exam?
Since I’m alway a bit short of my goal score, finding out that CollegeBoard makes some exceptions on some of the questions is great news for me!
And also, how many vocab words do you recommend I study? A range would be great. I’m going to take the SAT on May 5, and also 4 times after that. Do you think that’s enough time to go from 570 CR to 650-700?? Have you seen people make such a jump?
Awaiting your reply.
Thanks.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Arad,
Generally speaking, if you answer 58 out of the 67 critical reading questions correctly and omit the other 9, your score will be 700.
This means that when you are taking the test, you can simply skip or “pass” on 9 questions. Knowing this should make taking the test less stressful.
I have definitely seen CR scores go from 570 to 700. The key is building your vocabulary. Trust me, you can do it in your free time — the little pockets of time most people waste every day.
After college, I decided to improve my vocabulary. I began to reread a lot of my old high school books, actually stopping to look up words the second time through. I kept lists and memorized each and every word. I improved my vocabulary by almost 2,000 words in a 9 month period. My reading GRE (Graduate Record Exam) score went up 260 points as a result. Looking back, it was the best thing I ever did for myself.
I hesitate to give you a range. Just do as much as you can in your free time. More important than increasing your SAT score, you will be creating a habit that will serve you well throughout life. The hardest part is getting started. Don’t think about it, just do it.
Good luck.
Karl
April 30th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Hey Karl, Thanks for the Advice
And I started studying vocab way before your reply
I can remember it was a very boring day with nothing to do… I was surfing the net and stumbled upon your site. After watching your vocab videos, I just couldn’t stop studying words. I asked for a range to see if I studied enough. I finished roughly close to 800 words these 3 months. And I think I know why my CR score isn’t as high as I would like it to be.. It’s because I studied all the words I was supposed to know in the first place. I’m known for my lack of vocab. Anyway, I’m gonna finish what I started, this summer I plan to reach the 2,000 mark. Hopefully.
Anyway, The reason why I’m commenting is:
)
Today in my english class, I took a SAT writing section practice quiz. My teacher got it from the Blue book I guess. I got nearly all of them correct! 31/35 . I couldn’t beleive it since I remember not too long ago getting a 500 writing on a practice test.
Do you think it was mere luck, or do you think that the SAT is sophisticated enough to measure a student the exact same way every time (Which will then mean that that’s the kind of score I am capable of
When a student of yours gets that kind of mark on the same section (I’m sure you know which one), what goes through your mind, regarding the student’s potential. And does it, to you, seem realistic for such a student to hone his/her skills in a matter of months (3-4 to be exact) so that he/she can gaurantee the same mark on test day, even under stress.
I basically want to know what would go through your mind, and whether it could of just been plain luck.
Thanks.
April 30th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Oh ya. I forgot to mention that my teacher gave my class an extra 5 minutes on the quiz. (we had 30 minutes instead of 25)
Thanks
April 30th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I am always happy when a student gets a high score for the first time. I always tell the student that we have a new standard, and that with such new standard comes responsibility — the responsibility to practice and practice until the new standard becomes the norm and not just a fluke.
When you practice from now on, make sure you work within the correct time limits. An extra five minutes can make a bit of a difference in the CR section.
If you keep working on the vocab, Arad, you will crush the test in the fall. Trust me, building your vocabulary will change the course of the rest of your life.
Send me an update when you get a chance.
May 18th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
hey karl
i am a foreigner and i don’t have a very good vocabulary. i am taking the test in 15 days and i dont’ kno what to do? i can’t grasp anything. nothing sticks in my brain no matter how much i try to remember something. is there anything i can do?
thanks
May 18th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Shrada,
First of all, based on your written comment, your English seems pretty good. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Last fall, I posted a series of videos on vocabulary and vocabulary building. If you have not yet watched them, you may want to check them out. They may answer some of your questions.
In general, however, I think vocabulary building requires a lot of “old fashion” hard work. I have seen plenty of students increase their SAT scores with vocabulary building alone.
Please send me a follow-up note once you have watched the vocab videos.
Regards,
Karl
June 27th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Dear Karl,
I have taken the SAT 3 times now. My superscore as of late, is 1740, with 610 Math, 610 Writing, and 520 Reading. My reading score has stayed the same every time, stuck at 520.
My question is, how can I improve this 520 score to at least 610 or 630. That is my goal, and I believe it is only a mere 8 questions to make this jump. Do you have any suggestions for me? Also, does the writing section correlate towards the reading section?
Thanks,
Amit
June 27th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Amit,
The first thing you should do is explore all ePrep posts in the “Reading” category. (You’ll see the various categories in the left navigation column of the website.) You should then check out the posts under “Strategies.” Once you are finished, please send me questions. I would be happy to answer them.
Some schools will average your reading and writing scores — others do not. You can always ask a given school about its policy for interpreting SAT scores.
Don’t worry too much about being stuck at 520. Your scores will improve in the fall. Just continue working hard and have faith in yourself.
Hope to hear from you soon.
July 1st, 2007 at 7:21 am
Hello.
I have just given my IGCSE O Level exams, including English as a First Language. I intend to give the SAT 1 exam this September, Can you please advise me on how to increase my vocabulary? I do read alot but my vocabulary has not expanded much, even though I purchased a vocabulary book, I seem to forget the meanings of the new words I learn. I have done a few practice tests of the Critical Reading section, I usually get around 23+ questions out of 26. Is that good enough? When I finish I generally have only 3-5 minutes to spare. Can you give some advice on how can I reduce the time spent on each question? I simply try to make sense of the questions without actually understanding the meaning of most words. In the math section, I spend alot of time on some questions and still get them wrong. I’m really confused while solving the problems I seem to muddle up all the rules, do you think it’s because I need more practice? Would you suggest that I take the test later if, to you, I seem unprepared. Although I need to apply to college with my results by December. I desperately need your advice on the study pattern I should follow if I need to prepare for the test in 2 months.
P.S. I also use a book called Kaplan 2007 Edition for my preparation, it includes a practice CD.
Awaiting your early response.
Regards,
Ayesha
July 5th, 2007 at 5:51 am
pleaseeeee answer my question. how much is 40 out of 57 on a 2400 scale? it’s what i got overall on my practice exam.
July 5th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Elina,
40 out of 57 what? Did you do math, critical reading or writing? Let me know and I will try to help you calculate your score.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
well, it was for all three, all the sections with random questions on critical reading, math, and writing. so…what is the final score i get?
thanks,
elina
July 9th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Elina,
It’s hard to base a score on a random sampling because some questions are harder than others. If your sample included an unusually high number of hard (or easy) questions, for example, your score would definitely be skewed down (or up).
In any case, if you completed an entire SAT at the rate of 40 correct (17 skips and zero incorrect) for every 57 questions, you would wind up with total score of about 1830.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:54 am
I’m not sure i’ll get a replay, I came upon this site through surfing, anyway:
I haven’t read much books compared to many others, and it frustrates me how I struggle and can’t get my CR scores above 620~650 that I am right now. Vocabulary isn’t too much of a problem, I think there’s a problem with my reading…
So I’ve been reading as much as I can, for about.. two months? ..
Can you give me any suggestions on how to improve my reading (score)?
And by the way… is reading fast important? I read really slow - when I read the fastest it’s only about 120~150 words per minute. I’ve been trying to improve on this…and I’d like to know how important reading fast is…
PS is there any way to improve my SAT writing…other than practicing?
July 21st, 2007 at 12:06 pm
by the way…
“writing” that I mentioned above = essay writing
please give me advice regarding my former post, considering that my goal score is 760 or above on both reading and writing sections (of course I can’t get even close to that score now, but… thats my goal)
If you want to be specific that’s ok. In fact that would be better! I don’t mind it sounding like an impossibility, I just want some guidelines, however difficult.
July 22nd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Dear YoonHo,
You should probably start by checking out past ePrep post in the Reading category. You can access such posts by selecting “Reading” under the heading “Categories” in the navigation column on the right side of this webpage. On video that you should definitely watch is “Critical Reading Another Way - Sam’s Story.”
If you have questions after your review, send them along.
By the way, I am going to do a video post on the essay soon. Please check back for it soon.
November 24th, 2007 at 1:24 am
im fr indonesian who had had my sat test for three times already.
my score was 1530, 1660, then dropped into 1570.
in this case, i would like to share about my critical reading section.
on the second test, my score was 470, then fell into 380, so poor.
my question is, how come? i had improved my vocab 1000-1500 words, practice
and practice, but i got my score decreased.
actually, what is the best strategy in overcoming reading section?
if i do skimming, i wont get the meaning, but if i do read the whole
passage, i wont have enough time..
thx a lot..
November 24th, 2007 at 9:20 am
febbry,
It is very possible that you simply had a bad day when you scored the 380 in critical reading. An ePrep visitor named Viktor from Hungary left the following comment back on October 4th. I think his strategy is worth experimenting with:
Viktor said,
on October 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I have developed a revolutionary new technique to crack the CR section. I highly recommend you to try this with international or slow reader students.
I realized that I have no big trouble with the short passages, only with the long ones. Then I can divide the long passage into short ones. I mean I read the first 10-15 lines of a long passage, and then I answer to the questions which are referred to that part, using fresh knowledge. Then I move on to the next 10-15 lines, and find those questions. This prevents the tempting answer choices to confuse me, because I can cross out the answers that are completely alien to that particular 10-15 lines. After this, I have enough knowledge to answer to questions that have no line reference.
Using this technique, my score on my latest SAT CR section was 650. I never did better than 550 before, so it definitely works for me.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:19 am
thx Mr. Karl =) i ll try..
December 15th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Dear Mr. Karl
I did so horrible on the SAT CR I got a 420 after reading
everyones comment and they are worrying about geting 700-800
while I just wish I had a average CR score (500). Also my vocab
is horrible, I don’t read much nor study vocab words, because I
tried that on my previous SAT tests, but they didn’t work can you
help me?
thanks
josh
December 16th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Josh, The critical reading was very difficult for me too when I was in high school. I totally understand your frustration. Start using Level 1 of the free trial version of ePrep’s Wordsmith vocabulary builder. Tomorrow morning, I will dig up a comment for you. It was left by a student from Hungary named Viktor. He has some great advice on how to approach the longer reading passages. I think it may help your situation. Check back tomorrow sometime.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Josh,
Here is Viktor’s advice:
“I have developed a revolutionary new technique to crack the CR section. I highly recommend you to try this with international or slow reader students.
I realized that I have no big trouble with the short passages, only with the long ones. Then I can divide the long passage into short ones. I mean I read the first 10-15 lines of a long passage, and then I answer to the questions which are referred to that part, using fresh knowledge. Then I move on to the next 10-15 lines, and find those questions. This prevents the tempting answer choices to confuse me, because I can cross out the answers that are completely alien to that particular 10-15 lines. After this, I have enough knowledge to answer to questions that have no line reference.
Using this technique, my score on my latest SAT CR section was 650. I never did better than 550 before, so it definitely works for me.”
I hope it helps.
April 20th, 2008 at 10:00 am
hi mr.Schellscheidt.
i’m only in 8th grade right now,
and i already want to start prepping for the SAT.
i really do want do well because it means a lot to my parents,
the school i’m attending next year(it’s a very respected private
that has very respected college matriculations), and most importantly,
it means a lot to me. my dream it to at the very least attain a 2300-2400
on the SAT. math isn’t so much of a problem for me, but i can definitely work on it.
however, i have a problem with CR section.
the reading passages are SO boring and dry, and they make me doze off.
i try to my best to stay on track, but I don’t understand a single thing, well I understand
very little.
and for the writing section, I have not very much looked at the type of
questions, but I fear the essay.
one more thing about the CR section is i have a problem with time.
previewing is not very helpful, and just reading it critically and then answering the questions slows me down.
please help with this problem, mr.Schellscheidt.
i see that you attended Princeton.
wow, Princeton is one school that i’d love to attend.
i also am very aware that colleges just don’t check your SAT scores,
but also your extracurricular activities, grades, certain accolades,
community service, etc.
please tell me your best advice for this.
Thank you
I’d greatly appreciate it.
P.S. if you can, please eave the reply in my email.
April 20th, 2008 at 10:08 am
in my above comment, i meant to say leave in the last line.
and if you can’t reply in my email, you can reply here
April 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Retina,
I am glad to hear that you have set high goals and are willing to work to acheive them. Getting started early (i.e., 8th grade) is a great idea because you can do in a way that is stress free.
As far as CR goes, I suggest you review all of my blog posts related to “Sam’s Story.” They can be found in the CR “category.” Sam is a student who I tutored with issues similar to yours.
Don’t worry too much about the essay now. If you prepare well, it will be one of the easiest parts of the SAT. I did a series of videos on the essay scoring rubric. You should check those out when you get a chance.
Princeton University is a great college—-one worth the efforts that are required to be admitted.
When it comes to extracurricular activities, I suggest that you pursue the activities you like best, not merely the ones you think might look good on a college application.
Good luck. I hope to hear from you again soon.
April 20th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
hi karl(i hope you don’t mind me calling you by your first name. if you do, just say so :])!
i read the blogs for the CR section, and your advice, just from contemplating about it
for awhile, seems REALLY helpful,
and i love the movie idea you recommended. i will definitely try these techniques, but i’m just really sort of busy right now until 4/30/08 with school work. but come the night of april 30th, i will definitely try idea.
i’m sorry. oh, and i’m also very aware of the fact that you need to have a pretty strong vocabulary to do well, not just on this CR section, but the whole SAT.
instead of just reading off the lists, i want to read the dictionary- not necessarily the huge 20 editions of the Oxford dictionary, but the webster’s pocket dictionary, and
the book as well. many people tell me that i should refrain from that, but i don’t see why i should.
i mean it’s the same as studying from the lists, except it’s just a longer list!
LOL!
that’s what i believe, but what did you do when you were prepping for the SAT?
oh, i agree, attending an ivy league, espicially princeton does require a lot of effort.
i want to attend an ivy league or some really good college like MIT, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and NYU.
oh, and about the extracurricular activities, let’s just say sports are not my forte, except probably swimming, and well
i like volleyball, but i am a terrible player, and i don’t want to join ’cause all i’ll do is make the team lose, and
i don’t want to hurt the school’s sports reputation. i primarily like the academic teams(i.e., math team, forensics speech and debate, and the science club),
and the community service clubs ’cause i actually like helping out. i’m sorry if i sounded snobbish when i said that, i didn’t mean it that way.
oh, and one more question!
you tutor?! :]
do you live in NY?
Thanks you so much for your help.
P.S.I am very sorry for bombarding you with all these questions, and I’m very sorry
that you are taking time out of your life for helping me.
(Oh, and in my first comment I meant to say private school, not just private.)
LOL!
Sorry.
April 20th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
oh, and btw, thanks!
someone like me needs to start this early ’cause i’m just SO stupid.
April 21st, 2008 at 6:25 am
Retina,
There are actually a bunch of ePrep videos on vocabulary building. The bottom line, however, is this: It doesn’t really matter how you go about selecting the words to learn. As long as you make vocabulary building a part of you daily routine, you’ll be fine.
As far as private tutoring goes, I (i) live in NJ and (ii) am pretty much book up every year. That’s why I created ePrep for the SAT–to help students that I am not able to tutor privately. I hope you and your parents consider trying one of ePrep’s study programs down the road.
In the meantime, keep studying!
April 26th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
oh, hah, of course.
i had a question for you.
i am attending a independent school next year,
i am going into 9th grade.
in most, if not all, independent schools
the upper school is from 8th grade to 12th grade.
and i know that colleges check high school grades,
so would they send over my 8th grade report card.
this is very important.
please answer me as soon as you can
April 27th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Retina,
No, colleges will only consider your high school grades.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
oh, okay.
thank you very much[:
April 30th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
karl, i had another question. do ivy leagues offer scholarships?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
in my above comment, i wanted to say,
do they offer merit-based scholarships?
May 1st, 2008 at 7:32 am
Absolutely. In fact, they offer both merit-based and needed-based scholarships.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:30 am
they do?
well some of them don’t, right?
i believe cornell doesn’t offer merit-based scholarships.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I’m pretty sure that all Ivy League schools do offer merit-based scholarships at various levels of acheivement. You should check with each school, however, to learn about its unique policies.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Oh okayyyyy.
Thank you very much.
Where would I go to find this information?
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Karl,
I was looking at colleges, and what they like to see from their students.
In 9th grade, I will be taking the same science, english, histroy, etc. as
everyone else. We all start off the same with the general classes.
The only way we are separated is by our foreign language class, and our math class.
In 9th grade, you can only the Math you can take is Algebra 1, Basic Geometry,
Standard Geometry, and Honors Geometry.
I will be taking French 1(I’m starting a new language, so that’s why I’m starting off with that.)
and either Algebra 1 or Standard Geometry(I’m not sure, but definitely not Honors Geometry.)
The only reason is because I went in very confident that I was going to get into the honors class,
and I just blanked out(very idiotic of me). And, in this school, no matter what you took in 9th grade,
you will be taking Algebra 2/Trig. However, there is a honors and a standard class.
So, let’s say I get all A+s in my Math class, and then from there on, I go into all the honors classes they have for each subject, and I definitely do have AP classes(in 10th, 11th, and 12th),
and have a bunch of ECs, and community service credits, and reccomendations, will some school like
MIT( one very famous for their math and scienced) still take me?
(Oh, and of course, I have stellar grades in all the classes, will they still take me?)
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:58 am
In 9th grade, you can only the Math you can take is Algebra 1, Basic Geometry,
Standard Geometry, and Honors Geometry.
**..the only math..
The only reason is because I went in very confident that I was going to get into the honors class,
and I just blanked out(very idiotic of me).
**We had a placement test.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I’m so sorry for my terrible grammar,
and these very long e-mails that I write.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Retina,
Most schools have websites that provide visitors with a wealth of information. You should start your search online, visiting the websites of the schools in which you are most interested.
As far as your math classes go, just take the most rigorous classes you can and do well. Things will sort themselves out in the end. As far as ECs go, find activities that you like and are passionate about. Don’t concern yourself with doing things that you think will look good on a college application.
Finally, I really think you should involve your parents in this process. I think you will all benefit if you plan and do things together.
Hope to hear from you again sometime soon.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
hii, i am so sorry for the delay in replying.
my school was piling me with work.
well, i’ll answer fully tomorrow.
but, in the meantime,
can you tell me how different ePrep types you have?
like the half year session(the books) or the full year?
and what’s the difference?
i want to get it.
well, i’ll answer tomorrow.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:35 am
No worries, Retina. Leave a comment whenever you find the time. School comes first.
Given the abundance of preparation time before you, the Premium Edition of ePrep for the SAT is probably your best option. Again, however, I urge you to involve your parents in this important decision.
In the meantime, keep studying hard!
June 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Helloo.
Thank you.
Oh, my parents won’t mind at all.
It’s education-related, so they won’t mind.
Uhm, I had a few questions.
For vocabulary, do you know a website where they use the word
in a sentence?
I mean, I could know the definiton of a word,
but I also want to benefit from the vocabulary by using it in my
writing.
So, do you know somewhere they can give the definition
and use the word in sentences?
And one more question-
When colleges review the students’ applications,
will they see what high school the person attended?
Not to brag at all, but I am going to attend
a very elite prestigious independent school.
Soo, I’d like that part to work to my advantage.
So, do they?
Oh, and thank you for the e-mail. :]
I will definitely be asking my parents.
June 7th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Retina,
The vocabulary builder that is part of all ePrep courses has at least one sample sentence for each word.
Colleges will absolutely know which high school you attend. I am glad to hear that you will be attending a well-respected independent school. Good luck.
June 7th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Thankk youu so much.
Oh okay, well that’s good.
But for the words I learn elsewhere,
where can I find a sentence for that?
June 8th, 2008 at 6:50 am
I usually use dictionary.com when I need to look up a word. Many, if not all, of the entries include an example of how the word is often used in a phrase or sentence.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:59 am
mr.Schellscheidt,
i found a great website that gives a definitions for every tense!
antimoon.com
it’s great!
thank you though!
and thank you for the e-mail too!
June 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Great, Retina. Thanks for the note. I’ll check out the site.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:41 am
NO PROBLEM!
Mrrrrrrrrr.!
i just encountered another huge problem-
the SAT subject tests
i don’t want to do bad in them!
what should i study?
June 16th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Retina,
You shouldn’t even think about the subject tests until sophomore or junior year in high school. Simply do well in school and you will be well prepared for one or more subject tests when the time comes. Enjoy the summer.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Mr.Schellscheidt,
I can’t enjoy summer with the thought of
me attaining anything lower than like a 780 on
any subject test. The colleges I wish to attend
require at least 3; so, I’ll take 4.
I definitely want to take the subject tests in chemistry
and biology and I maybe will take it in 1C and 2C.
I NEED TO DO WELL IN THOSE!
I saw a comment from a student on one of your blogs-
he said that he got a 800 on 4 subject tests and got a
2020 on his SAT, but got into John Hopkins ED.
I mean, 2020 is great! It’s just that I’ve met kids who
achieved higher on their SAT and got rejected from there.
I’m sorry for these long e-mails that I write-
I do realize I am being a burden.
I am VERY sorry.
Have a great summer though!
June 17th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
**IC and 2C in Math.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Retina,
You should not take the SAT biology subject test until you have taken a biology class in high school. It would be silly to do otherwise. Since you won’t be taking biology until you get to high school, you can relax this summer.
As far as the math subject tests go, it would be very unusual to take both level 1 and level 2. Most students simply pick the one that is more appropriate for them.
If you want to begin the process of preparing yourself for high school standardized tests, you should spend your time reading widely and building your vocabulary. Getting anxious about SAT subject tests now will be counterproductive in my opinion.
Good luck.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Mr.Schellscheidt,
Well, I want to impress my teachers and get amazing
reccomendations for college. So, if I study just biology on
my own during the summer, I’ll be ahead of my class, and then from September to
about the end of May and early June, I’ll be able to prepare
myself for the subject test for biology.
Wouldn’t that be a good idea?
I want to pursure a career in the medical sciences and be a pre-med
in college. So, since you said it would be unusual to take both 1C and 2C,
should I take the subject tests in biology, chemistry, and physics
and Math 2C. And taking these hard tests, and hopefully doing well in them
will “wow” the admissions commitee, right?
This summer, I will definitely be doing lots of reading and vocabulary
and simoltaneously, I will be studying for other tests and working
myself towards certain accolades and honors.
If you don’t mind me asking, why do you think it would be counterproductive?
I mean, I know this kid(Well, I don’t know him, I read an article about him) who started prepping for standardized tests at age 12, and yes,
he did end of getting a perfect score on both the SAT and ACT,
and got rejected from a lot of his “dream schools” which included schools like Harvard, Stanford, Yale(wait-listed), and many more. Although, he was still accpeted to many great colleges like Caltech, Rice, Duke, etc.
I, however, am not doing that. Yes, I am prepping for the tests,
but also working myself toward other things that colleges look at.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Retina,
If you can do well on the math level 2, that’s the one you should ultimately take. Just to clarify, I stated that getting “anxious” about SAT subject tests “now” would be counterproductive. I stand by that statment.
If, however, studying is something you really want to do and it doesn’t stress you out, go for it.
Good luck.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Mr.Schellscheidt,
Well, I don’t mind if it will help me. I’m not a studying freak. I would rather hang
with friends and go places, instead of staying home and studying.
But, it’s just that I don’t want to stress myself when the time actually comes.
I would rather go out with my friends than study, but will it
severly hurt me when the time comes for applying for college if I don’t start studying now?
June 20th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Retina,
Try your best to strike a balance between studying and relaxing with friends. Doing so will not put you at a disadvantage when the time comes to apply for college.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Hello Mr.Schellscheidt!
How are you?
I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK AND YOU’RE HAVING A GREAT SUMMER!
I am very sorry for the delay in responding.
I’ve been very busy lately.
Well, I’ve been trying to work on my vocabulary lately.
For some reason(I honestly don’t why), I just believe if
I have a really strong vocabulary, I believe the Critical Reading section
is mine. I meant that in the sense that I believe I
can get like 780+!
Ah, but the thing that stinks is how to get a strong vocabulary!
I’m trying to read the dictionary.
It’s boring. I mean, I can read it and well, yes, I can memorize and remember that words.
The problem is that IT’S BORING!
Do you know a “fun way” of learning words?
And the “way” will keep the words in my head.
And, yes, I am still sticking to the dictionary.
Once again,
I am terribly sorry for the delay.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Retina,
Honestly, I think the best (and most interesting) way to build a “large and varied working vocabulary” is to read widely, looking up & and memorizing words along the way. It worked for me. Good luck.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:22 am
hi Karl,
i have a problem answering the passage questions , most of all the long ones , can u help me with an approach to answer these type of questions in order not to fall behind time?
August 19th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Selasie,
I understand completely. I had the same issue when I was your age.
You should probably start by checking out past ePrep posts in the Reading category. You can access such posts by selecting “Reading” under the heading “Categories” in the navigation column on the right side of this webpage. One video that you should definitely watch is “Critical Reading Another Way - Sam’s Story.”
Also, an ePrep visitor from Hungary named Victor came up with the follow strategy that worked well for him:
Viktor said,
on October 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I have developed a revolutionary new technique to crack the CR section. I highly recommend you to try this with international or slow reader students.
I realized that I have no big trouble with the short passages, only with the long ones. Then I can divide the long passage into short ones. I mean I read the first 10-15 lines of a long passage, and then I answer to the questions which are referred to that part, using fresh knowledge. Then I move on to the next 10-15 lines, and find those questions. This prevents the tempting answer choices to confuse me, because I can cross out the answers that are completely alien to that particular 10-15 lines. After this, I have enough knowledge to answer to questions that have no line reference.
Using this technique, my score on my latest SAT CR section was 650. I never did better than 550 before, so it definitely works for me.
I hope this helps, Selasie. Please do not hesitate to post follow-up questions.
October 28th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Hi,
I took the october SAT and got
800 CR
710 Writing
690 Math
I took the SAT only one other time last year. I did worse than
I did in October in every section but math, in which I
got a 710. I’m a senior now, but I’m not applying early decision
anywhere. I’m wondering if it will hurt me if I simply don’t
try on the reading section and work only on math and writing.
Is that a bad idea? I already have an 800 so it seems reasonable.
I know I can get an 800 math with just a bit more focus.
thanks,
Kwon
October 28th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Kwon,
You should certainly focus on math and writing next time, but please don’t neglect the CR completely. Simply try your best on CR without stressing out. Good luck. Your scores are awesome, by the way.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
i did the SAT and got
760 math
560 writing and 510 CR
i know how to iprove in math,but i need a boost in my verbal sectios!
help me!
by the way, i practiced too much and know a sum of abut 800 vocab words
i think the vocab is’t tha much trouble because i got 14\19 in the sentence competions but my
problem is in the pass hges and in the essay that i always score6\12 on.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Ahmed,
Great job on the math!
I completely understand your frustration with the critical reading passages. I had the same issues when I was your age.
You should probably start by checking out past ePrep posts in the Reading category. You can access such posts by selecting “Reading” under the heading “Categories” in the navigation column on the right side of this webpage. One video that you should definitely watch is “Critical Reading Another Way - Sam’s Story.”
Also, an ePrep visitor from Hungary named Victor came up with the follow strategy that worked well for him:
Viktor said,
on October 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I have developed a revolutionary new technique to crack the CR section. I highly recommend you to try this with international or slow reader students.
I realized that I have no big trouble with the short passages, only with the long ones. Then I can divide the long passage into short ones. I mean I read the first 10-15 lines of a long passage, and then I answer to the questions which are referred to that part, using fresh knowledge. Then I move on to the next 10-15 lines, and find those questions. This prevents the tempting answer choices to confuse me, because I can cross out the answers that are completely alien to that particular 10-15 lines. After this, I have enough knowledge to answer to questions that have no line reference.
Using this technique, my score on my latest SAT CR section was 650. I never did better than 550 before, so it definitely works for me.
I hope this helps, Ahmed. Please do not hesitate to post follow-up questions.